Cape Town Cycle Tour 2022

[Yassis]

1 hour ago, DJR said:

All this talk on data and how to ride a fast CTCT got me thinking. Perhaps I should add some advice for the slowcoaches who are riding in the middle of the race, perhaps trying to just finish? Here it is:

1. Ride the first part from the start to Simons Town so that you feel you are not really putting in enough effort. In other words: Well within your abilities. Don't let anyone drag you into pulling long stretches in the front. Hide from the wind and wheel-suck all you can, Enjoy the scenery. chat with fellow riders.

2. From Simons Town to the top of Chappies you should still feel strong enough to ride it at the edge of your abilities. In other words: As fast as you can sustain. Yup, going up Chappies, you should no longer be able to talk much more than a single word or two, forget about striking up a conversation. 

3. From the top of Chappies, rest and recover until the bottom of Suikerbossie. From there, provided you have not had little cramp warnings, throw caution to the wind and go flat out. At the summit of Suikerbossie you should be near falling over and puking, then rest down Suikers and when you hit the flats, go flat out till the finish line.

4. Down a Coke, really fall down in the shade until you feel strong enough to go find a cold beer! 

That's my very well tried and tested "race plan", but for some reason it never produces a sub 3 ride, must be the shortage of data. (OK, to be honest, it is that little genetic thing and inherent laziness getting in the way, I know)

 

 

Just read the last 5 pages about data, FTP, w/kg and yet this is the only post that makes sense to me.

[droo]

49 minutes ago, Frosty said:

I remember that passing the Simon’s Town water point in an hour, or less, was a good benchmark for a sub-3.

105km course this was gospel. For the 109 it's more like 0:57.

[Frosty]

39 minutes ago, droo said:

105km course this was gospel. For the 109 it's more like 0:57.

I've only ever done the 108/109, plus it was before Strava, so I guess it never happened.

[DJR]

1 hour ago, Yassis said:

Just read the last 5 pages about data, FTP, w/kg and yet this is the only post that makes sense to me.

It's because my heart rate monitor broke down about 3 years ago and with all the fancy newfangled gadgets that are now on the market, I couldn't decide what to buy..........and after a few months of riding without any technology on the road bike, other than a watch on my wrist (to make sure I got back home in time for dates with the mrs. - just to stay on her good side) I found that I enjoyed it more..............so, when the mtb computer battery went flat I ditched that too.............and I don't miss it at all..............but then, you won't catch me with the race snakes.

Edited February 18, 2022 by DJR

[droo]

1 minute ago, Frosty said:

I've only ever done the 108/109, plus it was before Strava, so I guess it never happened.

I've done all of them aside from the original 104 that finished on the beachfront.

 

1 sub 3 from 19 attempts to date, and 1 from 20 after this one.

 

So anything I say should be taken with a pinch of salt. And not only on this thread.

[The Ouzo]

10 minutes ago, Frosty said:

I wouldn’t recommend it either; staring at the head unit.

However, it can give some insight at critical points along the route. If the top of Suikerbossie is 92Km, and it’s 16km to the finish, and I know I can ride (on my own) at 32km/h, then it will take 30min to get to the finish. Therefore, to break 3h, I need to be at that point no later than 2h30. So even if dropped from the bunch, if a sub3 is the goal, and I know I can ride at 32km/h, then all I need to concentrate on is that speed. I would then make sure lap speed is displaying and I’ll press the lap button and “pace it” to the finish. No need to panic, and ride at 36km/h for 8km and then at 28km/h for the last 8Km.

I strated reading your post and thought to myself, "thats if you can sustain 32km/h" after being flat out for 92km, than I checked my speed over that section in October, 35.7. ok it did help that I was tucked in behind a lady with a pink tutu

[HeinriBrink]

I would like to ask some advice as a noob to both road cycling as well as CTCT.   I've been training hard for a while and just completed my very first road race last Sunday, which was the Monte Classico 90km.   I finished in a time of < 3hrs, which I'm proud of.

However, I'm riding my first CTCT this year and I'm very much looking forward to it.    The seedings came out about 2 days before I did my first race, so as a result, my seeding is way back.   I'm starting at 9:40 only.    

So my question is, what should be my race strategy to first of all enjoy the race, but also finish in a decent time.   My aim is between 3 and 4 hours.    

