[Event] 99er Cycle Tour 2018

[Karman de Lange]

Windguru says overcast, light wind, No Rain.

YR still showing rain

 

we need rain .. (and I need easy ride)

[NickGM]

YR still showing rain

 

we need rain .. (and I need easy ride)

 

It will definitely rain - I'm riding that race. The last race I did was the stellenbosch cycle tour (2017) and it poured down. It rains every time I do a race. 

 

****, saying it like this makes me think the drought is my fault. I should probably have kept this information to myself. Or start doing more races.   

[Mamil]

YR says rain on Friday night and early hours of Saturday morning, overcast on Saturday.

[Duane_Bosch]

The last race I did was the stellenbosch cycle tour (2017) and it poured down. 

That was a very different experience.

[NickGM]

YR says rain on Friday night and early hours of Saturday morning, overcast on Saturday.

For the last year I've sort of felt like YR is short for "Y R u always over-estimating the amount of rain by a factor of 10". 

[Man with no name]

"except for $"

Ay, there’s the rub. It's my first race in many moons back with the big boys...

+1. Not sure what I did wrong but it will be interesting

 

 

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[Halfdoesyn]

Looks like the rain is coming earlier tonight.

 

Roads might still start off wet.

[Rouxenator]

I remember in the last couple of years there has been a few of these that had rain.

[Skubarra]

Interesting day...

 

Thought for the most part the pace in % bunch was pretty slow, for long periods felt more like a coffee ride than a race, was really worried that A bunch would catch us and cause a cluster%$^ of a large bunch on the narrow roads but luckily that didn't happen.

 

Then on Slent the pace picked up and as soon as that happened a nasty crash occurred so maybe the initial slower pace was a good thing...

 

The new section on the N7 was nice & fast - enjoyed it    (but I do miss the bumpy challenge of Van Schoors...)

 

And then the usual suffering up Vissershok & Odendaal - don't think I will every really do well on steep climbs like that but at least finished in the front half of the group - really hope this ride was good enough to get me back in B bunch, the slide in my seeding index is killing me 

['Dale]

The cycling gods smiled on the $ bunch - no crashes I’ve seen and some real high-speed segments with the odd traffic cone obstacle course to create the squeaking of carbon wheels braking.

 

The new course, uhm, less eventful.

Prefer the Paris-Roubaix bits of Old Malmesbury Rd.

 

Vissies always a lot easier without the Cape Doctor.

 

Great organisation as always, 99er team. ????????

[Dubber]

 

 

Thought for the most part the pace in % bunch was pretty slow, for long periods felt more like a coffee ride than a race, was really worried that A bunch would catch us and cause a cluster%$^ of a large bunch on the narrow roads but luckily that didn't happen.

 

We had the same scenario.  B group just didn't want to work together.  So we went through at (what I felt was) a fairly sedate pace.

 

About 50 from C group did catch us (don't think it was whole of C).  Enough to swell the bunch to a size where a number of riders chose to go over the white line at numerous points.  

 

The upside to the pace was  I still had some legs for the finish and had PB's up all the climbs.

 

A good ride.  Weather played along.  Marshals were all great.  Organizations as good as could be.  Thanks 99er TEAM!

[Mamil]

Only got dropped at 68km this time - one day I'll hang on.

 

This despite E catching up with D (where I started) causing a huge swell of bikes that took over the whole road until things settled down. Marshall on bike motorbike shouting at everyone, cursing under her breath -- doing an excellent job of keeping us all safe despite our efforts to kill ourselves.

 

A few hairy moments mostly caused by people not reading the concertina effect of being in the lower third of a big group racing down a steep dip while the first third is already going up the other side.

 

31.5 average according to racetec - Mamilian speed index increasing gradually - and considering I did 1200m of climbing on Friday on the Hoogekraal faircape route (brilliant fun), I'm not unhappy with my result. 

 

Can't decide which I like more, road or MTB --- a good thing I don't have to.

['Dale]

Mamil,

Well done on coming back from intensive rehab and courageously throwing your leg over a saddle again with a race nr on your back

 

Respect! ????????

Edited February 10, 2018 by 'Dale

[Karman de Lange]

Also in %. Most bizarre race in long time.. Pace was everywhere, often my heart rate was in recovery zone then in red then back recovery.. Fell off bunch at last hill, got caught just before end by few A riders.

 

I almost got taken out twice (actually touched wheels) , people simply dont look and chnage lanes. Amazing that there was not more crashes.

 

And apologies for my rude language , I lost it a bit at one point.

Edited February 10, 2018 by Karman de Lange

[Schmorglebot]

Interesting day...

 

Thought for the most part the pace in % bunch was pretty slow, for long periods felt more like a coffee ride than a race, was really worried that A bunch would catch us and cause a cluster%$^ of a large bunch on the narrow roads but luckily that didn't happen.

 

Then on Slent the pace picked up and as soon as that happened a nasty crash occurred so maybe the initial slower pace was a good thing...

 

The new section on the N7 was nice & fast - enjoyed it    (but I do miss the bumpy challenge of Van Schoors...)

 

And then the usual suffering up Vissershok & Odendaal - don't think I will every really do well on steep climbs like that but at least finished in the front half of the group - really hope this ride was good enough to get me back in B bunch, the slide in my seeding index is killing me 

 

Sounds like a lot of groups werent keen to work today. I was in A and there was way too much chatting going on for us to have caught anyone.

 

Luckily also no crashes or anything too eventful, despite guys riding in the wrong lane and having to duck in to avoid oncomming traffic. Oh, and one guy knocking a traffic cone over into the bunch.

 

All in all the race was really fun and well run, couldnt have asked for better weather (although I feel morally obligated to complain that it wasnt bucketing down with rain)

[Man with no name]

Also in %. Most bizarre race in long time.. Pace was everywhere, often my heart rate was in recovery zone then in red then back recovery.. Fell off bunch at last hill, got caught just before end by few A riders.

 

I almost got taken out twice (actually touched wheels) , people simply dont look and chnage lanes. Amazing that there was not more crashes.

 

And apologies for my rude language , I lost it a bit at one point.

I raced in % instead of $ where I was seeded. I agree the pace in % was really chilled until Anriette showed us how to ride Vissershok. We caught them just before Odendaal, which must be the hardest finish in a race in South Adrica

 

I regret not racing in $, apparently it wasn’t that hard with most of the fire power in Oudtshoorn this weekend

 

 

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Edited February 11, 2018 by Man with no name