[Event] The 99er Cycle Race 2017

[Slowbee]

Decided to enter the race on Friday evening after a friend twisted my arm.

Had a hard week with 3 days of two riding sessions a day, and two with one session only, as a result my legs was a bit tired.

Race went well, and I dropped of the peleton on 3 occasions when I felt the pace was a bit too hot for me.

Vissershok was done at a pace just above walking pace (BUT I DID NOT WALK), Odendaals was a bit better.

Still finished the race with a PB (not by much....) so I am quite satisfied with how things went.

:clap:

[NickGM]

Nope, I was wrong this year. They decided to make the cut off earlier this year for some reason. Caught me out a little.

Ah no worries. I was looking forward to sleeping in again anyway. 

[Duane_Bosch]

Did the 64. From WAY BACK. KS was my group. For K@k Slow.

 

2nd roadie race for me and my fiance. Told her I was gonna go so out the gate I was on the gas (for me) she had a crash 13km in. Some lighti overtook then jumped on the brakes right in front of her. Sprained wrist and a bent front wheel. She tried to finish but the bike was fighting her too much. Bummed. I suppose these things happen when you ride at that end of the field.

 

She said she was averaging 30 before the crash.

 

I hooked up with a few people and we got a nice little paceline going for about 45km. It felt good to do a little drafting and pace setting. Not something I'm used to. Vissershok was hard. Not coz of the gradient but coz of everyone else pushing 3 abreast. Not fun.

 

I finished in 2.33. Came 150th in the plebs race and 'won' my group. I've podiumed at a national DH before but I was more stoked with this. Go figure.

Edited February 13, 2017 by Duane_Bosch

[NickGM]

Well I've just found that my result for the 102km was reassigned to the 64km by racetec, after it was initially correctly listed as the 102km on saturday evening when I first looked. Luckily I checked again. Not just me either, two guys I rode with for a lot of the way were also incorrectly reclassified. Does this sort of thing happen often?  

[Pure Savage]

Well I've just found that my result for the 102km was reassigned to the 64km by racetec, after it was initially correctly listed as the 102km on saturday evening when I first looked. Luckily I checked again. Not just me either, two guys I rode with for a lot of the way were also incorrectly reclassified. Does this sort of thing happen often?  

Not usually

[mikkelz]

 

As this is a seeding event for the 2018 Cape Town Cycle Tour, there is a strict no chip, no time policy. We will not be able to load your results.

 

What a fail! This was literally the first race/event I've ever forgotten my RaceTec timing chip.

 

Totally my fault, but it might be worthwhile for the organizers to make the "number collection envelope" a bit more useful next time i.e. adding a reminder to wear your timing chip.

 

#facepalm

[NickGM]

Not usually

We were the first 3 in our group (CC) and quite a long way ahead of anyone else in that group so it is possible that they think the results are not legit or something. It seems too much of a coincidence that all 3 of us have had our results moved to the 64km race by some sort of clerical error. But if that was the case, they should at least let the rider know - I guess it's only monday and should give them more time. I've taken it up with racetec though. 

 

Anyway, if anyone reading this knows Guy Krige from somerset west (he rides with the Wanabees club or something like that) then let him know that his result is incorrect on the racetec website. He was one of the guys who did all 102kms of the 64km race with me.  

[Mamil]

Looking at the Strava flyby feature for the 99er I see that I again missed a trick.

 

I was in group Q and I see that right from the start a group of guys took off faster than the others. I got left behind with the remainder of Q which fragmented pretty quickly and after about 5 K things were really bitty with some solo riding and one or two temporary alliances including a most useful one with a pretty strong guy from R, I eventually caught up with the back of a group of LM and N and P riders (didn't see any O for some reason) and they towed me through to the section where the potholes started. Just before that we hit a huge batch of slower short route riders and that splintered the group. By the time I got to the potholes having battled with the crowd, I could only see one or two of the guys I was riding with before. We sort of used each other to get to the turn off from the N7 whereafter it was, as Patch observed in this thread, everyone for themselves.

 

I finished 12th in Q.

 

My question is - where in your start group do you like to stand waiting for the starter to set you free? A hangover from my road running days is that I tend to stand towards the back because I knew that in a road marathon, every minute you are too fast in the first 21k is going to cost you 3 or 4 minutes in the last 10 and so I wouldn't want to be caught in the rush of people going out too fast. In cycling though it's different - it seems you actually want to be caught in the rush. Is it better to stand further forward so that if there are guys who take off faster than the rest of the group you can go with them. Being in the last third of the group at the start means that as people brake to take a corner, the field slows down more and sooner the further back you are in the group so that after the first 5K it seems to me, the group is splintered or at very least stretched out quite a lot. This effect seems to be more marked the more turns their are in this first stretch.

 

Would I be better off elbowing my way to the second row in group Q? What do the more experienced riders do? Is it the same in higher groups or in A B and C (one day when I'm big I'll crack C) do the riders not slow down so much for those early corners and so create a traffic jam?

[Skubarra]

 

My question is - where in your start group do you like to stand waiting for the starter to set you free? 

 

Would I be better off elbowing my way to the second row in group Q? What do the more experienced riders do? Is it the same in higher groups or in A B and C (one day when I'm big I'll crack C) do the riders not slow down so much for those early corners and so create a traffic jam?

