Winelands Cycle Race in January

[Jbr]

24 minutes ago, Skubarra said:

What is incredibly sad for me the rider fell within a kilo of a couple of hospitals but on the day the system just failed him, the fall didn't have to be a tragedy.

100%

I do motorbike racing as well, and it's crazy sometimes how long it takes before you can be taken to hospital, and often it's for the most supid reasons (I once had to wait several hours at the track for the SA motorsports official to sign me off so that I can be covered by MSA Insurance... not even to be taken in an ambulance, I had friends waiting to drive me the entire time).

I don't know what happened yesterday, but I also am a bit bitter about it now that I know where it really happened I don't understand what can explain the delay

[Shebeen]

54 minutes ago, Skubarra said:

In their defense - the same finish was used for the 2019 PPA One Tonner without serious incidents (that I'm aware off)

I feel that sketchy road sections are part of almost all road races and when doing sketchy road sections at speed (plus in a group surrounded by peeps with dodgy bike skills) you do take some of the risks on yourself.

What is incredibly sad for me the rider fell within a kilo of a couple of hospitals but on the day the system just failed him, the fall didn't have to be a tragedy.

I'm not sure if it has been mentioned, but there were surely medics on site at the finish? Did the deceased get immediate care but a delayed ambulance arrival?

remember it's payday weekend so emergency services are sometimes stretched (not an excuse, maybe a reason).

 

[Andreas_187]

Same story with ambulances when a rider died in Diep River, 400m from the hospital. What a shame

[DieselnDust]

2 hours ago, Pure Savage said:

The PPA too busy checking single file on Chappies...

the PPA is beyond obsolete. They are lap dog of motorist organisations

[Sidmouth]

4 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

the PPA is beyond obsolete. They are lap dog of motorist organisations

it was not a PPA event???

[BuffsVintageBikes]

Regarding the delay in the medics getting to him... most races hire 2 x private medical teams per event, less if their budget is stretched.

I had an incident in 2008 during the Medallion event in Stellenbosch when it was raining and riders were going down left, right and centre. The medics couldn't cope with all the injuries and you just had to wait your turn. I had my front wheel taken out from under me by someone too eager to enter a pace line and went down hard just as we came into town.
After waiting for medical assistance for over 30mins, I eventually picked up my bike and walked down the road to Mediclinic and booked myself in. Diagnosis was a shattered collarbone and a couple of cracked ribs.

My point is that maybe the medics where just stretched too far and busy dealing with other incidents on the route and sadly couldn't get there in time to assist effectively.
We're quick to shout when race costs get too expensive but these are the types of things that cost a lot of money. Medical teams and vehicles aren't charity organizations.

 

 

Edited February 1, 2022 by BuffsVintageBikes

[MongooseMan]

No. I'm sorry. Someone DIED.

I come from a running background, only started cycling last year, and I'm honestly shocked that this can happen and the race organisers have, to a large extent, gotten off completely free (as far as I can tell).

If this happened in a road running race, the race would probably never happen again, without significant changes and medical allowances.

If this happened in a trail running race, the organisers would never get a permit again.

I'm honestly scratching my head trying to work out why the reaction is different in cycling.

Edited February 1, 2022 by MongooseMan

[Pure Savage]

5 minutes ago, MongooseMan said:

No. I'm sorry. Someone DIED.

I come from a running background, only started cycling last year, and I'm honestly shocked that this can happen and the race organisers have, to a large extent, gotten off completely free (as far as I can tell).

If this happened in a road running race, the race would probably never happen again, without significant changes and medical allowances.

If this happened in a trail running race, the organisers would never get a permit again.

I'm honestly scratching my head trying to work out why the reaction is different in cycling.

Accidents happen more in road cycling events, its part of the sport. High speed impacts often end up with trauma. 

No excuse for the long response time of ambulance, the ER 24 Paarl should have gotten there in 10 minutes. 

Its really sad and hard to know the full circumstances at this time. We dont know if ambulance was treating someone else en route or in town etc.

[MongooseMan]

19 minutes ago, Pure Savage said:

Accidents happen more in road cycling events, its part of the sport. High speed impacts often end up with trauma. 

