Cape Town Cycle Tour 2022

[silkman]

Need some advice guys please.

I plan on doing a sub 5. don'r ride much outdoors-mainly on trainer and I struggle up hills

Do I use 2 bottles or one. someone advised me to take 1 bottle save on the 750g weight and rather stop and fill up at the water points. They say it takes less time and will really help on the climbs.

Yes/no?

[The Ouzo]

12 hours ago, Long Wheel Base said:

Where you staying? 

Jase and his family are staying near to me and we planning a ride together on Saturday morning. 

Will WhatsApp you during the week. 

same place as last year, Muizenburg. 

Pop me the whatsapp, but chances are I wont join, I'm lazy like that the day before the race. But you never know.

[mecheng89]

Dear mecheng89 (lol)

 

You are receiving this message because you are seeded in one of the first 8 groups to start in the Cape Town Cycle Tour on Sunday 13 March.  There are general points to please note and then a few specific to each of the first few groups.

Your race number is: & XXXX

Start time: 06:25

 

Support Vehicles and Briefing ($ and %)

 

Only the elite men ($) and elite women (%) start groups will be allowed to be followed by support vehicles.  The briefing for support vehicle drivers and rider representatives will be a virtual meeting this year.  It will be held on Zoom from 14h00 - 15h00 on Saturday 12 March using this link: https://zoom.us/j/94674773123?pwd=dkc4ZHU5TUtyUXBTNlFpK3JsdEdpZz09.  Drivers must hold a valid CSA Manager's licence or international equivalent.  The briefing is not compulsory for individual riders. If you wish to attend this meeting and have a vehicle in the convoy, please email alanda@cycletour.co.za.  You will also need to advise her which rider will collect the vehicle accreditation when collecting their race number.  Elite riders need to collect their race packs from registration following all covid protocols for the event.  You will receive 2 race numbers and a frame number. 

Convoy position allocation will be done only on the morning of the event and you will not be able to get to the meeting point if you don't already have your vehicle accreditation.  Details of the meeting point will be provided at the virtual briefing.  Note that there are no age group prizes at the event this year.  Only overall prizes will be awarded.  There will be a podium presentation at the media centre next to the finish line for the top 5 men and women at 10h00 on race day.  Covid protocols will be strictly followed.  Only prizewinners and one team representative may attend.  Team managers must give their contact details to groupentries@cycletour.co.za and be contactable on either the cell number given or the cell number of the prizewinner immediately after the finish.

 

Elite men

 

This comprises the $ group. You must hold a current valid racing licence in order to ride in this group which starts at 06h15. UCI rules apply to this group.  If you are over 40, you can only ride in this group if you have an elite licence.

All riders must sign in at the table in front of the $ start chute in Strand Street.

You may load from the front of the chute.

The top juniors are allowed in this group, but must ride on restricted gears as per UCI rules. Juniors must arrive sufficiently early to have their machine and any spare wheels inspected.

 

Elite women

 

This comprises the % group.  You must hold a current valid racing licence in order to ride in this group.  We will for this year only relax the "no over 40s" rule because there are no age group prizes in the 109km event.

The elite women will ride a shortened 78km route and will race in a women's-only peloton. The start will be on the corner of Main and Recreation Road, Fish Hoek at 06h00.

Junior women are allowed in this group, but must ride on restricted gears as per UCI rules. Junior women must arrive sufficiently early to have their machine and any spare wheels inspected.

 

The % start is timed to get the women to the finish approximately 5 minutes before the leading men.  The commissaire may neutralise the women's race (probably before Chapman’s Peak) if it looks likely that the men will catch the women close to the finish.

The commissaires will pull the entire race convoy off the road if the men's bunch is required to pass.  Details of how this will be managed will be communicated at the Saturday briefing.

 

@ group (06h20)

 

With covid restrictions allowing bigger groups than last year, this group will comprise the top veterans in the 40-49 age group and the top riders aged 17-29 who do not qualify for the elite race.  No prizes will be awarded this year.  The start will be a conventional bunch start.

 

& group (06h25)

 

Like the @ group, this bunch will be much larger than last year.  It will comprise the top riders aged 30-39 who do not qualify for the elite race as well as the top riders aged 50+.  The start will be a conventional bunch start.

 

# group (06h30)

 

This is the start group for the top 30 or so racing tandems.  No prizes will be awarded this year.  The start will be a conventional bunch start.

1A group (06h35) - 1D group (06h50)

 

All groups up to 1D will be treated as having a single bunch start time.  There are no prizes of any sort for anyone starting in group 1A or later.

