[Event] FNB Wines2Whales Chardonnay

[DieselnDust]

Is there a prize giving for the any ladies teams present at Shiraz? I didn't attend the evening dinners last year

[Grease_Monkey]

Is there a prize giving for the any ladies teams present at Shiraz? I didn't attend the evening dinners last year

I'd be speaking from hearsay alone so let me rather leave this one to someone that was there and experienced it first hand. (I was only there for the ladies race last year).

Edited October 28, 2019 by Grease_Monkey

[wessie12]

What I don't understand is that people know exactly what they getting themselves into. Just vote with your wallet and keep quiet. For me the past weekend was great, it is days like stage 1 that will be remembered for years. I am really shocked at some of the complaints and how soft people are getting. If you want a 5 star holiday than go to the Maldives and if you enter a mtb event expecting the water points to be hotel quality than you are missing the point.

[DieselnDust]

Water points should at least have nutritious food.

baby potatoes

energy bars

banana

oranges

Sandwiches with marmite and blue cheese

caviar on cracker bread

and French loaf with salami and a dollop of mayo

[edgarblount]

Do you have to drop off one bag only before stage 1? Containing everything? Sleeping bag en pillow and and and? I just want to understand how\what do you drop off before the start of stage 1.

[Shebeen]

No nav maps available for the route as it traverses private land

I know it's not going to change anything but that has been the dumbest explanation for a rule for ten years running now.

 

Then once of their glory boys gets caught arguing with landowner when trespassing and they look the other way....

[Hairy]

Yes. They used to give bags out at registration but not anymore. You actually don't need that much stuff. Pack wisely. There is normally a DHL truck somewhere near the drop off. It gets loaded in with everyone elses then off they go. Never had any issues.

Those W2W kit/tog bags are really the bomb though RE quality and functionality.

[dev null]

What I don't understand is that people know exactly what they getting themselves into. Just vote with your wallet and keep quiet. For me the past weekend was great, it is days like stage 1 that will be remembered for years. I am really shocked at some of the complaints and how soft people are getting. If you want a 5 star holiday than go to the Maldives and if you enter a mtb event expecting the water points to be hotel quality than you are missing the point.

 

It is because people that have done W2W from the early days mentioned that the quality of food at the waterpoints dropped off. Seems to be that the bean counters have more say these days, and that is exactly how you kill an event that used to be legendary for those small things that attracted riders to this event.

[Skubarra]

 

There was MUCH more gees in 2013 and 2014 when they did still gave the amateurs recognition.

I remember my friends being on the podium every night and it was great.

 

 

When I do the adventure/ride/trail version of a race I like the Sani2C approach (at least the last time I did it) where there are no podiums. Evenings just have a highlights video, a race briefing and the compulsary sponsors speech - thats it. 

 

Personally I found it tedious to sit through podium after podium of unknowns when I'm just there to have fun. You want to brag about a podium - go do the event where a large portion of the field are actually in it to race.

[aquaratza]

Out of interest, where does this feeling come from? The dinner time presentation? The media coverage?

The dinner time presentation... particularly one of the speeches/presentations given by a representative of the headline sponsor. Did I mention the cycling was fun? 

Edited October 28, 2019 by aquaratza

[Quagga]

The dinner time presentation... particularly one of the speeches/presentations given by a representative of the headline sponsor. Did I mention the cycling was fun? 

This is what I was refering to in my earlier post.

 

In the "old days" they would call up all the catogry 1, 2, 3. Possition and give them a bottle of wine or two.

 

Now they only care about the Pro's. 

This used to be the only "race" where a complete weekend warrior could  perhaps end up on the podium........now ====NOPE

[DieselnDust]

ya the #SERIOUSGEES is a big joke because last year there just wasn't any. It really felt corporate across all three

[nonky]

I find their #seriousgees a joke.

 

 

 

Could not agree more with this. 

 

I am not really too fussed by a large corporate running the event for profit but the (cynical) attempt to market it as something else is what bugs me.