Cape Town Cycle Tour 2020

[LeoKnight]

We started in the 3+ Group, and found the race amazing, the ride onto the onramp was no where near as hectic as last year when we had to stop and "walk" onto the upper freeway.

 

The weather was amazing, from the light breeze to cool you down, to the smell of the ocean as we zoomed through misty cliffs, legs got punished a bit, but was so nice just to be out on the road and see the supporters, traffic officers and friendly marshalls.  I wondered if we really take the time and be thankful for having the oppurtinity to ride on closed roads through such an amazing part of the world (never know for how much longer, but as long as it is possible it is something i would want to continue doing)

 

Saw lots and lots of other tandems also on the road, and enjoyed seeing the next generations also getting into the swing of things.  Did not see that many crashes (can still see the one in front of me from a few years ago on the M3 as you descent from the top - never a nice thing)

 

Big congrats to the organisers and thank you very much.

 

PS.  Scary for me to think how big the field is, and how the different part of the field can have such different conditions to ride in if you take into account that there are still riders trying to make the final cut off of 5pm at the end.  

[LeoKnight]

David, Gavin and I completed our 6th CTCT - start JS, 07h01 and finished in 3hr32.

Always amazed at the support and gees along the route.

Well done CTCT for taking the lead in inclusive cycling.

Thank you for all the cheers and words of encouragement and the helping hands on Smits/Chappies and Suikerbossie.

 

Well done, some of the most special aspects of the race are those teams like yours riding not for yourself but to be the provider of happiness and awareness.    

[Colin Pym]

David, Gavin and I completed our 6th CTCT - start JS, 07h01 and finished in 3hr32.

Always amazed at the support and gees along the route.

Well done CTCT for taking the lead in inclusive cycling.

Thank you for all the cheers and words of encouragement and the helping hands on Smits/Chappies and Suikerbossie.

Respect, finishing in pretty good time too.....well done!

[Jase619]

Had a great ride despite a few disappointments.

 

Firstly my HR and cadence sensors did not connect.

 

Everything went as planned up to fish Hoek. Caught some awesome small bunches and was cruising nicely.

Then the plan was to stop at fish Hoek and say hello to the family, so I peeled off and slowed right down. Family were nowhere to be seen. It seems I missed them by a few minutes, was riding to fast.

 

Managed to get back into contention through Glencairn and had an awesome ride until noordhoek where the legs then decided they had been abused a bit, struggled up chappies, struggled up suikerbossie, got caught by Jase halfway up but could not hold on to even that slow pace so dropped off.

 

From there it was trying to be as aero and conservative as possible.

Missed my sub for by 4 minutes.

 

Was good meeting you even though it was in the middle of suffering! Sorry you missed your Sub 4!

[Karman de Lange]

Started in 1D , caugh 1c in no time..  then some cat(eye) jumped in front me and took out the back tyre just after Edenbu.something(that first hill)

hooked onto 1H and then merged with up to about 1F.    I stopped counting at 6 crashes, or where people got of bikes due to road narrowing or caused by water point stops.   

 

the 1 min gaps is just stupid unsafe

 

second lap was baddd, the wind picked up and got  soaking wet a  few times. I  felt really sorry for back markers,  from smits. It was nice, all downwind till end.  

 

It was a Sub 3 heaven today, edit:   2f guys did not get official sub 3,  2A had a few

Edited March 9, 2020 by Karman de Lange

[dev null]

Anyone know how bad the 2C group crash on the M3 was? I was at the back and had to jump the side walk to get to the slipway around it. It sounded horrendous and looked the part too. 

 

My son and his school mate were victims in that 2C crash. Pure Savage bib moertoe and some roasties, but he is fine, soldiered on and finished in 3.26.

 

They are not sure what caused it, they were just part of the 20 to 30 cyclists that went down.

[aquaratza]

This was my first CTCT, I really enjoyed it! I thought I'd never do something like this, but my friends talked me into it. I cycled from the Waterfront to Grand Parade. The atmosphere was awesome. It was like Watopia made real  .