 

Referring to the general alphabet soup groups (not the front where dynamics are very different)

 

Where you start in Q and the other back groups doesn't really matter, it's a dogs breakfast anyway, one moment you are in a group the next it is everyone for themselves.

 

Its probably only around seeding group H and better where groups are better structured. I would say that it is actually not that important where you start, the group is unlikely to split until the first big climb. My personal preferenc is to start more at the back and let the testosterone and egos settles in the first few kilometers and then use the climbs to move more to the front. Then I try to ride in the front 1/3rd if I'm strong enough.

 

big part of the enjoyment of road cycling for me is figuring out the tactics that works best for your strengths & weaknesses and learning to read what the group is doing.

[Pure Savage]

https://www.bikehub.co.za/features/_/articles/ride-reports/pure-savage-race-report-99er-cycle-tour-r6138

 

Enjoy, we did!!!

 

 

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[Mamil]

Down in Q noone is playing cat and mouse and waiting to see who does what. I can assure you that such tactical considerations don't feature - everyone is just hammering along at full gas. You okes get frustrated if the speed is 30kph - we hope to catch on to someone going that speed and will sweat bullets to keep up. 

 

But I reckon everyone's having about the same kind of fun. I'm doing an event every single weekend between now and Argus - --- obsess much?

 

Thanks Skubarra - this is helpful - I think next time I will squeeze in about halfway so that if there are stronger guys at the front I have a chance to spot them leaving and try keep up. I dunno if I'm kidding myself but I think I'm a bit better than Q. I suppose its only after a year's racing that you get a more accurate idea of where one stands relative to the rest of the field. And know what kind of rider one is I guess also takes some experience. 

 

Referring to the general alphabet soup groups (not the front where dynamics are very different)

 

Where you start in Q and the other back groups doesn't really matter, it's a dogs breakfast anyway, one moment you are in a group the next it is everyone for themselves.

 

Its probably only around seeding group H and better where groups are better structured. I would say that it is actually not that important where you start, the group is unlikely to split until the first big climb. My personal preferenc is to start more at the back and let the testosterone and egos settles in the first few kilometers and then use the climbs to move more to the front. Then I try to ride in the front 1/3rd if I'm strong enough.

 

big part of the enjoyment of road cycling for me is figuring out the tactics that works best for your strengths & weaknesses and learning to read what the group is doing.

 

 

 

https://www.bikehub.co.za/features/_/articles/ride-reports/pure-savage-race-report-99er-cycle-tour-r6138

Enjoy, we did!!!


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[Niel1]

We were the first 3 in our group (CC) and quite a long way ahead of anyone else in that group so it is possible that they think the results are not legit or something. It seems too much of a coincidence that all 3 of us have had our results moved to the 64km race by some sort of clerical error. But if that was the case, they should at least let the rider know - I guess it's only monday and should give them more time. I've taken it up with racetec though. 

 

Anyway, if anyone reading this knows Guy Krige from somerset west (he rides with the Wanabees club or something like that) then let him know that his result is incorrect on the racetec website. He was one of the guys who did all 102kms of the 64km race with me.  

Happened to me too. Started the 102km in FF, did a 2:51. This morning I checked and now my RaceTec result says I did the 64km in 2:51 Thanks NickGM for letting me know this morning! Really appreciate it man!! 

[NickGM]

Happened to me too. Started the 102km in FF, did a 2:51. This morning I checked and now my RaceTec result says I did the 64km in 2:51 Thanks NickGM for letting me know this morning! Really appreciate it man!! 

No Prob. I actually phoned them and had a bit of a rant today. There were about 8 riders in total who were shifted to the 64km race, and for about 6 of them (including the 2 of us) I can prove that they did the 102km. I guess they do have to account for people who started the 102km in one of the bottom groups, realised it was too much for them, and then took a shortcut to the end. I'm sure it happens all the time, especially in the lower starting groups. But to just move the result and then not tell the rider? That's not really acceptable. They should flag the ride and ask you for more details, instead of quietly moving it to the shorter race.

 

Having said all that, I'm pretty sure there is a motor in your bike dude. 35kph solo for 102km? WTF. I was riding the solo ride of my life and you came past in a blur. 

 

edit: in case it's not obvious, I'm not being serious about the motor. 

Edited February 14, 2017 by NickGM

[Niel1]

No Prob. I actually phoned them and had a bit of a rant today. There were about 8 riders in total who were shifted to the 64km race, and for about 6 of them (including the 2 of us) I can prove that they did the 102km. I guess they do have to account for people who started the 102km in one of the bottom groups, realised it was too much for them, and then took a shortcut to the end. I'm sure it happens all the time, especially in the lower starting groups. But to just move the result and then not tell the rider? That's not really acceptable. They should flag the ride and ask you for more details, instead of quietly moving it to the shorter race.

 

Having said all that, I'm pretty sure there is a motor in your bike dude. 35kph solo for 102km? WTF. I was riding the solo ride of my life and you came past in a blur. 

 

edit: in case it's not obvious, I'm not being serious about the motor. 

hahaha! Didn't take it serious at all. Also phoned RaceTec today! All they could tell me is that it could take up to 2 working days. No sorry no nothing...

[gazzacpt]

I noticed that the Stellies tour was timed at different points but this one was just start and end surely if they timed at the halfway point of the 102km all this would be avoided.

 

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['Dale]

I noticed that the Stellies tour was timed at different points but this one was just start and end surely if they timed at the halfway point of the 102km all this would be avoided.

 

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Good point ????????