PPA Mangaung MTB Cycle Tour 2016: 29 October 2016

[Startingagain]

Warning, serious rant below.

 

The Mangaung MTB 55km / 75km event on 29 October 2016 was the worst my friend and I ever experienced.  This Bloemfontein race cannot be recommended. 

 

I will only list a few issues, but every issue is serious enough to skip this event in future.

 

1. MTB Registration:

 

Registration for the MTB race took place only on Friday until 18:00.  When I arrived from Pretoria, it was too late to register. They do not cater for riders who cannot make it before 18:00 on the Friday.  

 

The morning before the race, there was no one at the registration table and I was informed that the registration officials will only be there at 10:00 for the roadies to register for their Sunday race.  

 

2. The MTB Route:

 

The route was poorly marked and there was a serious shortage of marshals.  A lot of us lost our way and after the third time I lost also interest in the race.  We were supposed to ride through the botanical gardens but a lady at the gate refused entry.  Despite tens of riders trying to persuade her that she is damaging the interest and integrity of the tourist market, no access was granted. 

 

In the end, my 75km ride ended as a 29km ride.  My Pretoria friend’s 55km race was 20km.  That included the additional distances we had to ride to find the route.

 

In addition, there was not a single water table.

 

3.  Road Race Registration:

 

Having finished disappointingly early in the MTB event, I went to the registration table at about 09:30 to register for the road race the following day.  There was a guy (I think the supervisor) and three ladies in their red t-shirts at the registration table.  The race envelopes were on the table in boxes and I asked to get my number.  I was told by the gentlemen that I should have read the SMS, the table only opens at 10:00.  I could not believe this and asked him, seen that the MTB race was such a disaster, why can't I just get my envelope and leave.  One of the ladies then handed my envelope containing only the race number and 4 pins. 

 

Yes, the road race on Sunday softened the disappointment of the MTB race, but few MTB riders entered for both races like my friend.

 

I have spent thousands on entry fees, travelling costs and accommodation.  My friend travelled also all the way from Pretoria and went back with only the 20kms on his Polar GPS and an empty purse.

 

I paid on-line R230 for the 70km (although the map's on-line link indicates it is 75km).  A PPA member had to pay R200, so R30 of my R230 went to the PPA.

 

Guys, do not consider this as a MTB race weekend in Bloemfontein.  To say that the Pedal Power Association (PPA) and the race organisers were poor in organising the MTB race, is an understatement.  

[Vetseun]

Right here goes.

My input.

Pathetic!!!! Charging such amounts to enter a MTB race and so little effort was put in.

The route marking was nothing else but disgusting. Riders lives were put in danger on the N1. The route actually ran along the side of the N1 along the farm fences. Pity it wasnt marked! Riders carried straight on the N1 into roadworks where the road narrows to a single lane. Riders, cars, trucks etc all on a single lane of the N1.

There were places where you just had to guess and hope that you were still on the route.

There was a guard at the entrance to the botanical gardens that refused riders entry. The route went through the gardens but apparently she didnt know about this.

At Ribblesdale, we encountered a closed farms gate. The old farmer was standing there and had closed the gate and locked it with a padlock and chain.

After much negotiation, he agreed to unlock it. Info that I got was that he was not informed that hundreds of cyclists would be invading his land.

I know the area so I managed. What about riders from other places. You will get so lost that you will never find your way home again.

After the race, I encountered some very upset riders.

Some getting lost within the first 5km of the route.

Very weak effort indeed.Maak Bloemies hulle naam moerse gat.

I decided to not even bother to go and ride the road race on Sunday.

From what I have heard, it was much better organised.

This local race has been showing declining numbers for a few years now, this is not the way to restore it to its former glory!

[hboli4]

Posted in the other thread and copying here:

 

I was very disappointed. My wife and I entered the 55km (she has been building up to this event and it would have been her first 'long' one) and ended up doing 18km. R300(with PPA discount) for the both of us.

 

We were also turned back at the botanical gardens gate and then advised that the route has been closed and we should head back to the start. It will be great to get feedback from the PPA as to the cause. I have heard numerous stories which varies from the organiser not obtaining the proper permission from landowners to riders cutting wires in the gardens due to another gate being closed(not open because the lady was late) with this action prompting the lady from the gardens to refuse entry to the rest of the field. From what I gather there were some issues with route marking further on from the riders that got through. I also think that the level of tech skill expected from the riders doing the 35km was a bit of a stretch. There was no proper description of the route and in my humble opinion the very rocky nature of the trail through 7dams with small drop-offs etc. is not something the average 35km rider expects.

