Cape Epic or Bikepacking in Europe?

[MORNE]

hahaha he was lucky it wasn't a Kudu!

Kudu would have gone clean over him lol

 

still to this day gets to me why he just didn't stop/go slower like the guy filming haha

because Strava maybe? 

 

all i know is he wont do it again lol. 

 

That same Bainskloof trip we did, we encountered a HUGE male baboon on the way up the pass in the road. Not going that fast obviously.

He decided he'd be our convoy up the road for about a km.  We just had to lag 20m behind him the whole time and go at the pace he set. He couldn't be bothered.

 

Scary though because once you are exposed like that you realise how puny you actually are compared to a wild animal like that. When its' on all fours and basically the height of your handlebars and the width of a springbok prop, there is no argument over who gets right of way or keep left pass right BS haha.

If that thing decided he likes your bike or backpack, smell of your hair....he WILL take it. After about a km he got off the road and casually jumped a 2m fence like it was a curb lol

Edited September 8, 2019 by morneS555

[Nevermore]

Bike packing in Europe - seriously I cannot stress enough how much better of a option that is over the Epic.

 

BIKE PACKING IN EUROPE

BIKE PACKING IN EUROPE

BIKE PACKING IN EUROPE

BIKE PACKING IN EUROPE

BIKE PACKING IN EUROPE

BIKE PACKING IN EUROPE

 

DO NOT DO EPIC OVER

 

BIKE PACKING IN EUROPE

BIKE PACKING IN EUROPE

BIKE PACKING IN EUROPE

BIKE PACKING IN EUROPE

BIKE PACKING IN EUROPE

BIKE PACKING IN EUROPE

The world comes to a standstill as the MTB race that measures all is about to start. Take a bow.

[J Wakefield]

Nevermore let me help you understand something in a few parts so we all understand the overall implications:

1: Epic:
 

Their Ethical decisions at best are not great from passed experience from many so for them to go ahead does not suprise me at all. However, I dont believe this Epic will go the distance, they may start but after a day or 3 will call it off. Or they will call it off totally before Sunday. Maybe start, save face and call it off. Maybe not but still.

When the WORLD sporting and gathering events are being called off, its weird that the company who owns epic and Ironman are happy to carry on. This isn't being hardcore, this is not looking at the future health of riders, staff, spectators and family members never mind a country that to date is lucky to have a low infection rate. 

Participants:
 

The Pros - this is their job, they paid to race and often the top riders are paid base salary and then bonus money for UCI points. Epic has good UCI points so their salary bonus alone from epic its good. If they get sick at Epic their season is over. Remove the races already cancelled and their payments are less. 

THEN add in a contract year, sick, no racing and no possible new contract end of the year. Great, unemployed athlete. Why is that a good thing? 
Do sponsors get mileage from a virus infected athlete? No. You can figure the rest out. 

Athletes careers are short, often underpaid and hard as F to stick to mentally and physically. Why put that in Jeopardy?

Normal folk: Cant work, often if you sick you get unpaid leave, families effected the list goes on. Why risk that? companies close?
 

The Virus and its effect on a Team:

This I have beyond 1st hand experience from having riders and staff in total lock down for 15 + days. For the staff like myself not on lock down the logistical nightmare is something I cannot explain here. Its a 24/7 full load all day and night. Then comes in who can race, who cant, when riders cant race they get unmotivated to train alittle then mentally you need to work on that. Keep everyone motivated to get their jobs done best incase we race tomorrow.

Riders and staff in lock down - have you thought of the mental and psychological effects this has? on a 20 old for example? Or a rider who's wife gave birth while he was in lock down? Imagine that. 

 

Last 2 days and from 5am this morning it has only been deep discussions over Epic and what is the best option forward on my phone. Why people other than the athletes I work with have asked me, I have no idea, maybe cause of the point above but its never my call.

As of now you can see that:

Spez

Trek
Ghost 

 

Have all pulled out over safety and I have heard more are coming today. These are potential winning teams in their category. You know the bonus payments on that? I know a team who finished top 5 last year and got a 250k bonus. Imagine walking away from that when you an athlete but happy to.

Travel: 
Boarders in Europe and the world are being closed, imagine being sick or just needing to get home and you cant. You stuck. 

 

So excuse me if I have typed this in a weird way but your post is the most immature thing I have seen in a long time with total lack of respect for anyones potential long term health or their careers in both cycling and none cycling circles.

I have no issue with your unhappy obsession with me, each to their own and people who know me, know I dont give a F what anyone thinks of me, BUT have respect for others. this way the world will be a better place in a very tough time. 

 

If you want to chat Im happy you give me call, those who know me, know Im open to talk. 

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Exceptionally well put, J.

[J Wakefield]

Exceptionally well put, J.

In a time like this, a post like that is made is totally beyond me. Just glad Im out the country cause a obsession like this on someone isn't healthy. Safer for my family it seems. 

[DieselnDust]

Nevermore let me help you understand something in a few parts so we all understand the overall implications:

1: Epic:

 

Their Ethical decisions at best are not great from passed experience from many so for them to go ahead does not suprise me at all. However, I dont believe this Epic will go the distance, they may start but after a day or 3 will call it off. Or they will call it off totally before Sunday. Maybe start, save face and call it off. Maybe not but still.

 

When the WORLD sporting and gathering events are being called off, its weird that the company who owns epic and Ironman are happy to carry on. This isn't being hardcore, this is not looking at the future health of riders, staff, spectators and family members never mind a country that to date is lucky to have a low infection rate. 

 

Participants:

 

The Pros - this is their job, they paid to race and often the top riders are paid base salary and then bonus money for UCI points. Epic has good UCI points so their salary bonus alone from epic its good. If they get sick at Epic their season is over. Remove the races already cancelled and their payments are less. 

