Knysna cycle tour 2021 cancelled

[TheAntoine1]

As expected the Knysna race organisers did not even bother to wait till the end of this 14 day bizarre lockdown to cancel the event scheduled for 17 July.  All the entry bucks in the bank - now just send the copy and paste email on how sorry they are blah blah and you can still do the virtual event (yay) but don't expect any entry money returned. Cant afford to be killing people for the sake of a ride now can we.

[Skubarra]

51 minutes ago, TheAntoine1 said:

As expected the Knysna race organisers did not even bother to wait till the end of this 14 day bizarre lockdown to cancel the event scheduled for 17 July.  All the entry bucks in the bank - now just send the copy and paste email on how sorry they are blah blah and you can still do the virtual event (yay) but don't expect any entry money returned. Cant afford to be killing people for the sake of a ride now can we.

Whatever your stance on lockdown I don't think you can really blame the organisers here, the 3rd wave is not going to be done in 14 days and there will be almost zero chance of them getting approval from authorities even if they try to host it.

At this point we also all know the risks when we decide to enter events - (coming from someone who was clever enough not to enter yet but is likely going to lose his accommodation deposit)

[babse]

I booked a refundable accommodation and did not enter the races waiting to see how things turn out... The risk was always there and 3rd wave as predicted has hit. 

Chances are level 4 will continue beyond the 2 week period anyway... waiting will actually cause more problems with travel arrangements and so on. 

[Zebra]

1 hour ago, Skubarra said:

Whatever your stance on lockdown I don't think you can really blame the organisers here, the 3rd wave is not going to be done in 14 days and there will be almost zero chance of them getting approval from authorities even if they try to host it.

At this point we also all know the risks when we decide to enter events - (coming from someone who was clever enough not to enter yet but is likely going to lose his accommodation deposit)

This...

[TCTG]

I cancelled my accomodation on booking.com. Hassle and cost free. Never entered both mtb and road events, so that saves me in the end. Dont expect any events to be pulled off this year....???? this events year goodbye.

[Gideon van der Berg]

The event has been canceled without any refunds or transfers. This leaves a bad taste...will you support them again? 

Edited June 30, 2021 by Matt
Merged with existing topic

[Rocket-Boy]

What do you do as an organizer in these kinds of situations?

A race of this size doesnt get planned a few weeks in advance, it takes a lot longer than that.

Add the complexity of a new wave with the delta variant, gathering rules etc and its not possible to host the event.

Holding on to all of the money without partial refunds/carry over is not cool though.

It now means that most people are going to want to hold off entering anything for a while so numbers will be down until closer to the event when they suddenly shoot up. I think its just a miff situation all round.

[Mark James]

1 hour ago, Rocket-Boy said:

Holding on to all of the money without partial refunds/carry over is not cool though.

 

Totes agree!!

The race organisers should refund the entrants, or at the very least refund 75% like Stilwater did when they cancelled the Stellenbosch Origin of Trails ride earlier in the year (April), which was also due to lockdown measures. 

[Robbie Stewart]

To be realistic, everyone knows the times we find ourselves in. It sucks, yes, but it is what it is. I had a hard think about all the uncertainties of these days and concluded that I am not entering any events, making any bookings or participating in any gatherings. Thus I have not bought entry for any possible race with the full expectation that SA would be entering a third wave over winter. I am sorry to be right, but at least I save some money.

My rides are all social and kept to a small core group of riders. We also only ride trails and have been having a massive amount of fun over the course of the last 7 months or so and this has not made me miss mass participation events one bit. I am fortunate to have participated in the last CTCT and that was a sketchy ride as it was at the advent of Covid hitting our shores, and only a week later the Epic was the first casualty of war. Lesson learnt.

 

[Thomo]

4 minutes ago, Robbie Stewart said:

...I had a hard think about all the uncertainties of these days and concluded that I am not entering any events ...

I took a similar decision (not that I've been participating in many events anyway) until sentiment got the better of me and I entered CTCT 2021. ????‍♂️

That said, I entered expecting similar cancellation but it is still 3 and a bit months away so let's see.

[DieselnDust]

6 minutes ago, Thomo said:

I took a similar decision (not that I've been participating in many events anyway) until sentiment got the better of me and I entered CTCT 2021. ????‍♂️

That said, I entered expecting similar cancellation but it is still 3 and a bit months away so let's see.