No excuse for the long response time of ambulance, the ER 24 Paarl should have gotten there in 10 minutes. 

Its really sad and hard to know the full circumstances at this time. We dont know if ambulance was treating someone else en route or in town etc.

Fair enough, I take your points.
I see they have now posted a comment on their page (though they claim the accident was at the start of the race, not the finish?)
https://www.facebook.com/winelandscyclerace/posts/500704941403500

[Jbr]

11 minutes ago, MongooseMan said:

Fair enough, I take your points.
I see they have now posted a comment on their page (though they claim the accident was at the start of the race, not the finish?)
https://www.facebook.com/winelandscyclerace/posts/500704941403500

They say it was "early in the race", probably because he was 2,5 hours into the race starting from B, so technically still early compared to when the lasts of the slower groups finished...

 

[KatjieStewels]

5 minutes ago, MongooseMan said:

Fair enough, I take your points.
I see they have now posted a comment on their page (though they claim the accident was at the start of the race, not the finish?)
https://www.facebook.com/winelandscyclerace/posts/500704941403500

I read some of the comments on the post... I can confirm that there was ample water, coke and ice provided on the 112km route. Some of the comments about warm water and 0 ice are just wrong. I was in the H-group and I rode for 5 hours and 9 minutes.  This was my first race, and it honestly wasn't that bad. Perhaps the organisers could have changed the race to 86km for everyone and given a discount for next year to the folks that paid extra for the 112km. 

Nonetheless it sucks that a fellow cyclist passed away, condolences to the family.

[Jbr]

Just now, Armandt_R said:

I read some of the comments on the post... I can confirm that there was ample water, coke and ice provided on the 112km route. Some of the comments about warm water and 0 ice are just wrong. I was in the H-group and I rode for 5 hours and 9 minutes.  This was my first race, and it honestly wasn't that bad. Perhaps the organisers could have changed the race to 86km for everyone and given a discount for next year to the folks that paid extra for the 112km. 

Nonetheless it sucks that a fellow cyclist passed away, condolences to the family.

I even saw people complaining about water point still being setup when the A batch arrived... like any of us was going to stop to have a drink...

[Skubarra]

59 minutes ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

We're quick to shout when race costs get too expensive but these are the types of things that cost a lot of money. Medical teams and vehicles aren't charity organizations.

 

 

Don't know if it is still the case but for years the 99er road race justified their higher than average entry fee on having more bike marshals and more ambulances on route than the "average PPA funride". On days like last Sunday you can appreciate the value in that approach.

Edited February 1, 2022 by Skubarra

[Jewbacca]

1 minute ago, Jbr said:

I even saw people complaining about water point still being setup when the A batch arrived... like any of us was going to stop to have a drink...

It just proves that you just can't please everyone anymore. 

Not a PPA race? BLAME THE PPA when an accident happens!!!!

With social media now, everyone has a platform to voice their 'very often' uninformed opinion, which inevitably gains traction somewhere.

We used to just gripe to our wives/friends who would either sympathise or tell us to shuttup and get on with it. These days you could post something ridiculous about the earth being flat and 55000 people would agree 

[Skubarra]

7 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

It just proves that you just can't please everyone anymore. 

Not a PPA race? BLAME THE PPA when an accident happens!!!!

With social media now, everyone has a platform to voice their 'very often' uninformed opinion, which inevitably gains traction somewhere.

We used to just gripe to our wives/friends who would either sympathise or tell us to shuttup and get on with it. These days you could post something ridiculous about the earth being flat and 55000 people would agree 

So many comments from angry riders on FB: "The warm weather was predicted well in advance, why were the organisers not better prepared!?!"

Thinking to myself: "Why does this only apply to the organisers and not us cyclists who choose to enter a 112km race in Paarl in January?" 😕

[DieselnDust]

You're right it wasn't. They did post on Vleisbroek about the difference between a PPA organised, vs PPA SAnctioned vs PPA Calendar event. This was a PPA calendar event i.e organised independantly but just placed on PPA calendar to have access to the PPA memebership base.

That was the jist off where my post and the savage was coming from