[Event] Medihelp Stellenbosch Cycle Tour

[Pure Savage]

I think the groups will normalise as we head into the 2019 Autumn season. It will take a few races post One Tonner for the indexing to normalise.

Problem with the cylosportifs and the PPA funride calendar in general is that it does not have any races with major climbs. A race with Franshoek Pass and Du Toits is sorely missing.

The problem is not the seeding, just make the $ group only 100 riders, I mean what value do you add to the race by having the 198th seeded rider riding the elite race?

 

Will just put my thoughts in the blog.

 

There is nothing special about the route, it’s almost the same as the Sportif but our A bunch was only 90 large so was much safer.

 

They need a rethink about the race, as said before if they want something special go over franschoek pass or du toit or bains. That would be a special scenic route.

[Pure Savage]

Having done every one since 2011 I did not ride yesterday because of the new start venue.

 

Looking at the number of finishers it seems the decline is continuing.

2019 3370

2017 3582

2016 4184

2015 4321

2014 5425

2013 4741

2012 4746

2011 4192

 

(2011 to 2013 still have the shorter 40km route as well).

people liked the older burger when there were 9000 riders when it was a nice flat route of 90km.

[splat]

Just out of curiosity

 

When did everyone press start on their computers.

If I recall, the announcer said first section on paving neutral zone, once you turn left race starts.

There was only one mat at the start.

 

Seems like most guys on strava got around 99.5-99.7km, pressing start at the mat.

 

I imagine that there are a lot of people who are upset because they fell short of their 100km Strava Gran Fondo challenge by a few hundred meters 

[Zub]

The poor marshaling is a serious concern.

 

At one point, an oncoming car wanting to turn right, tried to beat the 1B bunch and turned mere meters in front of the bunch. The marshals, who were two teenage girls, didn't even realize what had happened and carried on with their conversation on the side of the road.

 

To the F.....R in 1B who was sitting third wheel and deliberately slowing the bunch down by sticking his arm out and preventing people from passing him, WTF dude???  

[Skubarra]

 

To the F.....R in 1B who was sitting third wheel and deliberately slowing the bunch down by sticking his arm out and preventing people from passing him, WTF dude???  

 

When was that?

 

Front riders in 1B didn't cover themselves in glory, few okes were clearly stronger than the rest of the group but made no proper attempt to break away at the climbs. After Helz 6 or7 riders probably had more than a kilometer gap on the rest of the bunch then decided to take a relaxed tea party on the last 15km and were caught again.

[Pure Savage]

The poor marshaling is a serious concern.

 

At one point, an oncoming car wanting to turn right, tried to beat the 1B bunch and turned mere meters in front of the bunch. The marshals, who were two teenage girls, didn't even realize what had happened and carried on with their conversation on the side of the road.

 

To the F.....R in 1B who was sitting third wheel and deliberately slowing the bunch down by sticking his arm out and preventing people from passing him, WTF dude???

Classic... like the dude yesterday that tried to pull into me 3 times and kept hitting my shoulder, only once an F bomb was dropped did he turn his brain on and stop trying to cause an accident.

 

I see they did not involve rotary club which helped with experienced marshals in the past, in the chutes, roads etc. I would rather have a soul less venue with people that know what they are doing compared to a swanky dust bowl with people that have never been involved with a bike race before.

[Skubarra]

 

I was thinking last night again that they must limit how quickly you can climb up the indexes.. either as said last time, you earn points and each time you hit 100 you go up a index, or  you can only go up one/two groups per race you do.  so you have todo at least 12 races to get to high seeding and by that time you might know how to ride in a bunch.

 

There was not much wrong with the previous system where they used best out of 3 races for your seeding so one outliner of a race won't reshuffle the bunches completely.

 

They have to find a balance to not frustrate riders who don't want to do loads of races to improve their seeding vs making it too easy.

[Skubarra]

 

Having done every one since 2011 I did not ride yesterday because of the new start venue.

 

Looking at the number of finishers it seems the decline is continuing. 

2019 3370

2017 3582

2016 4184

2015 4321

2014 5425

2013 4741

2012 4746

2011 4192

 

(2011 to 2013 still have the shorter 40km route as well). 

 

 

There was something like 4,500 entrants this year. Obviously there would be the normal no-shows and DNF's but don't discount the number of people that just gave up getting to the race in the traffic jam. For me the 3km from Paarl to the venue was a 50 minute drive.

[Oufy MTB (Roadie)]

with the old route, Hels did stretch the field out a bit but it seems that after that the batches regroup and start joining one another. To keep the groups smaller (barring incorrect seeding) is going to be greater starts gaps. If I know the group ahead of me is only 1 min away, Then I know I can chance my arm and catch it. And one climb is never enough, whether at the beginning or end. CTCT starts with massive bunches but all the climbs thins out the field and makes it "safer".