I think October Events will be fairly safe. Wave 4 expected in December/January

[Shebeen]

1 hour ago, Gideon van der Berg said:

The event has been canceled without any refunds or transfers. This leaves a bad taste...will you support them again? 

 

21 hours ago, TheAntoine1 said:

As expected the Knysna race organisers did not even bother to wait till the end of this 14 day bizarre lockdown to cancel the event scheduled for 17 July.  All the entry bucks in the bank - now just send the copy and paste email on how sorry they are blah blah and you can still do the virtual event (yay) but don't expect any entry money returned. Cant afford to be killing people for the sake of a ride now can we.

wow, you guys are special!!!!!!

You entered a charity event during a pandemic, and now want your money back because the PANDEMIC wasn't done yet?

 

get your heads out of your bums, these charities need funds much much more than you need to race your fietsicle

https://knysnacycle.co.za/beneficiaries/

• Eye Charts for General Health Care Clinics
• Knysna High School Interact Club
• Educational equipment for Pre-Schools
• Interact Officers Training at Belvidere Manor
• Knysna Schools Art Exhibition at Old Goal Gallery
• Development Cycling Bikes Donation
• SOUNS Literacy Sets for Learners
• E-Pap financial distribution support
• Knysna Sports School bursaries
• Annual Ear Nose and Throat operations week
• 25 Bursaries for Tertiary Education
• Knysna Sea Cadets Assistance
• Support for the disabled at “Die Werkswinkel”
• Donation of Victims Empowerment Packs to Hospital
• Masithandane Centre support
• Wheelchairs from Wheelchair Foundation
• Educational equipment for Grade R classes at local schools
• Bath Interactors visit and hands on project for 2 crèches
• Rondevlei School upgrade
• Edge of Africa Swap Shop support
• Support for Sinethemba skills project
• Vermont old age home support
• Support for GoGo-Getters care-workers
• Support for Epilepsy SA
• Educational equipment for Rheenendal Primary
• Leadership training at Outward Bound Camp for Interactors
• Know your Town Initiative for Interactors

[TheAntoine1]

Its not a case of losing the money at all. Its the way the organisers wasted no time from CRs announcement of further stricter lockdowns to cancelling the event. That leaves a bad taste in most peoples mouth. Why not make an effort to formalise plans and proposals to try work around CRs new shooting from the hip one size fits all rules. 

COVID 19 presents a high risk for the very few and negligible risk for the many. The infection fatality rate in different age groups:
<19 y, IFR= 0.003%
20-49 y: IFR= 0.02%
50-69 y: 0.5%
>70y, IFR= 5.4%

 

[HdB]

Your first post specifically mentions "All the money in the bank". If it is not about losing the money at all, why specifically mention that then?

Are the rules put in place by government the best it could be? Obviously not. Did they bungle the vaccine rollout? Yes.
If the organisers' hands are tied due to the rules, that is not their fault. At least there was some warning, not like the Epic last year that was cancelled one or two days before.

[Robbie Stewart]

8 minutes ago, TheAntoine1 said:

Its not a case of losing the money at all. Its the way the organisers wasted no time from CRs announcement of further stricter lockdowns to cancelling the event. That leaves a bad taste in most peoples mouth. Why not make an effort to formalise plans and proposals to try work around CRs new shooting from the hip one size fits all rules. 

COVID 19 presents a high risk for the very few and negligible risk for the many. The infection fatality rate in different age groups:
<19 y, IFR= 0.003%
20-49 y: IFR= 0.02%
50-69 y: 0.5%
>70y, IFR= 5.4%

 

I'm sorry to say but this is stupid logic. You'd be willing to risk a potential death (even just one) so that you can ride a bicycle...I guess that says more about you than it does of the president who has to make decisions daily that no will inevitable cause a certain section of society to hate him.

Just to bring some context. A pregnant lady went to Panorama hospital in Cape Town two weeks ago to deliver her first child. She tested negative upon admittance. She delivered the baby and three days later she was dead. Covid induced massive organ failure. She was 28. Her baby will never know its mother. But since the mom falls within a risk group of less than 0.02% you say its ok to go cycle.

Well then...

[Gman55]

I totally understand it’s a charity event and if I entered a year ago and they couldn’t defer again that would be understandable but people who have just entered to have all their money taken and aren’t in a good position themselves,  is totally unfair to take 100% of their entry.