947 Ride Joburg

[Carbon_Kooi]

Her take on this on her Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWkJCa6q9r6/

 

[Vetplant]

2 minutes ago, Carbon_Kooi said:

Her take on this on her Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWkJCa6q9r6/

 

Man that really sucks.

Only plausible explanation is the wind. You can see some of those barriers are blown over. And then by some freak of luck the one barrier must have blown sideways without falling over, into the path of where the car should have gone. An unfortunate incident that nobody foresaw and if there was a marshal there they could have quickly removed the offending barrier.

[The Ouzo]

31 minutes ago, Furbz said:

Anyone else find the route lacklustre?

its all highway riding in the crappiest of places in JHB.

i'll admit i enjoyed the race track part - felt like i was competing in a crit

but the rest was just so meh. 

the organisers really have so much they could offer to show off JHB and yet they choose to show off the highway. i think if they rename the race and drop the "ride jhb" part it would be more apt. i get they have issues with what roads they can close, but come on. that way an enormously boring route.

By way of comparison, think back to how awesome the initial 94.7 routes were 

I've honestly never felt it was a scenic race, and I've done just about every iteration of the route since 1998

[Sid the Sloth]

35 minutes ago, Carbon_Kooi said:

This is what happened to a lot of people, and I assume if they are going to be consistent they all should be disqualified like Emma was?

 

I would expect a much more fluid transition from a triathlete

[Craai]

 

20 minutes ago, Carbon_Kooi said:

Her take on this on her Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWkJCa6q9r6/

 

Wow, that's poor from the organisers. The lead car stuff-up is one thing, but then to not communicate with Emma? Proper ***. "I don’t know why the lead car and motorbike didn’t say anything or in the race why the race commissaire was back with the group, all all I know is I did my post race interviews, I went to drug testing, got called to the podium and then never got called up on it, no-one told me I was disqualified, that’s how I found out."

[Sid the Sloth]

24 minutes ago, Jensie said:

I feel so sorry for her, all that effort for nothing. when or if ash would have caught her she still would have podiumed,

... There were more than two other ladies in the race and a solo break burns a lot of matches

[Pure Savage]

Where was the CSA commissionaire? Those okes normally cannot wait to over take the bunch and hoot at the breakaway about riding near the white line.

[Karooryder]

29 minutes ago, Carbon_Kooi said:

Her take on this on her Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWkJCa6q9r6/

 

This whole thing is super dodge imo and this is just not right (looking at her explanation even foul play comes to mind). In any event, there are rules but the moment a pretty much race-deciding mistake is made by organizers (which clearly happened here) there need to exceptions to the rules. As for RideJoburg, the response on their Facebook page that: 

"both she and the lead car made a wrong turn on the track"

...is not only an unfair misrepresentation of what happened but also an atrocious handling of a professional sportsperson.   

Also, putting the onus on CSA rules for this disaster is a poor show for the race management which is going to come back and bite them...This morning social media is on fire with unhappy participants and supporters calling for a future boycott of the race.

In the spirit of transparency and good sportsmanship I would have awarded a joined first place to Ashley and Emma with prize money donated to a charity. I'm sure both these ladies - professionals that they are - would have been ok with that.  

Edited November 22, 2021 by Karooryder

[Jensie]

1 minute ago, Karooryder said:

This whole thing is super dodge imo and this is just not right...looking at her explanation even foul play comes to mind. In any event, there are rules but the moment a mistake is made by organizers (which clearly happened here) there need to exceptions to the rules. As for RideJoburg, the response on their Facebook page that: 

"both she and the lead car made a wrong turn on the track"

...is not only an unfair misrepresentation of what happened but also an atrocious handling of a professional sportsperson.   

Also, putting the onus on CSA rules for this disaster is a poor show for the race management which is going to come back and bite them...This morning social media is on fire with unhappy participants and supporters calling for a future boycott of the race.

In the spirit of transparency and good sportsmanship I would have awarded a joined first place to Ashley and Emma with prize money donated to a charity. I'm sure both these ladies - professionals that they are - would be ok with that.  

yes on her explanation the cones was in the road indicating that the road was closed, that was not good from 947

[Craai]

10 minutes ago, Pure Savage said:

Where was the CSA commissionaire? Those okes normally cannot wait to over take the bunch and hoot at the breakaway about riding near the white line.

Probably making sure that everyone was wearing a mask and observing covid19 social distancing protocol. You know, the important stuff in a race.