 

with regard to not having results count in One Tonner because of the stoppage is a hard pill to swallow for me, given that a man put in the training and trap mielie af and comfortably made it the end without being cut off.

[Rouxenator]

I'll do it again if they return to Stellenbosch. The convenience of getting on my bike and riding to the start venue is what made me participate.

I did see some very tired riders making their way past Welgevonden when I went for a mid morning jog around our estate, shame, poor fellas. 

 

Does anyone know if they are going to move out One Tonner? That would be a bummer for me if they do. 

[Cat2forLife]

I actually quite enjoyed the new route with Helz at the end. That being said, I only made it about halfway with the bunch until I had a crash. But waited for the %/ladies racing bunch and had a lekker, albeit painful ride home.

 

The issue of the big bunch, to me at least, in $ wasn't that bad, because we had no bunches to merge with. If anything, our bunch was about half the size after 50kms.

 

The marshalling was quite shocking, though.. But I suppose the fact that we had CTCT size bunches with no road closure probably had something to do with that.

 

The venue was horrible.. Well not the venue per se, but getting to it. Luckily I was quite early.

[vulgar]

Started in $, got there an Hour before start which was  @ 6.15 a.m, then holy smoke that start was fast, jeepers kreepers!!! I free flowed up climbs as you hardly had to pedal freewheeling from the back of the bunch into the climbers who are now going slower...

I only heard 1 crash. Up Hells I cruised, down the other side 3 savage riders and  Me & 3 others  formed a pace-line but you always have the odd one not coming through for some rookie reason.

Anyway Its was a fun day out, enjoyed the Big Bunch, Awesome Fast Speed , Awesome weather conditions flat sprint to cramp up in both quads....Haha.

Venue was Nice. Lekker day out in die Boland.

Sorry I dont have nothing bad to say...

 

*P.S taking a route up a PASS will have serious consequences hence they took Slangkop descent out of the Argus route.

[Zub]

When was that?

 

Front riders in 1B didn't cover themselves in glory, few okes were clearly stronger than the rest of the group but made no proper attempt to break away at the climbs. After Helz 6 or7 riders probably had more than a kilometer gap on the rest of the bunch then decided to take a relaxed tea party on the last 15km and were caught again.

This happend at least in the first quarter of the race. He was the main reason for the slow pace in the beginning.

 

I tried to shake things up at about 30ish km by trying to initiate a break but it didn't stick, nobody even bothered, besides for 1 other rider, so decided to come back.

 

When we hit the rollers the pace picked up and I think the group split. This was right after the crash when some dude directly in front of me tried unclipping while going 40kmh. He managed to stay upright with some hectic swerving maneuvers, which I think saved me coz he swerved out of my way, but I heard what sounded like a pile up behind me, someone definitely went down.

 

I didn't bother with the climbers up hells who pulled a ridiculous gap.11 guys broke 3 min clear, how even???

 

I came 12th.

[Skubarra]

I didn't bother with the climbers up hells who pulled a ridiculous gap.11 guys broke 3 min clear, how even???

 

I came 12th.

 

Wasn't even aware of that first breakaway group... Well done to them.

 

Punctured with 15km to go so never bothered to check the results

[NickGM]

Started in $, got there an Hour before start which was  @ 6.15 a.m, then holy smoke that start was fast, jeepers kreepers!!! I free flowed up climbs as you hardly had to pedal freewheeling from the back of the bunch into the climbers who are now going slower...

I only heard 1 crash. Up Hells I cruised, down the other side 3 savage riders and  Me & 3 others  formed a pace-line but you always have the odd one not coming through for some rookie reason.

Anyway Its was a fun day out, enjoyed the Big Bunch, Awesome Fast Speed , Awesome weather conditions flat sprint to cramp up in both quads....Haha.

Venue was Nice. Lekker day out in die Boland.

Sorry I dont have nothing bad to say...

 

*P.S taking a route up a PASS will have serious consequences hence they took Slangkop descent out of the Argus route.

 

Ja I was going to say, every time I do a ride/race I log on to the Hub to see if others enjoyed it as much as me but it always seems like a long stream of negativity. Yes there were teething issues with the new venue, but you couldn't have asked for a nicer day in the winelands and the vibe was great. Personally I feel like Val de vie had a "race village" vibe that was much more conducive to sticking around than the previous venue.  

[OneLove]

Other then the Marshall Stopping us twice in %   I don't have any complaints. Was a perfect day for some solid riding and my legs tell me that's exactly what happened.