Absa Cape Epic 2022

[Cookie88]

10 minutes ago, amac said:

Last year had an appendectomy. This year got sick a week or two beforehand.

Shame man - they would have added some extra spice to the sharp end surely?

[Shebeen]

2 hours ago, J Wakefield said:

It’s a marathon event that has xc points so they did it to get points to start higher up come wc’s. So now their marathon teams entering as they should.

 

to say the field is not deep is not correct. It’s plenty deep and when you compare data from the last 5 years, this years event is ******* hard and fast. Data doesn’t lie and the level has progressed. 

What did I mean by deep?

If i compare it to the 2018 event for instance where they had the XCO world cup event the week before the field was stacked with the both the best marathon and XCO riders. 

I'm not sure exactly how the XCO/XCM thing works for UCI points now, but it's obvious that the top XCO guys are all going to brazil and skipping this. It used to be that some of them used the epic to "sharpen up" for the XCO season. 

So my feeling is that there are a lot of top mtb riders who are not here. If there was Avancini/Koretsky/Sarrou/Fluckiger/Hatherly and others who have done it before the top5 could look very different now. guess what, In 2018 the marathon guys still mostly cleaned up come stage 7 GC with a few XCO in there

 

I'm not mocking the pure marathon guys, they are hardcore and maybe it's better that Epic is more marathon focussed now because that is what is at the end of the day.

[Shebeen]

1 hour ago, JJDT said:

The Ladies race is also getting interesting...Faces Rola looking good.

I really enjoyed watching that tactical battle from the top of helshoogte. that was quality riding by all four of them.

[jcza]

Can't make it on the road? Come and ride MTB. 🤪 

[DieselnDust]

2 hours ago, J Wakefield said:

It’s a marathon event that has xc points so they did it to get points to start higher up come wc’s. So now their marathon teams entering as they should.

 

to say the field is not deep is not correct. It’s plenty deep and when you compare data from the last 5 years, this years event is ******* hard and fast. Data doesn’t lie and the level has progressed. 

its very hard for anyone who hasn't ridden the ACE or started the Argust in A batch to truly understand how hard an event can be when you throw in some competition that drives up the pace. Not many teams are required to achieve this but its clear that there is more interest from the Marathon teams mostly because the coverage now is capable of delivering sufficient exposure for those teams. For XCO teams they get enough exposure through the UCI XCO WC series. For Marathong Teams the EPic series has changed the game for them. We will see more racng teams wanting to participate now and with sufficient Epic Series events on the calendar it can very well stand alone from the UCI XCM events. What we lose on the XCO front we gain on the XCM front

[DieselnDust]

10 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

What did I mean by deep?

If i compare it to the 2018 event for instance where they had the XCO world cup event the week before the field was stacked with the both the best marathon and XCO riders. 

I'm not sure exactly how the XCO/XCM thing works for UCI points now, but it's obvious that the top XCO guys are all going to brazil and skipping this. It used to be that some of them used the epic to "sharpen up" for the XCO season. 

So my feeling is that there are a lot of top mtb riders who are not here. If there was Avancini/Koretsky/Sarrou/Fluckiger/Hatherly and others who have done it before the top5 could look very different now. guess what, In 2018 the marathon guys still mostly cleaned up come stage 7 GC with a few XCO in there

 

I'm not mocking the pure marathon guys, they are hardcore and maybe it's better that Epic is more marathon focussed now because that is what is at the end of the day.

Avancini - In Brasil preparing for the first XCO in Petrolpolis

Koretsky - dicking around in Road for a bit with his new team. Will race xome XCO events

SArrou - opted out to prep for Petrolpolis, Hence Blevins

Fluckiger - not interested, hasn't even ridden Swiss Epic as far as I know

Hatherly - could not start due to Avancini and Andreassen not being available.

 

Lets also not forget the impact of stupic Covid-19 lockdowns on team budgets. Even XCO teams have suffered and Petropolis will have some local teams filling in the blanks. For most the seaosn will start in Albstadt.

2018 was a bit of an anomaly for teh EPic because having the Stellenbosch World Cup a week before provided many XCO teams with a reason to be here. Still many opted not to race the EPic because the prep to race an EPic is not quite the same the prep for racing XCO.

Bundle these factors together and there's a storyline of the Epic going through a transition that will very likely propel the entire series to the top of the XCM pile with the ACE the tour de france of MTB.

Lost it lustre? I doubt it. Same lustre, changing market

 

 

[JB07]

56 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

What did I mean by deep?

If i compare it to the 2018 event for instance where they had the XCO world cup event the week before the field was stacked with the both the best marathon and XCO riders. 

I'm not sure exactly how the XCO/XCM thing works for UCI points now, but it's obvious that the top XCO guys are all going to brazil and skipping this. It used to be that some of them used the epic to "sharpen up" for the XCO season. 

So my feeling is that there are a lot of top mtb riders who are not here. If there was Avancini/Koretsky/Sarrou/Fluckiger/Hatherly and others who have done it before the top5 could look very different now. guess what, In 2018 the marathon guys still mostly cleaned up come stage 7 GC with a few XCO in there

 

I'm not mocking the pure marathon guys, they are hardcore and maybe it's better that Epic is more marathon focussed now because that is what is at the end of the day.