I assume I'll have to ride in higher heat, probably more wind and within a mass of cyclists that are probably slower than me.    I'll handle the heat and wind, I'm confident I'll make the climbs as I think I'm fit enough.    The part that worries me is having to safely overtake endlessly on a crowded road while trying to have a decent race. 

[The Ouzo]

1 minute ago, HeinriBrink said:

I would like to ask some advice as a noob to both road cycling as well as CTCT.   I've been training hard for a while and just completed my very first road race last Sunday, which was the Monte Classico 90km.   I finished in a time of < 3hrs, which I'm proud of.

However, I'm riding my first CTCT this year and I'm very much looking forward to it.    The seedings came out about 2 days before I did my first race, so as a result, my seeding is way back.   I'm starting at 9:40 only.    

So my question is, what should be my race strategy to first of all enjoy the race, but also finish in a decent time.   My aim is between 3 and 4 hours.    

I assume I'll have to ride in higher heat, probably more wind and within a mass of cyclists that are probably slower than me.    I'll handle the heat and wind, I'm confident I'll make the climbs as I think I'm fit enough.    The part that worries me is having to safely overtake endlessly on a crowded road while trying to have a decent race. 

when you hit the hills, those slower riders stop where ever they want, they swerve all over the show, most dont have any race experience, so give them a wide birth. Dont shout at them it startles them.

There are not many places though that you need to worry, Edinburg is the first, they will still be fresh here, but stick far right, calmly let them know "coming through on the right", you should break free of them after that.

Next will be on the approach to and heading up smits winkel, pick a clean line and be prepared to move left and right.

Chappies is more of a challenge, but if you hug the right hand cliff face you should be able to get through.

Suikers you will have walkers everywhere and spectators coming in from the right, keep your wits about you.

 

Fitness wise dont stress, the coastal air will give you 16% more power.  

[The Ouzo]

no jokes, there is even a pic of me crossing the finish line right behind her.

And I did thank her and apologize for not helping as we were going through seapoint

[DJR]

10 minutes ago, HeinriBrink said:

...................The part that worries me is having to safely overtake endlessly on a crowded road while trying to have a decent race. 

Where you will start from, the race is strung out from the very beginning. Most of those riders usually try and stay away from each other so there are no dense bunches and hardly ever any congestion that will hold you up much. As Ouzo said, just stick to the right and you will find openings 99% of the time without any hold-up. Politely tell slower riders on the uphills that you are about to pass and they won't make sudden crazy moves. No shouting needed, just a gentle "passing right". If you want to ride a decent time from the back, the best strategy is to do it with a few mates who are all around the same fitness level and then work together from start to finish. If alone, you will have to find a few guys willing to work together, and that is difficult in the later groups where most are looking for help just to get to the finish. But sometimes you are lucky and a little group of 5 or so will form and work together. Ride with them, and they will help you get a better time than you could have done time trialing the whole route on your own. Most importantly - have fun! 

[KingZA]

30 minutes ago, HeinriBrink said:

I would like to ask some advice as a noob to both road cycling as well as CTCT.   I've been training hard for a while and just completed my very first road race last Sunday, which was the Monte Classico 90km.   I finished in a time of < 3hrs, which I'm proud of.

However, I'm riding my first CTCT this year and I'm very much looking forward to it.    The seedings came out about 2 days before I did my first race, so as a result, my seeding is way back.   I'm starting at 9:40 only.    

So my question is, what should be my race strategy to first of all enjoy the race, but also finish in a decent time.   My aim is between 3 and 4 hours.    

I assume I'll have to ride in higher heat, probably more wind and within a mass of cyclists that are probably slower than me.    I'll handle the heat and wind, I'm confident I'll make the climbs as I think I'm fit enough.    The part that worries me is having to safely overtake endlessly on a crowded road while trying to have a decent race. 

You can ask to be reseeded at registration based on this race result. They will tell you what group you'd be changed to. If you want to go ahead you'll pay them a fee and they'll give you a new race number.

I cant remember the fee but it was something like R 200 2 years ago.

[MongooseMan]

1 hour ago, ouzo said:

Chappies is more of a challenge, but if you hug the right hand cliff face you should be able to get through.

