Absa Cape Epic 2022

[DieselnDust]

10 minutes ago, Headshot said:

Actually i was referring to the route being harder... I also wonder about Covid 19 but I think there is a tendency now to blame any illness on Covid, like the bug I had in January this year and the recurring tummy bugs everyone seems to be getting at the moment.

the route appears harder but 16900m of vert still isn't special especially when measured against 680km. At best its slightly tougher. Maybe this is the hardest start in a while? I thoght it was the toughest route since 2008  but I'm not so sure due to the reduction in climbing fro 17000 odd to 16900

comparison:

2004 785km -> 17380m^

2005 901km -> 16020m^

2006 921km -> 16605m^

2007 886km -> 15045m^

2008 966km -> 18529m^

===================New Era for golfers

2009 685km -> 14623m^

2010 722km -> 14635m^

2011 707km -> 14530m^

2012 782km -> 16300m^ (longest since 2008 but 2229 short on vert or a whole stage)

2013 704km -> 15950m^

2014 729km -> 14850m^

2015 748km -> 16000m^

2016 646km -> 15050m^

2017 695km -> 14550m^

2018 653km -> 13530m^

2019 630km -> 16650m^

2021 611km -> 14900m^

2022 681km -> 16900m^  (most vert since 2008 but way short on distance)

 

I could probably do some math to check average speed of the winners or better would be calorie consumption but I don't have that data.

its very difficult to put a tag "harder" when viewing it from the just the route data

Edited March 22, 2022 by DieselnDust

[DIPSLICK]

25 minutes ago, Headshot said:

Seems a lot tougher than last October's event. Covid honeymoon is over...

so then the question of BUT HAVE YOU DONE THE EPIC YET?? changes,,,,,

HAVE YOU DONE THE EPIC,,,,(not counting the soft covid version)??

[DIPSLICK]

4 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

r50k for 24km prologue and 92km lourensford 1 = ~R450/km!

if it was per gram/km we talking Colombia finest export pricing here for a DNF

[karma]

3 minutes ago, DIPSLICK said:

if it was per gram/km we talking Colombia finest export pricing here for a DNF

still better value for money than Diesel/Petrol. 

[Old and Slow]

19 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

r50k for 24km prologue and 92km lourensford 1 = ~R450/km!

I thought my old V8 Range Rover was expensive per km...😳

 

Even if you complete the entire event it's R73.53/km.

[NotSoBigBen]

28 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

the route appears harder but 16900m of vert still isn't special especially when measured against 680km. At best its slightly tougher. Maybe this is the hardest start in a while? I thoght it was the toughest route since 2008  but I'm not so sure due to the reduction in climbing fro 17000 odd to 16900

comparison:

2004 785km -> 17380m^

2005 901km -> 16020m^

2006 921km -> 16605m^

2007 886km -> 15045m^

2008 966km -> 18529m^

===================New Era for golfers

2009 685km -> 14623m^

2010 722km -> 14635m^

2011 707km -> 14530m^

2012 782km -> 16300m^ (longest since 2008 but 2229 short on vert or a whole stage)

2013 704km -> 15950m^

2014 729km -> 14850m^

2015 748km -> 16000m^

2016 646km -> 15050m^

2017 695km -> 14550m^

2018 653km -> 13530m^

2019 630km -> 16650m^

2021 611km -> 14900m^

2022 681km -> 16900m^  (most vert since 2008 but way short on distance)

 

I could probably do some math to check average speed of the winners or better would be calorie consumption but I don't have that data.

its very difficult to put a tag "harder" when viewing it from the just the route data

I don't care what y'all think, 2011 was the toughest 🤪 

[_David_]

I think heat and sunburn is a big factor as well. Difficult to train for 45 degree heat if you live in the UK / Europe.

[Eugene Oppelt]

7 minutes ago, NotSoBigBen said:

I don't care what y'all think, 2011 was the toughest 🤪 

Quote of the day 💋

[DieselnDust]

2 minutes ago, _David_ said:

I think heat and sunburn is a big factor as well. Difficult to train for 45 degree heat if you live in the UK / Europe.

granted this is a constraint.

 recall some Dutch mates preping by converting a section of the workshop in their bike shop into a hot room and setting up their Rollers and IDT in there. 2 rides in these conditions per week for a couple of hours each and they were prepped.

There are ways to solve the problem. Most okes throw the whole budget into the latest ESWoks though so theres that

[Headshot]

I think people forget that spending more money on a bike with no motor does not make you faster or more likely to finish... 

[I FLY]

21 minutes ago, Trashy said:

I thought my old V8 Range Rover was expensive per km...😳

 

Even if you complete the entire event it's R73.53/km.

And that's just the entry fee. My mate kept an detailed record of everything he spent on his Epic and it was double the entry fee.

[DieselnDust]

Just now, Headshot said:

I think people forget that spending more money on a bike with no motor does not make you faster or more likely to finish... 

i see what you did there

[MORNE]

5 minutes ago, Headshot said:

I think people forget that spending more money on a bike with no motor does not make you faster or more likely to finish... 

i was about to say that R/km figure is WAY too conservative.
 

You need to factor in the cost of a 2022 sWoRks,sCaLpEL,tOpFuEl,sPaRk WEAPON that is an absolute necessity for this event  

🤣

[jcza]

Cut off extended to 18h55 I believe

[@grootlem]

I'm on the hub annually to check if there's an Epic prediction competition so I'm here for the week reading the chatter. My opinion, yes we all have one, is that the average South African cyclist doing tough events is not as fit as the average European rider but we have the latest equipment. I saw that in a Transalp I did with my wife 10 years ago, we were almost the only people in the last quarter of the field on 29ers. Speaking to friends from Sweden, Germany and other places they also say that the people racing that side is fit. Here it's a lot about the image, T shirt, corporate doing events invited on who they are and not if they can ride. And my toughest Epics were ones where I tried to race, easiest were where I didn't race but just had a fun time. So it's more about how you ride and pace it compared to the route. Yes I'm generalising now so shoot

[Jewbacca]

Just now, jcza said:

Cut off extended to 18h55 I believe

That's cool. I was just remembering some brutal Attakwasses when the winners were 5 hours plus change and a LOT of the field were stretching the time limit. 

120km on a bike in the heat is tough. 

Any of you guys remember the MTN Ultra ultra series? All the races were roughly 120km ish and packed a punch. 

Our obsession with the longestestest...... 🙊