Cyclechallenge mtb 55km comment

[Spock]

Their website definitely stated that you had to qualify for the 55km race. Probably wasn’t enforced, who knows.

[Tankman]

Heard there was a 35 year old male rider that passed away 15km from the finish of the 55km.

Heart attack, apparently he just fell of his bike!  Medical attention was almost immediate but sadly he did not make it.

 

 

RIP and condolences to the family

Edited November 12, 2018 by Tankman

[keithbe]

Qualifying is definetly a criteria. First time and received an email reminding me there were two events left in which to qualify for otherwise I'd be dropped down to the 25km.(without refunding the price difference).

 

It's a one off event. Do it once and no need to do it again.

[BaGearA]

every single year people complain about this race and then just go and enter again *facepalm 

[Sven137]

It was a good challenge apart from the hundreds of %^$#@, yelling passing right and trying to kill themselves as there's a donga on the right and pushing you into the bush.

 

and they think saying passing right gives them full right to ride you off of the track... 

[nelian]

Done a couple of 55km and 40km this year to qualify. In comparision, it certianly could have started earlier, being a noob, heat kicked about 40km mark... and wiped me for the last climb.

Awesome waterpoints in comparison to the other races i have done. Fair amount of Marshals and ER24 around.. i didnt think the route was bad... a good combination of single track, jeep tracks and climbs... all in all, will be back next year. Hopefully prepared better...for noob that is

[Forthelove]

Starting time that are after 7 am become dangerous on hot summer days. The first riders can start at 5:30. The route was good. It was great. The only thing that got to me was the tons of raw sewage that was flowing into the river. It stunk and it goes to who how much the infrastructure is no longer. In china factory owners or municipality workers who pollute the rivers can get put to death. Now the Chines rivers after being so polluted are slowly recovering.

[reteid]

I agree with Chris about the last 8 km. Unlike the road race which is basically an inverted V, this was more of a W profile route – most of the climbing occurred from just after halfway. From that point on people climbed consistently pretty much to the end. If you look at it as a whole, it was by far and away the most strenuous climb of the day in terms combination of length and gradient (in other words, when you take the two together). You might be forgiven for thinking it was designed to make it very hard indeed for the less advanced riders, given that a lot of people were riding in the heat of the middle of the day. Remember that the elite riders kicked off very early (6:30 AM if I am not mistaken - and were home and dry by about 8:30 AM). Take somebody who is perhaps not that fit, a little bit overweight and is now pretty tired and reasonably dehydrated as well (bearing in mind you can never put back fluid into yourself at the rate at which you lose it on a ride) and that its 32° in the shade and about 39° out on the track – you are putting that person at considerable risk. As far as I am aware there was no qualifying criteria this year. Certainly nothing on the website when I entered.

 

I for one would be very interested to hear the organisers' comments on these issues. Personally, I think it's pretty reckless and I am by no means persuaded that a court would not go behind the indemnity forms to hold the organisers and sponsors responsible should people come to harm in such conditions. But that's a separate debate, perhaps for another time.

that part from "take someone who is untill at conciderable risk" don't bite off more than you can chew comes to mind.i think if you enter a race in that condition no one puts you at risk except yourself.

[MudLark]

that part from "take someone who is untill at conciderable risk" don't bite off more than you can chew comes to mind.i think if you enter a race in that condition no one puts you at risk except yourself.

Volenti non fit injuria? Perhaps to some degree but it would not in a case like this necessarily entirely override the corresponding duty of care. But then then there were also the qualifying race criteria as someone mentioned above, which should act as some form of screening of prospective entrants.

[Dieter ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

Spare a thought for the guys that have to travel from out of town to get to the races please .

Already had to get up at 3:00 to be on time for this one .

94.7 MTB is not worth waking up that early for!!! Magalies monster maybe, but I would much rather stay over in the area if the race is that far away.  

[Skubarra]

While the effort required to complete the route (for a recreational rider) was acceptable, I found the route to be sub-standard for an event deemed to be Joburg's signature event. 

 

mtb races that piggy back onto the back of successful Road races are never really that good, or "prestigeous".

The quick buck factor n all.

The route certainly has improved since the earlier editions, those were just horrible.

 

do it once and move on.

 

If you ever want proof that mtb'ers are sheeple then watch how big road race organisers slap their label on a mediocre mtb event and the masses flock to it to be disappointed year after year.

 

We had these exact same threads 8 years ago when i joined the hub, I predict the same 8 years from now.

 

That said - maybe the Capies are slightly smarter, doesn't seem the Argus mtb attract the same masses it used to.

[Mokgaga'a mmakubela!]

i did 55km last year and it was relatively okay.

 

I gladly downgraded to 25km on sunday due to veeeeery late start and the heat. 

[RobertWhitehead]

I've read all the messages in this discussion and then asked myself: Self, just go and check what  the entry fee is for the 2019 event. 

 

R 358.00 to enter the MTB race and it cuts through Northern Farms? I'm sorry but I don't understand what the hype is about. That's R 6.58 per km which I suppose isn't that far off when compared to the Trailseeker but at least on the Trailseeker you get access to some new routes.

 

Surely it's way more rewarding and cost effective to have one or two races per year which you build towards and make a weekend / holiday of, I mean it doesn't have to be the Baviaans or the Epic but hear me out. 

 

Why not enter a race like: 

• Clarens
• Sabie
• Mabalingwe 

Shorter races for the newbies and possibly:

• Transbaviaans
• TransAugrabies
• Clarens (2 day stage)
• Sabie (2 day stage) 

for the more seasoned riders. Surely doing something like the above would warrant a weekend / time away with friends / family and be more rewarding and memorable. 

[Sidersky]

Heard there was a 35 year old male rider that passed away 15km from the finish of the 55km.

Heart attack, apparently he just fell of his bike!  Medical attention was almost immediate but sadly he did not make it.

 

 

RIP and condolences to the family

I was wondering if this had been discussed on the Hub. It is the first time they have had a fatality in the event though. Very sad and unfortunate and I do have to wonder what factor the heat may have played.

 

http://www.cyclechallenge.co.za/article/947-cycle-challenge-organisers-shocked-by-cyclist-s-death

 

I was out with my usual group for our Sunday coffee ride and we played on some of the route before the race started. Near the end of our 50 kays we saw some of the front runners coming through on the same veld as us and several of us commented that the heat was going to be really bad, especially for the slower guys at the back of the field.

[Tankman]

I was wondering if this had been discussed on the Hub. It is the first time they have had a fatality in the event though. Very sad and unfortunate and I do have to wonder what factor the heat may have played.

 

 

Very sad indeed, 35 years old. 

 

Yup, first fatality at this event but not too long ago some of the other big events also had their first fatalities ... common enemy number one, heart attack.

[madmarc]

Back in the day the MTB race was the day before the road race - you were considered hard core if you did both, now its a week apart so it lost its hard core status. Would rather just got to NF for a 10th of the price and far better trails on the day.

 

the road race is also becoming Bleh ! I think thats why they reversed it to create something different to keep the numbers up. This will be my 17th and probably the last - it just doesn't excite me anymore.