If you're starting at 9:40am, then your biggest worry up Chappies is getting mowed down by an e-bike 😂

[droo]

1 hour ago, HeinriBrink said:

I would like to ask some advice as a noob to both road cycling as well as CTCT.   I've been training hard for a while and just completed my very first road race last Sunday, which was the Monte Classico 90km.   I finished in a time of < 3hrs, which I'm proud of.

However, I'm riding my first CTCT this year and I'm very much looking forward to it.    The seedings came out about 2 days before I did my first race, so as a result, my seeding is way back.   I'm starting at 9:40 only.    

So my question is, what should be my race strategy to first of all enjoy the race, but also finish in a decent time.   My aim is between 3 and 4 hours.    

I assume I'll have to ride in higher heat, probably more wind and within a mass of cyclists that are probably slower than me.    I'll handle the heat and wind, I'm confident I'll make the climbs as I think I'm fit enough.    The part that worries me is having to safely overtake endlessly on a crowded road while trying to have a decent race. 

If the reseeding at registration doesn't pan out, just make sure you start at the front of your start group. There will be  few others in your position and you can share the load until Smits at least.

[Oli4]

1 hour ago, HeinriBrink said:

I would like to ask some advice as a noob to both road cycling as well as CTCT.   I've been training hard for a while and just completed my very first road race last Sunday, which was the Monte Classico 90km.   I finished in a time of < 3hrs, which I'm proud of.

However, I'm riding my first CTCT this year and I'm very much looking forward to it.    The seedings came out about 2 days before I did my first race, so as a result, my seeding is way back.   I'm starting at 9:40 only.    

So my question is, what should be my race strategy to first of all enjoy the race, but also finish in a decent time.   My aim is between 3 and 4 hours.    

I assume I'll have to ride in higher heat, probably more wind and within a mass of cyclists that are probably slower than me.    I'll handle the heat and wind, I'm confident I'll make the climbs as I think I'm fit enough.    The part that worries me is having to safely overtake endlessly on a crowded road while trying to have a decent race. 

This was me last year.

1. I understood I would be riding alone most of the time and used the time-split excel doc that is on this page https://www.capetowncycletour.com/lifecycle-week/ctct/route-information/ to determine my times for a 4-hour finish: it helped a lot until Cape Point. Afterwards, I lost my little paper with my split-times in the pocket where I put the used-up jellies and didn't dare look for it...

2. I expected to waste less time in the early climbs (M3) but it was very crowded. Smitswinkel, Chappies and Suikerbossie were fine as long as you stuck to the right and repeated "passing right" every 20 seconds like a broken record.

3. It's very difficult to gauge your effort as your are basically overtaking MTBs and slow riders all the time. I actually had some gas left from Suikerbossie onwards and managed to go faster than expected on the last 20km: I should have pushed harder starting in Chappies, probably.

4. I found it impossible to find other riders to form a group, except for a stretch between Kalk Bay and Simonstown - there were a few riders from groups 1x-4x who started late for some reasons. This group disintegrated before Smitswinkel.

Good luck!

[Wannabe]

My first Argus many years back was still the "Detour" route over Ou Kaaps, and I started quite late. (so late that when I got onto Edinburg drive, the Elites was on their way back already in the oppsosite lane)

A friend of mine gave me the advice to get a "ref's whistle" and just blow it for short bursts when stuck behind a group, or approaching from behind at speed. 

I tried it and it worked, so much that I ended up with a not too shabby 3:42 and riding on my own most of the time.

[bleedToWin]

1 hour ago, Wannabe said:

My first Argus many years back was still the "Detour" route over Ou Kaaps, and I started quite late. (so late that when I got onto Edinburg drive, the Elites was on their way back already in the oppsosite lane)

A friend of mine gave me the advice to get a "ref's whistle" and just blow it for short bursts when stuck behind a group, or approaching from behind at speed. 

I tried it and it worked, so much that I ended up with a not too shabby 3:42 and riding on my own most of the time.

I remember they announced at the start venue that Malcolm Lange had won before I even started back in 2003. Don't remember what time I did, but I remember the red Ralleigh mountain bike I had back then, the heat, the oomie with the hose pipe cooling us down, and particularly the topless tannie that also just wanted to cool down.
Sure regretted my early start time in 2004...