Double Century 2021

[Wayne pudding Mol]

1 hour ago, Kom said:

Cancelling a stage vs an entire event? Also, when they cancel it’s never due to weather, it’s when an entire regions Medi clinics are overwhelmed with dehydrated riders on the brink of death.

give one example, apples for apples, one day MTB or gravel event that was cancelled because of weather? Karoo 2 coast goes ahead every year come hail or shine, all of them do.

I’ll give an example - I was at the berg and bush (can remember if it was descent or the other one) 2019 I think, cancelled due to heavy rain 

 

edit - just thought of another this past Saturday  - same day as the DC was the annual 7 passes mtb (a gravel race really)

it was cancelled earlier in the week because of the weather forecast  

Could have gone ahead but I’d hate to be the organizer, medic or traffic cop in any of these cases - one serious injury or even a death and then it’s all your fault as the organizer 

Edited November 29, 2021 by Wayne pudding Mol

[Jewbacca]

36 minutes ago, Kom said:

Whos angry ???? 

I think the debate started from the generalisation made by @Diesel & Dustthat event cancellations will become a general sporting occurrence, my point or really observation is that it’s only road cycling events that get cancelled for bad weather conditions (for reasons I’m in doubt over, but not my fight).

 

They cancelled the Cederberg traverse earlier this year mid race due to weather conditions.... Swartberg GF was cancelled once due to heavy rains and poor/dangerous road conditions. 

I've also had a couple of trail run events cancelled due to storms involving thunder and lightning. 

I know one or two of the Jeppe rowing crew who were struck by lightning and a mate of mine lost his sister when their tent was struck by lightning on a school camp out. 

As soon as there is an electrical storm overhead things change. 

I have no skin in this fight. I'm trying to be a cycling Karen less and less

[Jbr]

1 hour ago, Kom said:

Cancelling a stage vs an entire event? Also, when they cancel it’s never due to weather, it’s when an entire regions Medi clinics are overwhelmed with dehydrated riders on the brink of death.

give one example, apples for apples, one day MTB or gravel event that was cancelled because of weather? Karoo 2 coast goes ahead every year come hail or shine, all of them do.

Val de vie

And cancelling a stage vs an entire event, what if the event is just one stage ?

[bleedToWin]

The weather reports were clear enough for days before the event.
The weather was always going to be bad overnight, and they know from experience that parts of this route may get compromised. Why are there no shortened versions planned for with the pass getting bypassed? We could even just do a Bonnievale loop and at least still have a race...
It was always going to be miserable until around 7am, and never very hot. Why not make the call on Friday to delay the start, but also reverse the start order to make risk management more feasible?

The big problem is what some are touching on. Most riders spent between R3k and R10k on this event, so this was >R10M of value being destroyed here. There is very little downside for the organisers to cancelling, and they have all the power in this decision. It's a recipe for extremely risk averse race organising.

[ACE Cycles]

DC is definitely a highlight for our team every year, this year we had a men's and mixed team entered. 

Yes, it costs a small fortune to get 25 riders and support to the event from Johannesburg. R30k entries, R50k flights, R30k in accommodation, R30k rental vehicles... 

Anyway, we had a lot of skin in the game, not even mentioning the hours of training. 

We stayed in Barrydale the night before the race and drove through the pass to get to the start. So we got to see that part of the course. Thunder with heavy rain and strog winds, streams gushing over the road, pools of water, rock slides... 

We were relieved, and obviously disappointed, when the race got canceled, the pass is hard enough for many riders to get down safely in dry conditions with strong wind, let alone dodging obstacles in a group, in the wet. 

That said, DC, to us, is about the adventure. Touring with friends and celebrating the end of the season during our annual fines meeting. 

We still had an adventure, and we had a fi es meeting of note and overall we had a great weekend, the only thing missing was a 200km bike ride. 

We'll certainly be back next year, just like the years before and the years to come ????

[jcza]

1 hour ago, Jewbacca said:

They cancelled the Cederberg traverse earlier this year mid race due to weather conditions.... Swartberg GF was cancelled once due to heavy rains and poor/dangerous road conditions. 

I've also had a couple of trail run events cancelled due to storms involving thunder and lightning. 

I know one or two of the Jeppe rowing crew who were struck by lightning and a mate of mine lost his sister when their tent was struck by lightning on a school camp out. 

As soon as there is an electrical storm overhead things change. 

I have no skin in this fight. I'm trying to be a cycling Karen less and less

Swartberg was postponed because the Pass was closed and entries carried forward. Somehow I don't think entries will be valid next year, same as when Argus cancelled/shortened. 

 

[ACE Cycles]

30 minutes ago, bleedToWin said:

The weather reports were clear enough for days before the event.
The weather was always going to be bad overnight, and they know from experience that parts of this route may get compromised. Why are there no shortened versions planned for with the pass getting bypassed? We could even just do a Bonnievale loop and at least still have a race...
It was always going to be miserable until around 7am, and never very hot. Why not make the call on Friday to delay the start, but also reverse the start order to make risk management more feasible?

The big problem is what some are touching on. Most riders spent between R3k and R10k on this event, so this was >R10M of value being destroyed here. There is very little downside for the organisers to cancelling, and they have all the power in this decision. It's a recipe for extremely risk averse race organising.