 

I volunteered at a waterpoint on the road race and all the feedback from the riders seemed a lot more positive. One of the ER24 guys did say that there was an incident where a vehicle got onto the route and 4 riders were badly hurt and taken to hospital.

 

All in all not a good weekend for the PPA Mangaung weekend I think.

[Wil6]

Posted in the other thread and copying here:

 

I was very disappointed. My wife and I entered the 55km (she has been building up to this event and it would have been her first 'long' one) and ended up doing 18km. R300(with PPA discount) for the both of us.

 

We were also turned back at the botanical gardens gate and then advised that the route has been closed and we should head back to the start. It will be great to get feedback from the PPA as to the cause. I have heard numerous stories which varies from the organiser not obtaining the proper permission from landowners to riders cutting wires in the gardens due to another gate being closed(not open because the lady was late) with this action prompting the lady from the gardens to refuse entry to the rest of the field. From what I gather there were some issues with route marking further on from the riders that got through. I also think that the level of tech skill expected from the riders doing the 35km was a bit of a stretch. There was no proper description of the route and in my humble opinion the very rocky nature of the trail through 7dams with small drop-offs etc. is not something the average 35km rider expects.

 

I volunteered at a waterpoint on the road race and all the feedback from the riders seemed a lot more positive. One of the ER24 guys did say that there was an incident where a vehicle got onto the route and 4 riders were badly hurt and taken to hospital.

 

All in all not a good weekend for the PPA Mangaung weekend I think.

 

 

Pathetic I tell you    

[hboli4]

The MTB race is a disgrace for Bloem and I'm ashamed to be called a Bloemfonteiner after an event like this. Luckily I did not ride this weekend, but from all the feedback you can only shake your head

 

From what I've heard with the road race, it was a taxi that did not obey the marshals instruction to stop, and went straight into a peloton. It was a hit and run. I really can't get my head around how the PPA can allow a race through the location without full road closure. That is asking for trouble. You know how people can party on a Sunday.

 

Pathetic I tell you    

 

I know we are 'limited' in Bloem regarding good mtb terrain and routes that will cater for all levels but it feels like this route was 'forced' to provide something different and ended up being a horror show. Also, how can you start just before 08.00 on a long mtb route with riders struggling to maintain 18km/h avg in the Free State summer (with a heatwave to boot).

 

At least the roadrace started at 06.00 but some of the people that passed through the WP at 62km was cooked at 09.00 already.

 

One of the bikemarshalls told me that he recced the road route starting at 03.00 and couldn't believe how many jols was still 'pumping'! As you say, going through the 'township' side without full road closure is madness.

[Jase619]

Going through that part of Bloem was definitely a mistake, we passed the accident just after it happened, didn't look good for any of the riders involved. 

 

Hopefully next year they will at least take us on another route, surely we can exclude that part as I don't think anybody had a good experience going through there, we had so many close calls with drivers it wasn't even funny.

[hboli4]

Going through that part of Bloem was definitely a mistake, we passed the accident just after it happened, didn't look good for any of the riders involved. 

 

Hopefully next year they will at least take us on another route, surely we can exclude that part as I don't think anybody had a good experience going through there, we had so many close calls with drivers it wasn't even funny.

 

The 'old' OFM route did not include a loop through there. I don't know if the roadworks / permissions for road closure prevented the organisers from using the 'old' route or similar.

[Wil6]

The 'old' OFM route did not include a loop through there. I don't know if the roadworks / permissions for road closure prevented the organisers from using the 'old' route or similar.

Yip, the N1 is of limits until the roadworks are finished

[HdB]

Going through that part of Bloem was definitely a mistake, we passed the accident just after it happened, didn't look good for any of the riders involved. 

 

Hopefully next year they will at least take us on another route, surely we can exclude that part as I don't think anybody had a good experience going through there, we had so many close calls with drivers it wasn't even funny.

 

Hopefully there are no road works on the N1 and other roads in the area, then perhaps the race route can avoid that stretch.

 

As long as the organisers take the lessons learnt from this year's rides to improve next year. We won't get route closure without more riders, more sponsors, etc, so it will probably take some time.