 

The route is really beautiful on a bicycle. Driving through those areas I never really appreciated the beauty until today. The Chapmans Peak section especially was great. I was a bit disappointed with the catering - it was bananas, Coke, Powerade, water, biscuits/crackers. Essentially water and simple carbs. So I had some nuts

 

I was seeded in 4J (I put zero effort into getting a better seeding... I'll do one of the seeding events next year). I took my time and finished in 4 hours 10 minutes. Starting time was 08:16. I was really scared on some of (or all) of the descents.

 

Interestingly Strava says the relative difficulty of this event for me was only 45% of the difficulty of last Saturday's MTB Challenge event.

 

Edited March 8, 2020 by aquaratza

[Theyseemerollin]

This is not their event. Its a Cycle Tour Event.

 

Wow, this 1minute apart start times created the largest bunch I’ve ever ridden in. Every time the road narrowed the bunch basically came to a standstill. A couple crashes in between also.

 

If this is PPA’s intention, they can simplify things and give everyone the same start time next year.

[AlexSouth]

Wow, this 1minute apart start times created the largest bunch I’ve ever ridden in. Every time the road narrowed the bunch basically came to a standstill. A couple crashes in between also.

 

If this is PPA’s intention, they can simplify things and give everyone the same start time next year.

[eddy]

Lying reading my book, sipping a G&T and just heard the announcer at the finish line count down to the final cutoff hooter blowing.

 

Must have been tough out there since I finished as the weather has been deteriorating all day after the perfect start.

[dev null]

Shout out to Middelburg Fietsry Klub. These riders had some serious gees. Their lead rider would shout out "Waar wil julle wees?", then their whole group would answer in unison "Hier wil ons wees".

[Pure Savage]

My son and his school mate were victims in that 2C crash. Pure Savage bib moertoe and some roasties, but he is fine, soldiered on and finished in 3.26.

 

They are not sure what caused it, they were just part of the 20 to 30 cyclists that went down.

Oh no!! Savage did not have a good day re crashes

[Rouxenator]

My son and his school mate were victims in that 2C crash. Pure Savage bib moertoe and some roasties, but he is fine, soldiered on and finished in 3.26.

 

They are not sure what caused it, they were just part of the 20 to 30 cyclists that went down.

Glad he got out with minor damage. It was the biggest crash I have seen in front of my eyes. But the sound of it was the worst for me. There was a very loud bang and I still don't know from what. Was someone riding on 12 bar? I was on 3. 

 

It was the only time today when I was glad I was on something with big disc brakes and a shock.

[Jewbacca]

I'm going to do it, sorry, I'm going to moan... After I praise the event. What a day. The weather was perfect, the riders were great and us slow coaches all chatted and wished each other well.

 

Then riding back to my car I was really angry. 

 

The amount of cyclists blatantly jumping red lights, riding in the middle of the road in the way of cars etc was disgusting. Some overweight dude in full East City cycles kit and stealth black deep section disc roadie and his 2 mates jumped 2 red lights in a row and when I asked them what they were doing they got aggressive with me.

 

It was sad. I just shook my head and rode off on my BMX.

 

Guys like that really don't do the community any favours, especially after the other 99.99% of Cape Town has had to plan their days around us.

[Rouxenator]

That's no good in promoting safe cycling. I parked at CTICC and did obey all traffic rules - as did all the other riders I saw on the back. Got back there in no time flat, safely.

 

Even back in 2018 when I did my last double lap I obeyed all traffic rules from Green Points back to the start. We need to think about the image we are putting out there when we are on our bikes. 

[buchanan]

Does anybody know what happened to the poor chap who was sitting in the road dazed, in a pool of blood, on the downhill after Cape Point?  He might have been from the 1A/1B/1C mega bunch (or possibly bit earlier) from looks of it.

 

A traffic control vehicle parked in the middle of the road to protect him, slowing everyone to a virtual halt in order to go round him (understandably).  There was a lot of blood and I have been feeling quite worried for him.