 

THEN add in a contract year, sick, no racing and no possible new contract end of the year. Great, unemployed athlete. Why is that a good thing? 

Do sponsors get mileage from a virus infected athlete? No. You can figure the rest out. 

 

Athletes careers are short, often underpaid and hard as F to stick to mentally and physically. Why put that in Jeopardy?

 

Normal folk: Cant work, often if you sick you get unpaid leave, families effected the list goes on. Why risk that? companies close?

 

The Virus and its effect on a Team:

 

This I have beyond 1st hand experience from having riders and staff in total lock down for 15 + days. For the staff like myself not on lock down the logistical nightmare is something I cannot explain here. Its a 24/7 full load all day and night. Then comes in who can race, who cant, when riders cant race they get unmotivated to train alittle then mentally you need to work on that. Keep everyone motivated to get their jobs done best incase we race tomorrow.

 

Riders and staff in lock down - have you thought of the mental and psychological effects this has? on a 20 old for example? Or a rider who's wife gave birth while he was in lock down? Imagine that. 

 

Last 2 days and from 5am this morning it has only been deep discussions over Epic and what is the best option forward on my phone. Why people other than the athletes I work with have asked me, I have no idea, maybe cause of the point above but its never my call.

 

As of now you can see that:

 

Spez

Trek

Ghost 

 

Have all pulled out over safety and I have heard more are coming today. These are potential winning teams in their category. You know the bonus payments on that? I know a team who finished top 5 last year and got a 250k bonus. Imagine walking away from that when you an athlete but happy to.

 

Travel: 

Boarders in Europe and the world are being closed, imagine being sick or just needing to get home and you cant. You stuck. 

 

So excuse me if I have typed this in a weird way but your post is the most immature thing I have seen in a long time with total lack of respect for anyones potential long term health or their careers in both cycling and none cycling circles.

 

I have no issue with your unhappy obsession with me, each to their own and people who know me, know I dont give a F what anyone thinks of me, BUT have respect for others. this way the world will be a better place in a very tough time. 

 

If you want to chat Im happy you give me call, those who know me, know Im open to talk. 

 

 

 

I to think they will be pulling the plug on the Cape Epic. Can't see how they can go ahead without all the facilities necessary to ensure the health of everyone participating.

Australian GP, Cancelled

PGA, cancelled till further notice

ATP Postponed for 6 weeks then to be reviewed

 

 

Not a decisions that have been taken lightly ...

[tubed]

J Wakefield - glad someone informed had the balls on this website to say it like it is.

 

I read Mark Blewitt's account of travelling home yesterday to be with his family in northern Italy - a chilling account of what can happen in a lockdown scenario.

 

Cape Epic Organisation - interesting ethical stance they adopted. People's health vs money - seems like they made a clear choice.

 

Gutted for those who put so much effort into getting on to the start line

[Jewbacca]

J Wakefield - glad someone informed had the balls on this website to say it like it is.

 

I read Mark Blewitt's account of travelling home yesterday to be with his family in northern Italy - a chilling account of what can happen in a lockdown scenario.

 

Cape Epic Organisation - interesting ethical stance they adopted. People's health vs money - seems like they made a clear choice.

 

Gutted for those who put so much effort into getting on to the start line

I wonder what the refund policy will be?.... 

[SwissVan]

I wonder what the refund policy will be?....

I posted it on one of the other threads a few days ago

Basically if I recall correctly it’s date driven, after 10 March you pay a fee of 5000 Zar and if they have a team ready to fill you place you get a refund... stand to be corrected... busy traveling en route to Portugal and it’s to much Schlepp to find the post using my phone

[Jewbacca]

I posted it on one of the other threads a few days ago

Basically if I recall correctly it’s date driven, after 10 March you pay a fee of 5000 Zar and if they have a team ready to fill you place you get a refund... stand to be corrected... busy traveling en route to Portugal and it’s to much Schlepp to find the post using my phone

I mean if the whole event is cancelled by the organisers....

[Andrew Steer]

I wonder what the refund policy will be?.... 

Won't be any... but in their defence 80%+ of their expenditure is already probably ticked off. 

 

Hopefully they are accommodating with some help for riders who want to come back next year.

[MORNE]

The world comes to a standstill as the MTB race that measures all is about to start. Take a bow.

well this comment didn't age well....

[Andrew Steer]

I posted it on the Corona thread a while back... but I just didn't see how it was ever feasible to get people in from all these countries to a bike race - look at all those different nationalities 

https://www.cape-epic.com/riders/the-2020-race/race-register

 

[Jewbacca]

Won't be any... but in their defence 80%+ of their expenditure is already probably ticked off. 

 

Hopefully they are accommodating with some help for riders who want to come back next year.

ja... My 'question' was more in response to guys saying 'we are so fit and have worked towards a goal' etc never mind the 150k layed out for the entry/camper van/service package et al...

 

If there are free entries going I will gladly grab one and ride it on a BMX for SPCA.

[Andrew Steer]

All the SA mass participation events seem to be putting their hands up and saying that they will act when the Government acts... but that may well be far too late.

 

We had Argus last weekend, we have Om die Dam happening tomorrow (15 000 runners), Cape Epic wants to start on Sunday... 

We've got Chiefs versus Sundowns at Loftus, Super Rugby game with crowds still...

What could go wrong

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I posted it on the Corona thread a while back... but I just didn't see how it was ever feasible to get people in from all these countries to a bike race - look at all those different nationalities

 

https://www.cape-epic.com/riders/the-2020-race/race-register

 

 

I reckon quite a few of them are here already. Just seen some foreign Scott sponsored teams at bootleggers enjoying their espresso. Could see they were Scott sponsored cos they were all wearing their neon yellow Scott running shoes