W.A.C.T 19/03 - Malmesbury PPA ride

[Roadie_]

Hi Folks. Does anyone know what sort of turnout is expected or how many entries have been received so far? Thinking about entering on the day now that the late entry fee is lower, but would be a pity if it's a small turnout like the W.C.E event.

Edited March 17, 2017 by Roadie for now

[bleedToWin]

Myself +2 at least.

Also hoping for a decent turnout

[Roadie_]

Great - that's 4 of us so far..

[Kall]

myself + 6 others

[Kall]

i did see something on Wednesday that they had 300 entries as at then.

 

Not bad considering it only opened on Monday late afternoon

[Mamil]

I'm in

[Gravity]

+3

[Thomo]

Probably not the same sort of pre-Argus event numbers, but many are keen from what I've been hearing.

Was considering but have other commitments. Enjoy.!

[Roadie_]

Sounds positive. Profile has one bump early on, but then quite flattish.

[Tesla]

myself +2 

[KingZA]

I was at PPA this afternoon and they said that the interest in the event has been very high. They've gotten a lot of entries already and many people will be entering on the morning of the event.

 

Not sure what "a lot" means in their terms but I'm expecting a lekker turnout.

[Jaco-fiets]

I did not enter the cycle tour but might be keen to do this. According to

the info provided I would pay 250 entry fee. Late entry fee is also 250.

So this means if I pitch on the morning of race it is still 250 for me?

They don't state any late fee for people that did not enter cycle tour

[KingZA]

I did not enter the cycle tour but might be keen to do this. According to

the info provided I would pay 250 entry fee. Late entry fee is also 250.

So this means if I pitch on the morning of race it is still 250 for me?

They don't state any late fee for people that did not enter cycle tour

 

Yebo, looks like a flat rate to me and it's regardless of PPA Member/Not and CTCT Participant/Not.

[gmh]

How did everyone find the race today? Crosswinds for the first 60km, then the heat. Really hard race.

[KingZA]

How did everyone find the race today? Crosswinds for the first 60km, then the heat. Really hard race.

 

That was a tough one for me and seemed like a lonely day out. The heat was also killer. All in all I'm a broken man now.

[Mamil]

As noted - this was tough.

 

A disorganised start with 4 toilets and a queue a mile long. Stood in the queue until I could see that group H was about to leave at which point I was No 5 in the line. I asked the oke in front and the guy behind him (one in X and the other in W - and two other people behind them both in M) if I could go first because H was about to leave. Mr X and Mr W both rudely and patronizingly declined my request and so instead of giving them a lecture drawn from one of my favourite pieces of research which talks about altruism and evolutionary stable strategies I told them both they were pr1cks and overweight to boot.

 

I got to the start 30 seconds before my group left but actually I needn't have bothered. After plummeting down Voortrekker and making the turn at the bottom in the middle of the group I tried to accelerate to stay with them and my legs declined as abruptly as the two chops in the toilet queue. To be fair, they'd been telling me I was insane since I swung them over the edge of the bed at 5am. (My legs that is, not the two chops)

 

That'll teach me to insist on starting with H when I can barely keep up with them when I'm rested let alone recovering from a hard MTB ride the day before.

 

My Garmin flashed up a message saying my recovery was fair - a clear lie because I was now toiling up the hill to Riekeeck Kasteel alone and fantasizing about pulling off at that lovely vlllage where my S.O. and offspring were having breakfast.

 

Halfway down the descent, the next group caught me and seemed in the process of splitting but actually they were just dropping me and I ended up with a PPA marshall who was at Breede on Saturday too and another chap from H with whom I exchanged a friendly greeting of mutual recognition. "I think I've been dropped with you before" we observed to each other and rode to the 60k mark in our little group of stragglers. Thank the maker for the first mercy of the day because solo-ing in that wind would not have been pleasant.

 

After 60 I was on my own again - the group fell apart at the water point and on the climb out of Wellington I started really wishing for this to end. At 75k I got a puncture, my second since switching to gatorskins, and that cost me 10 minutes because, as I've observed elsewhere, those things are tough to squeeze over the rim.

 

Then it was just hanging on to the end.

 

What a weekend of biking - 100 miles, 60k on the mountain and 2000m of climbing. Quite proud of myself. Puts the fitness, strength and just plain courage the guys riding the epic have into perspective.

 

Next race ... Philadelphia MTB I think. Yippeee

Edited March 19, 2017 by Mamil