 

A problem with the old routes that had more on the N1 was that the tail end of the 40-ish km got tangled with the faster groups of the 100 km race, which was quite dangerous and not fun for the fast or slow riders.

[Jase619]

Hopefully there are no road works on the N1 and other roads in the area, then perhaps the race route can avoid that stretch.

 

As long as the organisers take the lessons learnt from this year's rides to improve next year. We won't get route closure without more riders, more sponsors, etc, so it will probably take some time.

 

A problem with the old routes that had more on the N1 was that the tail end of the 40-ish km got tangled with the faster groups of the 100 km race, which was quite dangerous and not fun for the fast or slow riders.

Would rather take that then going through that part of town, absolutely zero shoulder and at time the road had fallen to pieces so badly that you couldn't ride all the way on the left, for fear of suddenly falling into a pothole the size of a small canyon.

 

That being said, will keep supporting in hopes that it grows a bit, from what I saw there were a good 60 or 70 more riders than last year, and no problems with the route marking and marshals so they did at least learn from last year.

[Startingagain]

Posted in the other thread and copying here:

 

I was very disappointed. My wife and I entered the 55km (she has been building up to this event and it would have been her first 'long' one) and ended up doing 18km. R300(with PPA discount) for the both of us.

 

We were also turned back at the botanical gardens gate and then advised that the route has been closed and we should head back to the start. It will be great to get feedback from the PPA as to the cause. I have heard numerous stories which varies from the organiser not obtaining the proper permission from landowners to riders cutting wires in the gardens due to another gate being closed(not open because the lady was late) with this action prompting the lady from the gardens to refuse entry to the rest of the field. From what I gather there were some issues with route marking further on from the riders that got through. I also think that the level of tech skill expected from the riders doing the 35km was a bit of a stretch. There was no proper description of the route and in my humble opinion the very rocky nature of the trail through 7dams with small drop-offs etc. is not something the average 35km rider expects.

 

I volunteered at a waterpoint on the road race and all the feedback from the riders seemed a lot more positive. One of the ER24 guys did say that there was an incident where a vehicle got onto the route and 4 riders were badly hurt and taken to hospital.

 

All in all not a good weekend for the PPA Mangaung weekend I think.

Please give as

 

The MTB race is a disgrace for Bloem and I'm ashamed to be called a Bloemfonteiner after an event like this. Luckily I did not ride this weekend, but from all the feedback you can only shake your head

 

From what I've heard with the road race, it was a taxi that did not obey the marshals instruction to stop, and went straight into a peloton. It was a hit and run. I really can't get my head around how the PPA can allow a race through the location without full road closure. That is asking for trouble. You know how people can party on a Sunday.

 

Pathetic I tell you    

Please post the link you are referring to.  Kind regards!

[Wil6]

Please give as

 

Please post the link you are referring to.  Kind regards!

Sorry don't have a link, heard it from a friend who knows one of the cyclists involved. 

[Mailman7412]

Okaaayyyy so here goes. After completing K2c in September in a Pb I felt ready to take on anything. So I entered the 30k mtb and the road race Sunday.

 

I must say registration was good for me. Only hiccup got seeded in the last batch fir the 30k which baffled me a bit, but decided what the hell fun ride anyway.

 

2km into the race the fun started with a small drop-off and every one stopped aaand everything stopped. So I knew I was in for a long day. Spend the rest of the day shouting please walk of the line.

 

At one stage we had to scale a rock face. That thing was more than 70 degrees.

 

In my eyes it was basically a 25km xco race on a xcm format.

 

Average speed K2c 14km average speed here 9.8

[hboli4]

There is a post on their Facebook page saying that they are going to refund the riders for the mtb event and that an 'explanation mail' will be sent.

[Dean4248]

Please give as

 

Please post the link you are referring to. Kind regards!

[Dean4248]

Riding in yesterday's race I was part of a small group of maybe about 7-10 riders and it was less than halfway into the race where I was riding at the back in the rural area. There was no marshal at this crossing at all. It was a crossing from one dust road to another dust road where a white Fiat Palio didn't stop at all and just drove over the crossing. He hit a couple of the riders down and drove away and I was able to just get around the fallen cyclists while one cyclist foot just nipped me on the ankle. Lucky not to be part of the accident but was on scene to help them until help arrived. Pathetic I tell you