947 Ride Joburg

[Sharkie 2]

1 hour ago, Frosty said:

That “sign” was not there when we (VD) went through. I’m OCD when it comes to noticing things like this, because of positioning cones/barriers on “my” event. I tend to spot missing details, like the unmarked expansion joint getting back into the M1 at Carr Street. One of the ladies had a serious crash there. I saw it an knew to lift the front wheel going over the joint.

While watching the streaming of the ladies race yesterday I thought the same about the expansion joint and thought by myself how many riders will fall today because of wheels getting stuck. Ashleigh had a crash in a classic in EU a few years ago with a similar road detail. 

[Frosty]

32 minutes ago, Sharkie 2 said:

While watching the streaming of the ladies race yesterday I thought the same about the expansion joint and thought by myself how many riders will fall today because of wheels getting stuck. Ashleigh had a crash in a classic in EU a few years ago with a similar road detail. 

Wasn’t much that wheel would get stuck, but rather like a railway line that doesn’t run parallel to the road; slippery as a banana peel is supposed to be.

[Jase619]

2 hours ago, GaryvdM said:

That was defiantly an oops. P.S. By the time I went through there (started group I), there was evidence that a number of people came down there, and they had a rubber mat over it, but it was only 2m wide, so we had a bit of a zig-zag. Better than lots more people coming down.

When you see situations like this, you realize that organizing an event like this must require so much attention to detail in so many different areas!

Saw an elite ride absolutely eat the proverbial excrement as we were heading out. When we got back they had found half a meter of rubber and lots of red tape and made it a hit safer however I feel considering how well they did with all the other potential issues this diepsloot that they missed feels a bit odd

[Jase619]

Race was good. Will bring some flat roads with from the Free State next time as there didn’t appear to be any in Joburg if the route is anything to judge by.

As an out of towner figuring out which route to use to get to the start had me using all of my mental capacity on Saturday night, but worked out fine in the end. 

Race was good and the organisation exceptional from what we experienced. The loading board was super helpful. CTCT would do good with bringing that back again.

One thing that I found strange was that the aggro that was missing from the CTCT appeared to rears its ugly head a little bit. Was riding at one point in the left hand lane of the 3 lane highway and some idiot shouted at my wife and myself to keep left, when his group rolled through at speed within handlebar touching distance of us. There was NO ONE to our right. So not sure why we had to keep more left then we were. 

Besides that, can’t complain, will just put in an order for less wind next year.

Edited November 22, 2021 by Jase619
Auto correct winning my well thought out review

[MudLark]

Concerning the number of participants et cetera, there is actually a data page for that on the official website (linking I imagine to Finish Time). Go to the results page and select the details tab. You'll see 12606 people enetered and 9517 finished. The average time was 4:02:58. There are details by category too.

I guess the number of participants is way down from the past when I think there were sometimes 20k+ participants? 

[Vetplant]

5 minutes ago, MudLark said:

Concerning the number of participants et cetera, there is actually a data page for that on the official website (linking I imagine to Finish Time). Go to the results page and select the details tab. You'll see 12606 people enetered and 9517 finished. The average time was 4:02:58. There are details by category too.

I guess the number of participants is way down from the past when I think there were sometimes 20k+ participants? 

The number of participants has been trending downwards for a while now.

According to Racetec:

• 2015 - 21535
• 2016 - 20349
• 2017 - 19991
• 2018 - 18378
• 2019 - 15829

This is Overall Finishers, so will include Official Double Lappers too, I would think.

 

[FondTF2]

My last little rant on the Emma Pallant saga.

As an elite rider you would think that she would of done a recon of the course etc. Yes the track may of not been available for recon but you would think that you would still familiarize yourself with the logistics of entry and exit.

Case in point with the lead vehicle driver. As with the riders, they of all people you would think would be familiar with the course.

What I do find strange is that there appears to be no other riders (racing vets) anywhere near to her when she enters the track? this could of possibly alleviated any confusion.

A lesson for the organizers next year - put a barrier fence there so as to ensure no directional confusion/mishaps

 

[BikeisLife]

16 hours ago, Li Mu Bai said:

Sad as it was for Emma, If she goes "off route" it is soley her fault. One cannot blindly follow the lead car, imagine if the driver needed a pist stop or his Waze stops functioning, or there is no space for the vehicle. Same happened years ago on Paris Roubaix.

When she got to that taped off area, she should have noted the mistake and that something was amiss, and retraced her route back. Crossing the taped barrier was the second error.

I cannot imagine what the hell that cone was doing blocking the correct route? Somebody trying to be funny or sabotage her route? Didnt the elite men pass through there before the women? bizzare.

 

They left out the part where she went up next to the car and bike after this and asked if she was on the right route and they ensured her that everything was fine. 

[gtr1]

15 minutes ago, FondTF2 said:

My last little rant on the Emma Pallant saga.

As an elite rider you would think that she would of done a recon of the course etc. Yes the track may of not been available for recon but you would think that you would still familiarize yourself with the logistics of entry and exit.

Case in point with the lead vehicle driver. As with the riders, they of all people you would think would be familiar with the course.

What I do find strange is that there appears to be no other riders (racing vets) anywhere near to her when she enters the track? this could of possibly alleviated any confusion.

A lesson for the organizers next year - put a barrier fence there so as to ensure no directional confusion/mishaps

 

The VF/VG group entered before Emma. She probably couldnt see the group. Strange there were no stragglers between the bunch and her.The group caught her when she had climbed over the barrier and the Porsche had just done a uturn and they had just joined the correct route to exit Kyalami.

