Statement regarding cancellation of the 40th Cape Town Cycle Tour from David Bellairs

[carbon29er]

Umm, the mods did not delete any of your posts.

 

But if you can direct me to your post. I will gladly put it up. And most of your posts have reasoning anyway, so why would we edit them ?

As I'm as slow typing as I am on a bike I think it was caught in the purge you ran as I hit Post.

[Rouxenator]

As long as my double entry is carried over to next year, I'm happy. 

[carbon29er]

, Icycling.

 

Last year they made the call earlier to shift the route.

 

This time, they had no time. So would riders be prepared to do the 47km with no support on the way back ?

I think riders would then have been able to make a choice. Go home and get supported or ride and have fun.

 

As it turns out the decision was made for us without any consideration of our particular needs.

 

See, the thing is, Bellairs does what suits him. Not the cyclist. We are seen as an annoyance that have to be tolerated while he jets around the world attending WACE meetings and events.

[Mamil]

Anger is a close cousin of disappointment and sadness and much prefers the limelight too - the latter being the more vulnerable state.

 

Outrage and indignation in the face of loss is a very basic response - the animal that gets p155sed off when facing something that hurts, unconsciously reasons that it's ferocity will discourage the world from taking something else away. It's worked for millenia, that's why we do it.

 

The organisers made a difficult call in an almost impossible situation. Ad hoc arrangements with a crowd of 35 000 people would be risky and probably irresponsible. Personally I'm heartened to see that there are sometimes people in charge who make good and responsible decisions.

 

I'm taking my disappointment to Meerendal where the rest of the family is going walking while I take my new MTB shoes and saddle for a test ride up that ghastly member's corridor to Conties.

 

Mountain bikers laugh in the face of the wind gods while roadies quake and shake their fists! 

[Patchelicious]

I heard a cool quote the other day:

 

Careful of what you say and do while angry, your anger will pass but the things you said and did while angry will be remembered.

[PhilipV]

The 47km route always need t be an option on the day. Read my post on page 5 "Cape Town cycle tour 2017 cancelled."

For that matter maybe have a divert possible via Glencairn - Sun Valley - Ou Kaapse Weg and back up the M3.

 

 

ITO protest action: The Dakar went from strength to strength when it moved from Africa to S-America after civil war threatened participants safety.

It won't be the same, but we shouldn't be against a route change when it affects rider safety. The Glencairn divert planned this morning was a great move IMO.

I'm holding my breath that the 2oceans isn't also disrupted due to protest action.

[carbon29er]

I heard a cool quote the other day:

 

Careful of what you say and do while angry, your anger will pass but the things you said and did while angry will be remembered.

I'm always careful. Except when faced with the possibility of exiting double figures on a descent. I have no idea how the sprinters in the peloton hit the hundreds on the big mountain descents. Aerodynamically efficient?

[Patchelicious]

I'm always careful. Except when faced with the possibility of exiting double figures on a descent. I have no idea how the sprinters in the peloton hit the hundreds on the big mountain descents. Aerodynamically efficient?

Marginal SKY gains! And Spez Aero RnD... duh!! ????

[dev null]

I can't even take the family with MTBs on Helderberg this afternoon. With sweat, French and busted fingers plus 2 broken tyre levers I managed to get 4 slicks onto 4 MTB rims yesterday. I don't have the mental and emotional energy to put the knobblies back on this afternoon.

 

Oh, joy, the wind has dropped quite a bit here in Strand. I bet it is peach of a day at Jonkers.

[Breezer]

Now my 3 tubes for R99 at cwc is not a bargain anymore. But seriously, I think they should have considered the 47km route. Then I would have at least burned the salted caramel gu I took just before I did not start. Burbed the whole way back to home.

['Dale]

Check it out. Hope it's not a repost
 

https://www.facebook.com/cycletour/videos/vb.303181639755371/1416836988389825/?type=3&theater

[Pure Savage]

Some reasoning there, Andy Arnesan?

Don't just drop the like that

Maybe the photos he saw.

[Hein Schmidlin_43060]

I accept the organizers dicision an understand that I cannot get a refund, but why can't the entries all be carried over to next year and those entered given first choice during the ballot process. I understand the organisers can't be blamed for bad weather, but it is the least they can do to give us some kind of remuneration. We are after all also victims now who lost heaps of money towards this event. I might even concider withdrawing from this event if things do not change for the better. Examples are moving the event to a new start, changing the date to a less windy and cooler month, etc. Thanks anyway for giving me the opportunity to give my view.

[Cois]

Must say I am sorry for those who paid a crap load of money for nothing.

 

One of the reasons I no longer want to partake in mass events like the 94.7, Argus and Sun City races.

 

Another thing with protests, you showed that it pays to protest and that you get your way with your destructive ways. You are opening yourself a can of worms.

 

Sorry for everyone not being able to do the ride today

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Blackheart]

I did the windy one in 2009 on a tandem - it was not fun, but I felt a greater sense of achievement afterwards than any of my other 11. I haven't entered this ride since 2010 and didn't have an entry this year, so don't have any emotion invested.

Some thoughts did pop into my head after reading the statement this am.

1. Is it windier than 2009? The wind is always worst at CTICC, in 2009 saw many riders stopped dead and blown over and or backwards. We had to walk most of the freeway section until we were in the lee of the mountain. We still had some nasty moments out on the course, including a massive endo when the guy in front got blown sideways in front of us. But we are big boys and can decide if gets too dangerous and stop. We didn't by the way.

2. The HB fire was brought under control by mid yesterday, emergency vehicles access is not compromised by the Argus route. I am an HB resident and we were up there this morning helping out with food and clothes. I can't remember the year we had the massive fires when the whole peninsula burned (2002/2003?), but we rode the Argus in a black sooty moonscape.

3. What exactly is 'protest action"? this seems to be the main reason, but we are not getting the whole story, I think? 

 

I also though straight away of the Dakar which was moved away from Africa because competitors security could not be guaranteed (as much as it can be).

That is an international event with its own governing body based in France, so not a likely result for the Argus.

However, any event which is compromised by lawlessness and security threats won't last very long.

I think this is why the wind and the HB fire have been thrown into the mix, to play down the fact that safety and security cannot be managed.

PS, just realised I refer to it as the Argus, sorry force of habit.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I accept the organizers dicision an understand that I cannot get a refund, but why can't the entries all be carried over to next year and those entered given first choice during the ballot process. I understand the organisers can't be blamed for bad weather, but it is the least they can do to give us some kind of remuneration. We are after all also victims now who lost heaps of money towards this event. I might even concider withdrawing from this event if things do not change for the better. Examples are moving the event to a new start, changing the date to a less windy and cooler month, etc. Thanks anyway for giving me the opportunity to give my view.

Why did they say you cant get a refund, or even a part refund or a carry over?  

 

My mate was also there from JHB would have been his 20th Argus, sent me an email to say lots of irritated folk around, him included.