The Munga 2019

[Danger Dassie]

4 Mike Woolnough 71:18:00

This oke, super impressive. Mike is 59. Quite likely one of the most consistently strong Munga riders, has a few Freedom Challenge events under his belt too.
 

[tinmug]

Massive respect to every competitor that had the moxie to stand at the start line. Much less pedal halfway through the country via the sauna. 

 

And as for Mr Woolnough. 

 

Even Mads is twice the man I am. 

[Shebeen]

Is there anything Alex could have done about it?

 

not really.

 

Apart from award them joint 2nd? or is 1.5 more accurate?

As this is a sanctioned race I wonder if the UCI has anything in their rulebook? I guess they expect a finish to have the means to determine the winner. A dead heat is incredibly rare in cycling.

 

I wouldn't make them a new #1 medal, just give them 1 and 2 and they must work out how to share it themselves!

 

I was a bit outspoken on this, and with perspective I was viewing it from the position that the MUNGA is a race that wants to be the biggest it can be. The idea of the guaranteed million prize seems to have faded, with that the wider elite entry field that could have been attracted to it. 

 

I don't buy the respect/sportsmanship angle justifying it - if it were true then does someone who races his opponent not respect them? By making a gentleman's agreement before Ceres, and riding together for that far they basically said the win is not that important "That the race is in the journey and not the end result". That's not good if Alex still has ambitions to take it towards that million dollar type status. The (non)reaction to this from the organisers will be telling. 

 

I wouldn't be surprised if a rule comes in about "contrived tie" that they have in triathlon

https://www.triathlete.com/2019/08/news/opinion-the-triathletes-in-the-tokyo-test-event-deserved-to-get-dqed_382166

 

Some are saying here that it happened in Italy divide (a race i had never heard of), but I think there's many many more epic battles of two adversities really digging deep to beat someone right to the end. Here's two I can think of that rank as epic finishes, and to me shows much more respect to rcae your competitor to the final metres than just

 

Adventure Race World champs 2011 was in Tasmania, 700km of nonstop multisport racing ended on the local cycling track.  After 5 days of racing, there was just 4 minutes between 2nd and 3rd, and a sprint finish for 4th place. It was unprecedented, but the teams just sprinted and hoped that there were rules in place for how to pick them apart.

 

https://www.sleepmonsters.com/races.php?article_id=7416

 

 

the ironwar 30 years ago

[Long Wheel Base]

not really.

 

Apart from award them joint 2nd? or is 1.5 more accurate?

As this is a sanctioned race I wonder if the UCI has anything in their rulebook? I guess they expect a finish to have the means to determine the winner. A dead heat is incredibly rare in cycling.

 

I wouldn't make them a new #1 medal, just give them 1 and 2 and they must work out how to share it themselves!

 

I was a bit outspoken on this, and with perspective I was viewing it from the position that the MUNGA is a race that wants to be the biggest it can be. The idea of the guaranteed million prize seems to have faded, with that the wider elite entry field that could have been attracted to it. 

 

I don't buy the respect/sportsmanship angle justifying it - if it were true then does someone who races his opponent not respect them? By making a gentleman's agreement before Ceres, and riding together for that far they basically said the win is not that important "That the race is in the journey and not the end result". That's not good if Alex still has ambitions to take it towards that million dollar type status. The (non)reaction to this from the organisers will be telling. 

 

I wouldn't be surprised if a rule comes in about "contrived tie" that they have in triathlon

https://www.triathlete.com/2019/08/news/opinion-the-triathletes-in-the-tokyo-test-event-deserved-to-get-dqed_382166

 

Some are saying here that it happened in Italy divide (a race i had never heard of), but I think there's many many more epic battles of two adversities really digging deep to beat someone right to the end. Here's two I can think of that rank as epic finishes, and to me shows much more respect to rcae your competitor to the final metres than just

 

Adventure Race World champs 2011 was in Tasmania, 700km of nonstop multisport racing ended on the local cycling track.  After 5 days of racing, there was just 4 minutes between 2nd and 3rd, and a sprint finish for 4th place. It was unprecedented, but the teams just sprinted and hoped that there were rules in place for how to pick them apart.

 

https://www.sleepmonsters.com/races.php?article_id=7416

 

 

the ironwar 30 years ago

I did not know that Michael Mathews was a world champ. Thanks for those links, interesting reading.

[eddy]

I did not know that Michael Mathews was a world champ. Thanks for those links, interesting reading.

Watching that and hearing Paula Newby-Fraser's name along with Scott and Allen, brought back such memories as that was when I was Tri-ing to be an athlete as well. Those were the stars of the sport.

 

But, seeing the performance of a Nike sponsored athlete of 1989 vintage now, showed how naive we were. Along with Alberto Salazar and "it's not about the bike", all of it seems suspect.

[Andrew Steer]

Watching that and hearing Paula Newby-Fraser's name along with Scott and Allen, brought back such memories as that was when I was Tri-ing to be an athlete as well. Those were the stars of the sport.