[Karooryder]

17 minutes ago, Sid the Sloth said:

... There were more than two other ladies in the race and a solo break burns a lot of matches

Still, and to quote a reply by her Team Manager on Facebook:

".....Fact 3. The strongest rider on the day was Emma…by far

Fact 4: After the exact point at which the footage stops, Emma still stood dumbfounded. I forced her to carry on riding. She must’ve lost 30 seconds or more in the confusion.

Fact 5: While the chasing bunch of approximately 25 top elite ladies feverishly continued to try and close the gap on this single rider, she halfheartedly continued riding and it took some motivation to get her up to speed again. Again a loss of time from her side. It takes some mental effort from any pro rider to re-focus after such confusion so late in the race.

Fact 6: REGARDLESS of the so call “estimated” advantage she was thought to have gained….do the maths and keep in mind the cream of the crop of elite ladies cycling were working together to catch a single rider AND had another 30 km’s to do so…and couldn’t..."

[Pure Savage]

2 minutes ago, Karooryder said:

Still, and to quote a reply by her Team Manager on Facebook:

".....Fact 3. The strongest rider on the day was Emma…by far

Fact 4: After the exact point at which the footage stops, Emma still stood dumbfounded. I forced her to carry on riding. She must’ve lost 30 seconds or more in the confusion.

Fact 5: While the chasing bunch of approximately 25 top elite ladies feverishly continued to try and close the gap on this single rider, she halfheartedly continued riding and it took some motivation to get her up to speed again. Again a loss of time from her side. It takes some mental effort from any pro rider to re-focus after such confusion so late in the race.

Fact 6: REGARDLESS of the so call “estimated” advantage she was thought to have gained….do the maths and keep in mind the cream of the crop of elite ladies cycling were working together to catch a single rider AND had another 30 km’s to do so…and couldn’t..."

I mean exhibit 1: Olympics womens road race. 

[JJDT]

I think it is also poor from CSA to put the blame onto the rider. For me it is a bit of poor planning especially with the wind and the possibility that cones can shift. A marshall with a flag should've been there and not cones.

What CSA could've done is to look at the time Ashley took around the circuit, look at the times of Emma. Took away the time from Emma around the "short" circuit and added the time of Ashley. Thereby a winner could be determined in the end.

[Popit]

20 minutes ago, Sid the Sloth said:

... There were more than two other ladies in the race and a solo break burns a lot of matches

Sid , I hear what you are saying , however , Emma passed us ( Vets55 - 59 ) in the suburbs just befor Braam Fisher drive  , The next ladies only passed me ( I was dropped) at the very top of Jan Smuts .... No way they were catching her in the last 15km . 

 

[gerrit_c]

2 minutes ago, JJDT said:

I think it is also poor from CSA to put the blame onto the rider. For me it is a bit of poor planning especially with the wind and the possibility that cones can shift. A marshall with a flag should've been there and not cones.

What CSA could've done is to look at the time Ashley took around the circuit, look at the times of Emma. Took away the time from Emma around the "short" circuit and added the time of Ashley. Thereby a winner could be determined in the end.

I agree, a time penalty, done and dusted. 

[Sid the Sloth]

8 minutes ago, Karooryder said:

Still, and to quote a reply by her Team Manager on Facebook:

".....Fact 3. The strongest rider on the day was Emma…by far

Fact 4: After the exact point at which the footage stops, Emma still stood dumbfounded. I forced her to carry on riding. She must’ve lost 30 seconds or more in the confusion.

Fact 5: While the chasing bunch of approximately 25 top elite ladies feverishly continued to try and close the gap on this single rider, she halfheartedly continued riding and it took some motivation to get her up to speed again. Again a loss of time from her side. It takes some mental effort from any pro rider to re-focus after such confusion so late in the race.

Fact 6: REGARDLESS of the so call “estimated” advantage she was thought to have gained….do the maths and keep in mind the cream of the crop of elite ladies cycling were working together to catch a single rider AND had another 30 km’s to do so…and couldn’t..."

Wow, I am pretty sure I learnt the difference between fact and opinion in junior school. Road racing involves tactics. The solo break tactic is super high risk because the odds you get caught are high, and you expend a LOT of energy. Teams behind were being smart and trying to maximize efficiency at minimal risk. Would've, could've, should've, just suck it up and accept that you can't win a race if you take a shortcut. I am sure she was riding with a gps, why not set up the route to follow the course?

It sucks for everyone but the organizers had to make a call and there would be controversy either way. I think the winner should be the person who completes the course in the fastest time. 

Edited November 22, 2021 by Sid the Sloth
Shortcut, on purpose or not, is still a shortcut. Added GPS bit