[Event] Cape Town Cycle Tour 2019

[matthieup]

I do hope this does not discourage you or your son from trying again.

But, the 7 hour cut-off for an official result is according to their rules:

"2.11. Riders are required to complete the Cycle Tour course within 7 (seven) hours to be awarded a result and finishing certificate unless the race organisers determine otherwise."

 

The "unless the race organisers determine otherwise" - not sure how one would go about motivating it to them - with the wind and rain later riders faces it MIGHT be possible, but probably a long shot.

 

Well done to you both on finishing despite the wind and rain though!

 

What finishing certificate? It was my first one. Very happy with the medal but would be cool to have that as a memento as well...

[HdB]

And back to the e-bikes discussion - why should people like Milosh battle their guts out to make the finish in time on their own steam but for others we say it's ok to use the ebike to make it easier for yourself. I would much rather let him have an official result than someone on an ebike.

 

I feel the same. There are rules, yes, but not many people pitched at the start with the intention of riding longer than 7 hours (if they know about that time limit), I'd imagine.

Anyone who pitched at the start with an e-bike was surely either TRYING to not read any of the emails etc., or had decided to deliberately ignore the rule.

[HdB]

What finishing certificate? It was my first one. Very happy with the medal but would be cool to have that as a memento as well...

Sent months after the event, PDF via email.

[Jase619]

I feel the same. There are rules, yes, but not many people pitched at the start with the intention of riding longer than 7 hours (if they know about that time limit), I'd imagine.

Anyone who pitched at the start with an e-bike was surely either TRYING to not read any of the emails etc., or had decided to deliberately ignore the rule.

 

I presume more this than anything else

[The Ouzo]

 

As to ebikes, there are many many riders that do pretty much most of the route in the weeks leading up to the CTCT...perhaps ebike riders should take those opportunities to fulfill their dreams of riding round the Cape. If you need an ebike to finish the tour or make it easier then perhaps you should either not be doing this particular tour or maybe, just maybe put in some effort and training before the tour and do it on your own steam. One can become relatively cycling fit just riding on the weekends leading up to the tour with your local club or doing the local events.

If my old man can complete his first tour at 71 years old then most of the folks we see on e-bikes should be able to complete it under their own steam

[The Ouzo]

I was aware of the various cutoff at points and finish line at 17h00 as these were clearly published in the route description,   the 7hr  was in the fine print that I was only directed to when querying. ( anyone who read all the terms and conditions can throw the first stone ;-) ) 

 

I was aware of 17h00 as it was published clearly and we crawled home within that.  

  

 

Also the 94'7 , Sani2c , berg'nBish all have cutoffs and are in place as the course needs to close but do allow an earlier starter to have a bad day, mechanical and still get a finish with the tail of the field and come back the next day or keep his streak going.

 

Yes, it is a fine print rule!  but people who crossed the line after us got a finish so it really does leave a bad taste.

Well then let me throw the first stone, but only half heartedly and not directly at you.

I did my first tour in 1999 and read through every piece of fine print, but I have not read it since so it could have changed an I dont know about it.

 

Back then they quoted a figure that my memory tells me is 6 hours from your group start time to complete the course.

[Long Wheel Base]

I have been doing the race since 1991 and this is the first time I hear you have 7 hours to do the race. I will check quick how long it took us in 93 and 94 when it was all 3 of us on a special bike. I always knew about cut off times.

 

 

EDIT: 1994 I did 6h 22m so was still ok if the rule was in place back then.

Edited March 14, 2019 by Long Wheel Base

[Vetplant]

Same could be applied to the Comrades? What do they achieve by enforcing the cutoff?

 

And mind you, that's for athlete's that actually have to qualify, not just rock up and ride

 

If you just looking to complete the route, and get the medal, surely a result on an website won't detract from that?

I'm all for enforcing the 5PM cut-off, they need to hand back the roads to the city.

 

Just trying to understand the reasoning behind the 7H thing.

 

If it is purely to level the playing field between a 3A rider and 6F rider for getting a finishing time then it is easy to justify the extension by an hour given the conditions on the day.  Was wondering if there were other considerations we are all missing.

[matthieup]

Sent months after the event, PDF via email.

 

Thanks. 