This screenshot has 4 out of 20 riders beeing top XCO guys. The Epic has never seen plenty XCO riders with the exception of Kulhavy, Scott & Cannondale. Kulhavy could even be considered more of an all rounder having won XCM champs a few times. 

[Danger Dassie]

What an exceptional result for Pieter and Marco. Those youngsters and the team often seem underrated, but they're some of the more consistent performers out there and have a really good attitude. 
The women's race is putting on an equally good show. Mari Rabe and Hayley Preen are showing such good form, Amy (Beth) Wakefield/Luthi and Robyn de Groot/Pauline Ferrand Prevot are proving to be perfect pairings. Both Amy and Robyn have plugged away over the years and they really seem to be in a much better space all round. 

I don't think the argument that this event has lost it's shine is accurate. As has been pointed out the data proves otherwise. I also know for a fact the media measurements carried out reflect this. 
Ask Platt about his profile back home since winning Epic, when he was placing top tens in XCO, nobody knew who he was. Marathon is also growing, and becoming a more globalised discipline. 

Epic has grown as an event to be hosting a series of events around the world, this also contribute to the stage and marathon discipline growing, adding depth. So sure maybe locally it's lost it's shine and novelty to an extent. That isn't a bad thing, the world is a bigger place than the polished here and now instant gratification. It's a sign that the event is maturing, kind of like when we ride in a new bike. 
Also consider what the world has gone through over the last two years, and the lingering effects of that. 

[Jewbacca]

While I don't dispute what it takes to be at the front of the field, I see where Shebeen is coming from.

There are very few top teams actually in the race. I'm sure the field is faster than ever before with past winners, the current XCM world champ and some hot property young guns all going hell for leather.

BUT there definitely seem to be less pro teams competing. Whatever the reason, be it Rona, XCO to XCM UCI points etc

I don't usually take much of an interest in the event, but this year the coverage has coincided with an untimely enforced 'go slow' which means I have been more engaged than usual.

I've thoroughly enjoyed it and think it's awesome to see Type Dev take the stage today and watch the faces rolla team hulk smash. 

While I won't be taking a 2nd mortgage out on the house to obtain an entry, I am pretty sure I will follow the event with some vigour next year again.

I think weirdly, South Africans are disdainful of things South African, while at the same time being fiercely proud of the same things. 

I guess Epic garners criticism, praise and everything else in between by the locals in the same vain. 

[Danger Dassie]

1 minute ago, Jewbacca said:

I think weirdly, South Africans are disdainful of things South African, while at the same time being fiercely proud of the same things. 

This. We seem to love building things up and then breaking them down in the same breathe. Bit of a hangover from 'SA is so behind blah blah blah' mindset. 

Currently reading John Smit's Captain in the Cauldron, touches on this with Saffa sports fans. Best in the world when winning. The moment there's a slip, we can't wait to kick them when they're down. Like we put the weight of our problems and hope on. 

[NotSoBigBen]

The same as people are sort of impressed if you've done it as long as you don't tell anyone 🙊

[DieselnDust]

15 minutes ago, NotSoBigBen said:

The same as people are sort of impressed if you've done it as long as you don't tell anyone 🙊

people? You mean the ACEPPCt (Absa Cape Epic Past Participant Morality Committe)?

[NotSoBigBen]

Just now, DieselnDust said:

people? You mean the ACEPPCt (Absa Cape Epic Past Participant Morality Committe)?

Jissie ou bloody coffee through the nose and everywhere 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[babse]

19 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

While I don't dispute what it takes to be at the front of the field, I see where Shebeen is coming from.

There are very few top teams actually in the race. I'm sure the field is faster than ever before with past winners, the current XCM world champ and some hot property young guns all going hell for leather.

BUT there definitely seem to be less pro teams competing. Whatever the reason, be it Rona, XCO to XCM UCI points etc

I don't usually take much of an interest in the event, but this year the coverage has coincided with an untimely enforced 'go slow' which means I have been more engaged than usual.

Snip_

Hahaha...

 

I don't have official number so I could be wrong but I'm on the contrary having been following the race closely for the last few years and my view there are actually more pro teams present with closer racing than previous editions.

Its been brilliant so far especially today having full Saffa team take victory in the manner in which they did!

 

[DieselnDust]

and lets not forget the  Morality Committee for Future Participants of the absa Cape Epic (MorFPPACE)

These two groups don't sit around the same table even though their membership is largely the same people

[Jewbacca]

5 minutes ago, babse said:

Hahaha...

 

I don't have official number so I could be wrong but I'm on the contrary having been following the race closely for the last few years and my view there are actually more pro teams present with closer racing than previous editions.

Its been brilliant so far especially today having full Saffa team take victory in the manner in which they did!

 

I'm not being critical, but I purposefully used the word 'Competing' and not 'taking part'... There are few teams actually competing. I seem to recall 2 or 3 Bulls teams, 2 Vaude teams, Spez teams, Cannondale, 2 Scott and a host of other teams being protagonists at various stages of the racing in the past. 

So while the front is faster, harder, scooter than ever before, the depth seems thin. 

Like I said, it 'seems' the front of the field is not as rich in options. Maybe that is just the viewing or the broadcasting, but there don't seem to be as many.

Anyway, like I said, it's been fun to watch while I am stuck at home unable to do much.