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

[Formallyknownas]

Whats next? A plea to allow the dopers back in 'because other events do it'?

 

 

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Poor. Poor post bud.

[GLuvsMtb]

that is an absurd comment and has bollocks to do with getting a solo cat for all the best reasons as pointed out above

Asking for a fundamental rule change to suite a minority is absurd.

 

 

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[Goodbadugly]

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''

If there is one thing I am quite gatvol of is this crappy "I am a victim" attitude. "I feel so offended". Ag shame. 

 

[SwissVan]

The original reason for teams was for safety reasons and I wonder if the organisers will back track on that.....

 

Imo I would prefer a solo category only event, no teams and definetly no support riders

 

I'm not sure they will change the winning formula to that extent, so maybe a middle of the road decision and follow what the other stage races have done?

[Tristand]

Having separate team and non-team races distinguishes events a bit, keeps things interesting. If every race offered the exact same format then something is lost. Look how popular Double Century is for road cyclists for this exact reason.

 

If you want to do a solo event, then do a solo event, there are plenty to choose from. The Epic happens to be a team event so if you really hate being in a team then it is not the event for you. Simple.

[DJR]

The original reason for teams was for safety reasons and I wonder if the organisers will back track on that....................

Interesting that. I wonder how important a factor it is. Would assume less so in the front with all the helicopter and camera eyes right there. More so further down the field where a middle age heart attack is more likely. 

[Kom]

There is another missing line of response here to the OP, and that is around his partner dropping off due to being "under cooked" as he puts it going into the event, and therefore resulting in him becoming an outcast in the first place.

 

Obviously if the pair took a decision to buy an entry and enter as a team, a solo option would have made no difference to what I think is the underlying frustration.

 

Perhaps the title of the thread should have read: Why wont the cape epic allow outcasts to finish on the GC in a separate category" rather than allow solo entries as an alternative to solve the problem. Entering as a team is a decision you take up front (months in advance) and once you have entered you should properly invest the time to prepare for the event to ensure even cooking with basting for good measure.

 

This brings me to my point, and pardon if the stats aren't accurate, but I believe there were over a 100 teams dropped out by the end of day 2 of this years event: Why hasn't the cape epic included a qualifying event as a pre-requisite to riding the event?

 

There are a number of global stage events within the epic window which could be used to ensure the riding fitness of a team before they are cleared to ride. The entry fee alone does not seem to filter out the serious bunch from the corporate sponsored hackers, who were laying in droves on IVs on stretchers at the end of day 2. In fact it disturbed me that Medi Clinic Hermanus were reported to have had to turn away riders due to the overwhelming number of medical cases generated by the event.

 

This is a different response, but I don't believe an event of this status should compromise its untamed brand. I do believe it may have, in its strive to make each event tougher than the last, begun creating a stigma of purely taking the cash from those who can afford it without ensuring they have implemented proper measures to make sure entrants can even complete a single stage, let alone a series of them.

 

As to the point of solo entries, I quite agree that while there might be demand for this category, it makes no sense to diversify the event further when it remains clearly oversubscribed. To me the team endurance aspect remains one of the biggest draw cards of the event too.

[FCH]

But they did allow ex-dopers.... so your point is moot.

 

Asking for a fundamental rule change to suite a minority is absurd.

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[VicanZA]

As long as the race is oversubscribed the organizer will dictate terms, once all the CEO and bankers get tired of riding with has-been you may get a say. When the average MTB doesn't have to sell a kidney, lucky we have 2, but I think that day is long way away.

[GLuvsMtb]

But they did allow ex-dopers.... so your point is moot.

 

 

Within certain parameters. It was a compromise, just like allowing outcasts is a compromise.

 

 

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[Jaco-fiets]

Having separate team and non-team races distinguishes events a bit, keeps things interesting. If every race offered the exact same format then something is lost. Look how popular Double Century is for road cyclists for this exact reason.

 

If you want to do a solo event, then do a solo event, there are plenty to choose from. The Epic happens to be a team event so if you really hate being in a team then it is not the event for you. Simple.

Fully agree! Would be great if there were a solo "epic" as well

[FCH]

So it seems "fundamental rules" can be changed afterall....

 

And yes I do agree on many posters comments, this is what Epic is and has been from the start; has the actual writer responded at all, or is he unaware of his scribe being posted here?

 

 

Within certain parameters. It was a compromise, just like allowing outcasts is a compromise.

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[SwissVan]

Interesting that. I wonder how important a factor it is. Would assume less so in the front with all the helicopter and camera eyes right there. More so further down the field where a middle age heart attack is more likely.

I suppose the organisers would still say it's safer if riders stick together just like n case of that worst case scenario BUT what about safety in other marathon races that are only solo....

[GLuvsMtb]

So it seems "fundamental rules" can be changed afterall....

 

And yes I do agree on many posters comments, this is what Epic is and has been from the start; has the actual writer responded at all, or is he unaware of his scribe being posted here?

 

 

 

Those compromises should not have been made imo. The Epic would have been much more Epic with a zero tolerance stance on doping since 2004 as well as booting teams if one rider fails. Ps: I think those blue boards are rubbish too.

 

 

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[milky4130]

The Cape Pioneer Trek, is a UCI accredited event & offers both solo & teams entries, the earlier years of this event was as tough if not tougher than the Cape Epic, I can't see why the Cape Epic cannot offer a solo catergory. I raced CPT solo last year & there was never ever a concern of safety & there was also no influence on the outcome of other category winners that were riding as teams. Since the CE is all about the money in the bank they should just create the Solo cat in addition to the Team event, win win for everyone.

[milky4130]

So it seems "fundamental rules" can be changed afterall....

 

And yes I do agree on many posters comments, this is what Epic is and has been from the start; has the actual writer responded at all, or is he unaware of his scribe being posted here?

 

 

 

Aaron is a regular hubber, trust me he is following this thread, Hello Aaron ????????