Regarding the ebikes, I just finished my first one on my own steam in 5:31 on my dual sus MTB (slicks though). I only started cycling a year ago when time allows (i.e. not that much) on trails. I put in a bit more effort with spin class and 1 longer ride every week since Jan. All this for my own personal achievement. Now I do not mind seeing ebikes on the trails, as long as the riders don't act like idiots (like the one that cut me on the inside on a single track climb and basically pushed me off the trail). When it comes to a race or any timed event  don't think they should be there. Like everything in sport it is about fairness. Now someone on a ebike has a CTCT medal, when the guy and his son get a DNF... It seems that discussion comes after every event. Organisers need to be more strict. If this is now the norm and allowed, I might go do the gun run or 2 oceans on roller blades or better with an hoverboard...

[Karman de Lange]

I created a script to extract all the data for an event in just a few seconds without any hassle (im not sure how easy power query is), so if you or anyone else wants data for events, DM me and I can send you a csv or json file with the results.

Ditto

following data is avaible, at least the riderID is unique so one don't worry about name duplicates

 

 

NameAndTeam RiderID RaceTime Overall Position Gender GenderPos StartGroup Group AgeGroup Age AveSpeed AveSpeedmkm PhotoURL CertificateURL Detail

[HOEKVLAG]

This year I rode with my wife and we started in 6G - i.e. very close to the back. She's never been athletic, but really wanted to do this. Over the last couple of months she started training and gradually increased her mileage. She started getting up at 04:00 in the morning to hop unto the trainer and reached various milestones along the way. It was not always easy, but I as training anyway and we had a lot of fun doing it together.

 

On the day of the race, the weather was not ideal, but she stuck it out. I could assist her by pacing and giving advice - didn't push her once. It was really tough going out of Simonstown (especially), but she stuck it out and hung in there. I've never been concerned about cut-off times as I'm usually not affected by them, but she knew them inside out (even the 7hr finish one) and we were very aware of them. Coming into Bantry Bay we realised that it was going to be very close and she pushed herself to her limit - to the point where she was basically crying at the finish - but she made it with just over 2 minutes to spare!

 

Oh, the look on her face when she realised that she achieved her goal after working hard for months - and on the day. Extending the finish time would be no skin off her back, but it was in the rules for all to see.

 

Whilst I could do this with my wife and have a clear understanding of what she went through one of my best mates can't. He's wife has been seriously ill now for longer than a year - as a woman of around 1.7m she weighs around 42kg's at the moment - and they cannot see that she will ever be fit/strong enough to do it on her own steam. She would love to it on an ebike though and I for one, would not mind one little bit if she could.

[DieselnDust]

I have been doing the race since 1991 and this is the first time I hear you have 7 hours to do the race. I will check quick how long it took us in 93 and 94 when it was all 3 of us on a special bike. I always knew about cut off times.

 

 

EDIT: 1994 I did 6h 22m so was still ok if the rule was in place back then.

 

 

The 7hr cut off rule has been in place since I started riding the Argus Cycle Tour back in 1989.

[LeoKnight]

That's basically every race I have ever done. If you start earlier than the last group and make all the cut-offs you will be allowed to finish but if you take longer than the last group is allowed you won't get an official time. I'm pretty sure that's a standard thing in races...

 

How I have understood it is that you allowed to finish and you will get a finishers medal, but you wont get an official time / certificate if you take longer than the "allowed"  time

[Shebeen]

meh, cutoffs when there is a single start gun for everyone i can understand.

 

http://results.racetec.co.za/results_by_event.aspx?RID=2019&EN=Sun%2010%2F03%2F2019%202019%20Cape%20Town%20Cycle%20Tour%20%28109km%29&page=236

 

go to the final page of results.

a guy finished it in 6:59:57 wonder if he knew it was so close!

 

oh and a few of the Js and Jh riders finished well beyond cut-off. can understand they get exceptions

[LeoKnight]

 

Whilst I could do this with my wife and have a clear understanding of what she went through one of my best mates can't. He's wife has been seriously ill now for longer than a year - as a woman of around 1.7m she weighs around 42kg's at the moment - and they cannot see that she will ever be fit/strong enough to do it on her own steam. She would love to it on an ebike though and I for one, would not mind one little bit if she could.

 

Big thumbs up for your wife, I am sure that medal will always hold a special place for her.

 

With regards to your friend, have they considered doing it on a tandem?  There is something special also finishing a race with your wife / son with you on the tandem.

[Starchboy]

 

Saw someone on an ebike? report them. 

rule #1

2.1. Every rider may only ride a human powered vehicle to complete the course.

An ebike is human powered, just also has some extra juice. Not saying they should be allowed, but that rule is ambiguous.