Absa Cape Epic 2022

[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...... 🙊

[jcza]

1 minute ago, Jewbacca said:

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...... 🙊

Remember the MTN Series well. Still believe the toughest day on a bike was Sabie Ultra 

[jcza]

3 minutes ago, @grootlem said:

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

I think the Europeans coming over for Epic are fitter but they are not average when compared to us locals entering the event. If you work for the right corporate then entry into the event is a doddle. Getting your hands on a new S-Works is a bigger problem, never-mind the motorhome and parking. Thankfully Ludus Magnus has package available with heli transport to avoid the masses.  

[@grootlem]

1 minute ago, jcza said:

I think the Europeans coming over for Epic are fitter but they are not average when compared to us locals entering the event. If you work for the right corporate then entry into the event is a doddle. Getting your hands on a new S-Works is a bigger problem, never-mind the motorhome and parking. Thankfully Ludus Magnus has package available with heli transport to avoid the masses.  

I was more referring to European riders doing events that side compared to SA riders doing events this side

[Shebeen]

48 minutes ago, NotSoBigBen said:

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

2011 - 496 teams finished from 605 starters - 19% drop out rate

2022 -   474 finished stage 1 from 527..already 10% gone, and today is not looking good with final numbers still to tally up

[Shebeen]

22 minutes ago, @grootlem said:

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

totaly unscientific, BUT in 2022

3 ZAR riders in top 10, 6 in top20.

 

random comparison year (2017)

2 ZAR in top 10, 8 in top20.

 

that's elites, the middle field would be a more interesting check

[Larry King]

I wonder how many poor souls are still out there today   Lots of Afk@k going on

 

[jcza]

289 Teams finished so far

[Yyyy]

1 hour 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 always feel that looking at the numbers doesnt tell the whole story

havent the routes become more "technical" and less gravel bike friendly over the years?

[DieselnDust]

38 minutes ago, jcza said:

Cut off extended to 18h55 I believe

I think this is BS decision, Dumbing down the requirements is so F***ing woke. 

Enter #theracethatmeasuresall but we'll engineer it so that you can finish and have the bragging rights of being the toughest and greatest. What a woke joke

[DieselnDust]

5 minutes ago, YaseenEnos said:

i always feel that looking at the numbers doesnt tell the whole story

havent the routes become more "technical" and less gravel bike friendly over the years?

no not really. There's more manicured trail in the route than there used to be. That  is not slower except for maybe those who struggle with single track in general.

Pre 2009 there wasn't a big mtbtrail network in SOuth Africa. So a lot of hiking trail was used. These were near impossible to tranverse for 90% of the field. Because of the big distances between towns there had to be a lot of district road thrown in. These were by no means easy roads either since they were in general use even during the race. Corrugations killed butt so "what Bib shorts for Epic" was the order of the day. Assos built their local reputation through being the most hard wearing product then available.

But we still had about 30% single track 30% fire road and 40% district or tar road. 

Even though today theres more single track its very well prepared and is generally easier to ride than the hiking or 4x4 tracks that were used back then

Edited March 22, 2022 by DieselnDust

[ChrisF]

Encountered a bit of traffic crossing the road today ....

 

[kosmonooit]

All this talk of Europeans