 

But, seeing the performance of a Nike sponsored athlete of 1989 vintage now, showed how naive we were. Along with Alberto Salazar and "it's not about the bike", all of it seems suspect.

There is some truth in there though... it's really not about the bike

[DJR]

There is some truth in there though... it's really not about the bike

It had since been translated into clearer English and it reads: "It really is about the drugs!" 

[peetwindhoek]

The differences between the bikes for the two winners/joint seconders/"matchfixers"~Jewbacca/extreme athletes made me wonder about firstly Benky's bike.

 

Would it not have been even cooler/softer on the upperbody if he used a Lauff fork instead of a rigid one?

 

And on TB's bike, is it poolnoodle pieces on the handlebar?

[Fat Boab]

Why not ask Benky? He's selling a Lauf currently?

 

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/road-bike-forks/383174/lauf-grit-15mm-fork

 

 

The differences between the bikes for the two winners/joint seconders/"matchfixers"~Jewbacca/extreme athletes made me wonder about firstly Benky's bike.

 

Would it not have been even cooler/softer on the upperbody if he used a Lauff fork instead of a rigid one?

 

And on TB's bike, is it poolnoodle pieces on the handlebar?

[Stretched@Birth]

Why not ask Benky? He's selling a Lauf currently?

 

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/road-bike-forks/383174/lauf-grit-15mm-fork

 

 

Used for 1 ride only...?

[Shebeen]

munga is not over until Mike does his race report.

 

 

nutty prof, we're waiting!

[nathrix]

Made a little video for all the dot watchers, and myself

 

Captured most of The Munga Facebook videos and edited it into a full one hour video, as soon as there's a gap in the load shedding schedule (all the video clips is 9GB and took a week to capture from FB and put together) I'll upload it and post the link here.

 

[nathrix]

Uploaded it just in time before stage 6 load shedding kicks in 

 

 

 

[Spy007]

Made a little video for all the dot watchers, and myself

 

Captured most of The Munga Facebook videos and edited it into a full one hour video, as soon as there's a gap in the load shedding schedule (all the video clips is 9GB and took a week to capture from FB and put together) I'll upload it and post the link here.

 

Just a note of thanks. Awesome to see it from the outside

 

I scratched @875km WP9 (LR). My lezyne read 51 max and 8 min. Rode with mady for a long time, we even shared a balcony at 1 am in Fraserburg. ask her about the space blanket. (iron Lady)

 

https://www.strava.com/activities/2920374782/analysis

 

the race at the front is far different than the race at the back.

WP, RV, Conditions temperature etc etc.

 

Am I sad of 875km? NO. you have to ride it to understand it.

 

Could I finish, Yes, in the cut off No

Did I want to finish? Hell yea!

Was it safe for me to finish? No

 

There comes a moment when you know.

you can not explain it,

you can not understand it,

you can only accept it.

 

It is a week later, and I can only count to 4 on my toes and 3 in my hands.

 

I owe 199km in 2020 and debts must be paid in full.

 

Well done all that started.....

[BigDL]

Just a note of thanks. Awesome to see it from the outside

 

I scratched @875km WP9 (LR). My lezyne read 51 max and 8 min. Rode with mady for a long time, we even shared a balcony at 1 am in Fraserburg. ask her about the space blanket. (iron Lady)

 

https://www.strava.com/activities/2920374782/analysis

 

the race at the front is far different than the race at the back.

WP, RV, Conditions temperature etc etc.

 

Am I sad of 875km? NO. you have to ride it to understand it.

 

Could I finish, Yes, in the cut off No

Did I want to finish? Hell yea!

Was it safe for me to finish? No

 

There comes a moment when you know.

you can not explain it,

you can not understand it,

you can only accept it.

 

It is a week later, and I can only count to 4 on my toes and 3 in my hands.

 

I owe 199km in 2020 and debts must be paid in full.

 

Well done all that started.....

That is epic. Well done.

[Long Wheel Base]

Just a note of thanks. Awesome to see it from the outside

 

I scratched @875km WP9 (LR). My lezyne read 51 max and 8 min. Rode with mady for a long time, we even shared a balcony at 1 am in Fraserburg. ask her about the space blanket. (iron Lady)

 

https://www.strava.com/activities/2920374782/analysis

 

the race at the front is far different than the race at the back.

WP, RV, Conditions temperature etc etc.

 

Am I sad of 875km? NO. you have to ride it to understand it.

 

Could I finish, Yes, in the cut off No

Did I want to finish? Hell yea!

Was it safe for me to finish? No

 

There comes a moment when you know.

you can not explain it,

you can not understand it,

you can only accept it.

 

It is a week later, and I can only count to 4 on my toes and 3 in my hands.

 

I owe 199km in 2020 and debts must be paid in full.

 

Well done all that started.....

Well Done, that is still flipping amazing. I am sure if thew heat wasn't so extreme, you would have klapped it