If the race continued and someone got hurt we'd be having a completely different conversation. 

Lightning and rock slide, two forces not worth gambling life on. 

[Pure Savage]

Personally, I would not have started event if I was the organizers. You cannot guarantee the safety of all participants. 

The N2 in the rain and the dark alone would have been where I called it. 

We rolled out and did the whole route at 7;30, 15minutes earlier than our start. When those big trucks pass you and the spray engulfs everyone, its no joke. 

Even if they delayed the start to 7:30, you would have the issue of the last teams being on the route in the late afternoon. 

If they had changed the route that would have probably upset us more, dont want to go trundle 160km in Swellendam, want to go clock up 202km. 

Still had an amazing weekend, did 202km, 5:14 but finished with 9 riders.

Now its the sadness after cycling Xmas...

 

[DieselnDust]

29 minutes ago, ACE Cycles said:

If the race continued and someone got hurt we'd be having a completely different conversation. 

Lightning and rock slide, two forces not worth gambling life on. 

People get hurt every year in bicycle races. This could be due to nature, e.g. an animal scurrying across the road into a bicycles wheels, or competitor negligence or support vehicle negligence in the NZ. These are uncontrollable risks that we indemnify the organisers from. These risks are far less manageable than forecasted weather conditions, yet events don’t get cancelled due to squirrel hypertension. The point is are organisers becoming more risk averse to their own advantage? This is a very real issue. It’s a Win win for the organiser and a lose lose for the participant.

there’s a statement Ben Franklin made,…”if one gives up liberty for the illusion of safety then one deserves neither liberty nor safety” or something like that

[ACE Cycles]

6 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

People get hurt every year in bicycle races. This could be due to nature, e.g. an animal scurrying across the road into a bicycles wheels, or competitor negligence or support vehicle negligence in the NZ. These are uncontrollable risks that we indemnify the organisers from. These risks are far less manageable than forecasted weather conditions, yet events don’t get cancelled due to squirrel hypertension. The point is are organisers becoming more risk averse to their own advantage? This is a very real issue. It’s a Win win for the organiser and a lose lose for the participant.

there’s a statement Ben Franklin made,…”if one gives up liberty for the illusion of safety then one deserves neither liberty nor safety” or something like that

I drove through the pass, in those conditions on my way to the start line. 

Sending a race through there would have been negligent and irresponsible. 

[Jbr]

Last week there were guys ready to sue the organisers of 94.7 because they crashed on the highway and now some want the organisers to send cyclists out "at their own risks" ????

[Skubarra]

1 hour ago, bleedToWin said:

The big problem is what some are touching on. Most riders spent between R3k and R10k on this event, so this was >R10M of value being destroyed here. There is very little downside for the organisers to cancelling, and they have all the power in this decision. It's a recipe for extremely risk averse race organising.

No downside??? - have you seen how the CTCT entries dropped after they cancelled the 2018 event, 3 years on and the numbers not anywhere near previous years. People (rightfully so) do the math and decide they don't want to take to take the financial risk on an expensive event that might be cancelled. The organisers aren't idiots, they know sponsors & riders will not just keep throwing their money at an event that is cancelled on a whim

Danger Dassie touched on it, there are many factors at play we are not aware off, its often not even the organiser's call to cancel the race, local traffic authorities, local medical services etc all have their inputs. Organisers also don't get to just plot a new route on google maps on the day and send riders on a new route, there are tons of red tape & organising involved in changing a route.  

[DieselnDust]

26 minutes ago, Jbr said:

Last week there were guys ready to sue the organisers of 94.7 because they crashed on the highway and now some want the organisers to send cyclists out "at their own risks" ????

We ride every race “at your own risk”…it’s in the indemnity you sign

[Groadie]

As the event organiser you're damned if you and damned if you don't. Also the decision to call it off is a joint one made in conjunction with various stakeholders - ultimately the municipality; provincial govt; event organisers and then the sponsors decide. Its not some kneejerk reaction. Our group decided to ride the entire route in any event. We left around 7:20am. Whilst there had been rain nothing fell in our 6 hours out on the route. We didn't come across that rockfall that was pictured in Tradouw Pass (the waterfalls were spectacular!). The back road had a crappy headwind - that would've been the heaviest weather risk/condition riders would've experienced. So the conditions that we experienced on the course were actually great for riding. We're not critical of the organisers, especially understanding that this was not a cold front but a low pressure system off the interior - which is less predictable than a standard front that sweeps the country. I'm just glad we still rode so that the braai and beers that followed were well-earned. We came across quite a few groups of other cyclists all doing portions of the route...many of them will probably have a similar opinion to ours. I hope this doesn't negatively impact race entry numbers next time there's some bad weather predicted for an event. We have all trained in far worse conditions (I would think)  

['Dale]

Rather cancel a bike race than cancel a life.

It wasn't too windy up the pass about 7 years ago. It was wet and slippery though.

And a rider lost control of his bike and went smash into a rock face. A post-race report suggested that he lost his life. ????

[DieselnDust]

19 minutes ago, 'Dale said:

Rather cancel a bike race than cancel a life.

It wasn't too windy up the pass about 7 years ago. It was wet and slippery though.

And a rider lost control of his bike and went smash into a rock face. A post-race report suggested that he lost his life. ????

So therefore cancel all road bicycle races?