Tour of SA - go off-road

[Chris NewbyFraser]

Why does a national tour have to be on-road? It is not very viable in SA to get a road stage race going for all the obvious reasons we have experienced before. So why not create a National Tour that consists of mtb conditions, essentially a point to point mtb stage race that carries the National Tour title?

[NelAndre]

I like that idea. Tour of SA all off road, team format, not sure if something like this exists? Will be fascinating to watch. Some Time Trials in selected Mountain Bike Parks along the route.....

[Eugene]

Because that's what it is. Making it an off road event is like changing Formula 1 to off road or making rugby play with a round ball.

 

There are more than enough mtb tours in SA with international participants. Let the road get something too.

[Chris NewbyFraser]

Because that's what it is. Making it an off road event is like changing Formula 1 to off road or making rugby play with a round ball.

 

There are more than enough mtb tours in SA with international participants. Let the road get something too.

Try as we might, we will probably never get a road Tour established. The nature of SA road users, poor Government interest and equally poor infrastructural options along the route all conspire against a road event. SA has tried - how many times - and all we get is a bloody nose and an increasingly bad rep internationally.

While we may have many MTB events that attract a few internatonals, we do not have a single Pro-MTB tour in SA. Our events, even the Epic,re open events - anybody with enough money and the ability to suffer - not win -just suffer and finish in what is are ludicrously generous times. This creates a very different feel for the race. I advocate creating a tightly controlled, limited field, Pro-Am team only event. Maybe 200 riders at best with cut-off's and strict rules. A true race.