 

All women not riding the 78km Elite race will be seeded according to their index in groups starting from 1A at 06h35.

 

Hospital bend

 

The descent of Hospital bend (after 5km from the start) is extremely fast and narrow.  You will be forced into only 2 lanes at the top because that is the width that is available at the bottom.  DO NOT attempt to go outside any barriers or to change lanes (there are cateyes - see below), or to use the 3rd lane that is briefly available on the right for part of the descent.  These are all likely to cause a crash at the point where the road narrows back to 2 lanes.

 

Cateyes

 

Most of the first quarter of the route is on freeway with metal cateyes that are not bicycle-friendly.  When crossing the centre line or riding inside the yellow line, please be careful to avoid them as they are likely to cause a puncture or worse, a crash.  The same applies later in the route in sections of road that have a yellow line, particularly in Sun Valley and on the descent of Suikerbossie.
 

Medical screening
 

If you haven't done so already, please click on the link to complete the compulsory medical questionnaire https://forms.mediclinic.co.za/Events in order for you to be permitted to collect your race number.

Generally, remember that apart from our October edition, most of us have not ridden in a bunch this big or this fast for nearly two years.  The bunch sizes are bigger this year as well.  So just exercise a bit more caution and leave a bit more space than usual so that we keep our bikes upright all the way to the finish.  Good luck, and have a safe ride.

 

The Cape Town Cycle Tour Team

Email: info@cycletour.co.za

Tel: 087 820 7223

Twitter: @CTCycleTour

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cycletour 

[HdB]

3 hours ago, silkman said:

Need some advice guys please.

I plan on doing a sub 5. don'r ride much outdoors-mainly on trainer and I struggle up hills

Do I use 2 bottles or one. someone advised me to take 1 bottle save on the 750g weight and rather stop and fill up at the water points. They say it takes less time and will really help on the climbs.

Yes/no?

Depends on how congested the water points are when you get there, and at how many you stop.

I'm not sure how much of a difference one bottle's weight would make on the climbs, but personally I would ride with two even though I almost never finish either during the ride. Rather have it and not need it...

[silkman]

Thx

[DieselnDust]

5 hours ago, silkman said:

Need some advice guys please.

I plan on doing a sub 5. don'r ride much outdoors-mainly on trainer and I struggle up hills

Do I use 2 bottles or one. someone advised me to take 1 bottle save on the 750g weight and rather stop and fill up at the water points. They say it takes less time and will really help on the climbs.

Yes/no?

yes

but its a marginal gain

[silkman]

15 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

yes

but its a marginal gain

Thanks so I guess for someone *** like me not gonna make a difference. 

[Wannabe]

34 minutes ago, silkman said:

Thanks so I guess for someone *** like me not gonna make a difference. 

You are most definitely going to loose more time stopping and refilling, than you would by carrying an second bottle.

 

[Scary Rider]

On 3/5/2022 at 12:31 PM, HdB said:

Depends on how congested the water points are when you get there, and at how many you stop.

I'm not sure how much of a difference one bottle's weight would make on the climbs, but personally I would ride with two even though I almost never finish either during the ride. Rather have it and not need it...

I'd say rather take two bottles. Where you ride the watertables will be very much congested and it's going to take some time to fill up. Try and cover as much of the distance before filling up.

[DJR]

Started my official tapering plan last night - with a steak, chips, salad, decent wine (a fair dose) and Whiskey  - I'm going to be in top form 1 week from now!😜

[ChrisF]

What weather apps do you trust ?

 

Which are the least wrong on average ?

[DJR]

53 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

What weather apps do you trust ?

 

Which are the least wrong on average ?

Wunderground or Windguru

[Shebeen]

https://www.capetowncycletour.com

Road closure pdf on the website is still from 2019. With 2019 dates

[MORNE]

Some worrying weather floating around the big day. If it gets here any sooner it might get “mildly moist”. Hope it goes the other way.

Edited March 7, 2022 by MORNE

[ChrisF]

10 hours ago, Shebeen said:

https://www.capetowncycletour.com

Road closure pdf on the website is still from 2019. With 2019 dates

 

Road closure boards, with correct dates, have been out on the route since Friday 👍

[tinmug]

12 hours ago, ChrisF said:

What weather apps do you trust ?

 

Which are the least wrong on average ?

Weather forecasting at the bottom of a continent, one that pokes into the South Atlantic, is always going to difficult.

I've found good accuracy in windfinder.com, and for temperatures yr.no. BUT only within 2-3 days before an event. windy.com (or windyty.com) can also provide some useful data.