[gtr1]

3 minutes ago, BikeisLife said:

They left out the part where she went up next to the car and bike after this and asked if she was on the right route and they ensured her that everything was fine. 

As well as the fact that once they all realised they had gone wrong, they just continued with the race and never said anything to anyone and made like it never happened !!!!!!!!!!!

Everyone is making Emma out as the victim in this scenario, including herself, but she also played her part in the deception.

And the part that everyone seems to miss is that her gap increased by 2 minutes due to the 'error'. This does not make her a winner, also considering in the end she was less than a minute ahead of Ash.

Unfortunate situation......most definately. And many things could have been done better, and she could have been treated better, but I wonder how Emma would really feel if she stood on the winners podium knowing she had gained an unfair advantage due to the error.

She had a 1 minute lead going into Kyalami. Over 3 minutes coming out. And won by 40 seconds. Do the maths.

Would she have just taken the R200k and run ???? If that is the case, I hope that sits well with her amongst all the other mud slinging about who wronged her and treated her badly etc.

The main culprit in all this is the lead car driver and occupents.

[Spy007]

Agreed with above . My issue is with the handling of the situation.

all the blame is being shifted to the riders and none to organizer or CSA as a sanctioning body.

We had same issues when I was an Archer. The organizers would always blame the shooters. Know the rules blah blah. but when you point out a genuine issue that could have been prevented mums the word. and we had the same arguments year in and year out and it never changed. 

 

 

 

See my FB post

According to point 4.

Then the obstacle which is the chevron that was in the way of making the left turn should have been cleared. and pointing out obstacles oh an this will include the tape? is that not an obstacle to clear instead of just riding over it???and gonna be tough doing that with a rider so close? Yes at the point were the tape is crossed someone should have indicated the error or picked it up. What leaves a bad taste is the complete lack of accountability on CSA side.

Reading the conclusion your language use is very timid on the "lead vehicle" but harsh on the rider. "and this will make everyone feel terrible about the situation" Really!

Perhaps this re-write will help explain:

"The lead vehicle has clearly failed in its mandate of rider safety and the necessary action and improved training to prevent future incidents will be addressed. We apologize to the riders involved on the situation and the handling of it afterwards and will insure to address future issues in a more professional manner."

[Frosty]

24 minutes ago, gtr1 said:

The VF/VG group entered before Emma. She probably couldnt see the group. Strange there were no stragglers between the bunch and her.The group caught her when she had climbed over the barrier and the Porsche had just done a uturn and they had just joined the correct route to exit Kyalami.

The main VF/VG bunch got to Kyalami at 1h15 while the main ladies got there at 1h14. The ladies started 5 minutes behind them. So with a 4 minute gap, less the minute and bit Emma had, she would have been 2 mins behind the main VF/VG group that turned left onto the track; I can tell from friends in that group.

 

[gtr1]

1 hour ago, Frosty said:

The main VF/VG bunch got to Kyalami at 1h15 while the main ladies got there at 1h14. The ladies started 5 minutes behind them. So with a 4 minute gap, less the minute and bit Emma had, she would have been 2 mins behind the main VF/VG group that turned left onto the track; I can tell from friends in that group.

 

Correct. And she exited with the group.

Maybe the solution is, add the time gain of over 2 minutes to her finishing time, and see where she finishes the race then ????

And ban the 'lead' car driver and occupents from ever fulfilling that role again.

And send all the officials on social skills management and conflict resolution training ????

[Frosty]

15 minutes ago, gtr1 said:

Correct. And she exited with the group.

Maybe the solution is, add the time gain of over 2 minutes to her finishing time, and see where she finishes the race then ????

And ban the 'lead' car driver and occupents from ever fulfilling that role again.

And send all the officials on social skills management and conflict resolution training ????

My assumption:

I find it strange that there weren’t  two race officials, one to cover the break, and another to cover the chasers.

Lots of talk on FB about the lead car having a race (CSA) official in it. If there was, they wouldn’t have not allowed her to continue after getting to the barrier tape and hay bales. At least that’s the officials I know. In prior years, my club’s event we’re forced to have two officials because of any possible gaps, and we’re no where near as big and important as the 947.

That said, I spotted and greeted an official on the side of the road, in a position I usually would see him/her on my second lap. Thought it was odd to see him/her on my first lap; shouldn’t he/she be officiating?

[gtr1]

@Frosty I agree. There should have been a CSA official following the break as well as the bunch. Especially in an elite field. And usually in a vets race, the official always follows the break.

 

 

[Brett MTBer]

From what I understand of the rules regarding lead vehicles the ‘lead vehicle’ in terms of item 4 of the rules was not doing its job, it was ill prepared to do its job since it neither knew the course nor did it remove an obstacle. What sanction does the race organiser get from CSA for this? They should be fined according. From everyone’s perspective it seemed like a few guys having a good time in someone’s Porsche without any concept of their responsibility to the race, very poor PR.

At the same time when was the last time any race organiser, either road or MTB got a sanctioning from CSA? many of us suffer poor marking, dangerous course layouts and yet no race organiser as far as I am aware has ever been fined? CSA wants every race to be sanctioned, is this to protect the riders or simply collect valuable income? it appears CSA's approach is to assume that riders will simply not return to poorly organised races and yet in this economic climate the Pro's and semi Pro's don't have that luxury - who is there to protect them?  I agree with the concept that the rider must not follow the lead vehicle but in this case the lead vehicle should have been a km ahead of the rider to ensure the course was clear and correctly marked without obstacle, the organiser in this case shoulders the blame for appointing a lead vehicle and its occupants on what appears to simply be a joy ride. It would be interesting to see if there was a Comm in the car, if there was they should also be disciplined, though I doubt we'd ever hear about it...