General "Dear Cape Epic, Make a Solo Category. Please."

[AdrianDJ]

http://www.bicycling.co.za/opinion/dear-cape-epic-make-solo-category-please/

 

Dear Cape Epic, Make a Solo Category. Please.

on April 25, 2017

Lose your partner in a stage race, and you’re discriminated against. That can’t be right. – By Aaron Borrill

 

"Racing a mountain-bike stage race as a team creates a unique dynamic, as riders battle it out together against rivals and Mother Nature. I’ve participated in myriad team stage races, with both men and women, and they’ve mostly gone well. When things go right, it feels amazing; you barrel through singletrack, and instinctively power up climbs, together on an almost telepathic level.

 

But when things go wrong, they go south very quickly. And here’s a quandary: while the professionals can tailor their performances by cherry-picking a partner, in the amateur realm this is often not the case.

With amateurs, the hammer and the nail almost never swop roles. This can be quite testing and taxing, on both mind and body. If you’re the stronger rider, suddenly you have a dual role to perform – you’re riding for two, and expending loads more energy as a result.

 

And when it comes to mixed teams, there’s always going to a pretty large chasm in terms of ability. Men naturally produce more testosterone than women, and are more physically competitive as a consequence. Women, on the other hand, know how to suffer, and are usually (I’m speaking from experience here) better suited to endurance, and at managing their energy outputs. And egos.

 

I’ve had plenty of fights with my wife on the bike. I’ve been called some unspeakable things. All of which have taken days to repair, but we’ve got to the finish in the end. But would the race have panned out differently if I were riding alone? I’m not saying race organisers should cull the team aspect of stage races altogether – it does after all add an exciting component to racing; but I do think a solo category is sorely missing. And we’ve already seen this policy adopted by the Joburg2C, Trans Cape and the Cape Pioneer Trek, each of which offers solo entries.

 

But what about the Absa Cape Epic? I recently finished the event alone, after starting it with my wife. Like I said, we’ve raced plenty together, and have done particularly well in the past. But this year was a disaster – a fall at a road race three weeks before the race hampered my wife’s final preparation, and she went into the Epic undercooked.

 

The disparity between us in terms of fitness was evident from the prologue, and it was a battle every day; until eventually she retired, from severe dehydration and heat stroke.

 

Was I to blame? Did I push her too hard? Did I expect too much? These are questions every team will be faced with at some point.

 

When your partner retires from a race such as the Cape Epic, you’re allowed to continue as an individual finisher. But you become what the race organisers refer to as an ‘outcast’ – while you still receive an official time and finisher’s medal, you don’t appear on the GC list. And all outcasts – amateur and pro – can’t progress further than C batch, so as not to interfere with the racing categories.

 

So why not just create a solo category, and start the group just after the competitive teams? Though it wasn’t of my own doing, riding solo gave me the opportunity to ride at my own pace and manage my energy expenditure each day. I had less stress, not having a partner to manage and worry about.

 

That said, after a few days of solo riding I began to secretly envy the other teams – their shared emotions, hardships and elation. Before, as a mixed rider, I might have been a threat; but now, nobody cared about me – or even looked at me, for that matter. I truly was an outcast.

So it became lonely. It was very tough, arguably tougher than riding in a team. Though there were other solo riders around me, in a way we were all pariahs.

 

Surely this wouldn’t be the case if there were to be an official solo category? In fact, most of the outcasts I rode with each day said that they would have preferred riding solo in any event – they had only entered with partners so they could participate at all. Interesting…

 

The team dynamic has its place in stage racing, especially if you get the balance right. But for those who want to ride man (or woman) alone, perhaps it’s time for all races (even the Cape Epic) to offer limited solo entries. It’s definitely not the easier option; but it would at least make the ‘outcasts’ feel part of the zeitgeist that defines such an iconic event.

 

The Epic is now under new ownership. While I have no clue what changes are planned or may transpire, in the not-too-distant future I would like to see a dedicated solo group. As well as the introduction of a new jersey!"

[GLuvsMtb]

No. Its a team event. Want a solo challenge? Go do IM.

 

 

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[Acerunner]

Surviving each other and the Absa cape epic is what makes the event so tough... So no, dont agree there...

[Patchelicious]

No. Its a team event. Want a solo challenge? Go do IM.

 

 

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Have you done either?

[GLuvsMtb]

Have you done either?

Yes, and I will not consider an Epic if they dum it down to a solo event.

 

 

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[Patchelicious]

Yes, and I will not consider an Epic if they dum it down to a solo event.

 

 

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So if they offer both a Team and Solo option, you will boycott?

 

Dum it down? Surely you can offer a constructive comment and not just bash an opinion that has some thought put into it?

[Matchstix]

I don't see how it would be dummed down making it a solo event. Tdf is Solo?

 

I would rather. Say stop calling it the un tamed African race. . (it's too hot let's make a stage shorter)

[BaGearA]

I can see the appeal for A solo cat.

 

And think it could make A very interesting race on its own , but think teams will buy solo entries to get more back up for the team race

[BaGearA]

I don't see how it would be dummed down making it a solo event. Tdf is Solo?

 

I would rather. Say stop calling it the un tamed African race. . (it's too hot let's make a stage shorter)

THIS ^^ THIS ^^ THIS ^^ THIS ^^ 

[GLuvsMtb]

I don't see how it would be dummed down making it a solo event. Tdf is Solo?

 

I would rather. Say stop calling it the un tamed African race. . (it's too hot let's make a stage shorter)

What about the 8 guys working for the winner all month long? Far from solo. If it was 21 time trials yes.

 

 

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[Matchstix]

That's true, but if he wins he stands alone on the podium.

[GLuvsMtb]

So if they offer both a Team and Solo option, you will boycott?

 

Dum it down? Surely you can offer a constructive comment and not just bash an opinion that has some thought out into it?

The topic was covered ad nausium on bikehub before. I'm not interested if they put in a solo cat. I was miffed when this whole outcast thing came in too.

 

 

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[Patchelicious]

The topic was covered ad nausium on bikehub before. I'm not interested if they put in a solo cat. I was miffed when this whole outcast thing came in too.

 

 

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Why not?

[Matchstix]

The reason why it makes sense to a point is, it's difficult to find a partner, I found this with BC. If they did not have a solo category I wouldn't have been able to ride. Yes can find a partner, but that is difficult to do get someone you can get along with on a normal day.

[GLuvsMtb]

Why not?

1. They don't need to. Its sold out and every year the price increase tells you that they still have a lot of headroom

 

2. It changes the whole atmosphere of an event, which in turn will de-value the brand.

 

3. The best Epic memories are made training with your riding partner

 

4. Pushing each other in training and the event only have value if there is a 2 minute 'shackle' each carries.

 

5. The dynamic in terms of racing becomes beautifully complex with 2-strong teams. Last thing we want is a TDF'esq setup with high budget teams burning 2 domestiques a day to get their man over the line first. 'Solo' will not be solo.

 

 

 

 

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[BaGearA]

The topic was covered ad nausium on bikehub before. I'm not interested if they put in a solo cat. I was miffed when this whole outcast thing came in too.

 

 

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RE the outcast thing 

 

You can't expect someone to not finish the race if they're able to and want to because their partner got sick or broke their arm ect. ect.