[Event] Cape Town Cycle Tour 2023

[Jbr]

6 minutes ago, Skubarra said:

Just curious - do you know many people that are already seeded in $? It seems to me that the $ might not be sorted out yet? And if this is the situation for you I am sure there are a number of strong riders unhappy not to be seeded in $

I remember a few years back there was a hubber with a seeding index of zero and a racing license that also wasn't initially seeded in $, obviously there were a lot of angst on the CTCT thread but in the end he had it easily sorted at registration.

At the moment there's 0 people in the $ group. All the guys with an Elite racing licence haven't been seeded yet. And it seems that among the subvets/vets/masters, it's a been random between @ and &.

For BleedToWin, Babse and I the weirdest part is that our age cat (30+) isn't &. Some @ that I know, despite their higher index than us it's understandable because they are 40+. But I've seen in @ guys that aren't 40+ too, it really doesn't make sense and the reply I got from the organiser show 0 interest in looking into it. Whatever the group I end up with I'll give it my best, if not to get the best possible result (ranking), at least to get the best possible time.

[Skubarra]

33 minutes ago, Jbr said:

At the moment there's 0 people in the $ group. All the guys with an Elite racing licence haven't been seeded yet. And it seems that among the subvets/vets/masters, it's a been random between @ and &.

For BleedToWin, Babse and I the weirdest part is that our age cat (30+) isn't &. Some @ that I know, despite their higher index than us it's understandable because they are 40+. But I've seen in @ guys that aren't 40+ too, it really doesn't make sense and the reply I got from the organiser show 0 interest in looking into it. Whatever the group I end up with I'll give it my best, if not to get the best possible result (ranking), at least to get the best possible time.

Easy for me to say but I wouldn't get too stressed about it at this point.... I know there is always a second seeding run a week out of the event which I assume is to also finalise the racing groups. I would wait for that to be done before I start worrying.

Is CSA not also involved in the management of the $ group which makes things a bit complicated? Think that is why the organisers are so disinterested in your issue at this stage, but can't see this not being sorted before the race.

 

[Jbr]

2 minutes ago, Skubarra said:

Easy for me to say but I wouldn't get too stressed about it at this point.... I know there is always a second seeding run a week out of the event which I assume is to also finalise the racing groups. I would wait for that to be done before I start worrying.

Is CSA not also involved in the management of the $ group which makes things a bit complicated? Think that is why the organisers are so disinterested in your issue at this stage, but can't see this not being sorted before the race.

 

yeah all the guys with elite licence and in the major teams shouldn't worry, organiser's best interest is to have a competitive field. Although it looks like they're moving to an invite-only $ field. Surely they will invite all the major national teams and complete with a few other strong guys. For us we'll see, will anyways try my luck at the expo and if it doesn't work so be it.

[Skubarra]

2 minutes ago, Jbr said:

yeah all the guys with elite licence and in the major teams shouldn't worry, organiser's best interest is to have a competitive field. Although it looks like they're moving to an invite-only $ field. Surely they will invite all the major national teams and complete with a few other strong guys. For us we'll see, will anyways try my luck at the expo and if it doesn't work so be it.

ok - that would make sense, then it becomes a case of who you know if you want to ride elites (would also explain why that hubber with a zero index had to specifically request to get into $)

[Bub Marley]

Moving on from the seeding topic, does anyone know who to chat to wrt perhaps moving the race a week earlier next year with Ramadan looking like it will begin on that Sunday. I know many probably dont care but there is quite a large percentage of muslims who will all miss out if the race cant be moved. 

[DieselnDust]

On 2/16/2023 at 12:14 PM, FootballingCyclist said:

Personally I believe everyone who goes to SA National Road Champs and races in the Elite bunch and can realistically hold their own, should automatically be in $. I mean imagine you finished top 15 at SA road champs in the Elites then at CTCT world champs you are essentially "downgraded".

Makes no sense really.

It has happened. Oke races in 1E and pulled the whole bunch 109km

[FootballingCyclist]

47 minutes ago, Bub Marley said:

Moving on from the seeding topic, does anyone know who to chat to wrt perhaps moving the race a week earlier next year with Ramadan looking like it will begin on that Sunday. I know many probably dont care but there is quite a large percentage of muslims who will all miss out if the race cant be moved. 

If I'm not mistaken Ramadaan will likely fall on this se weekend (2nd weekend March) for some time to come?? Not exactly sure how many years. Would be really nice of the organizers to accommodate the muslim community as they are a fair percentage of the entrants.

[Shebeen]

41 minutes ago, Bub Marley said:

Moving on from the seeding topic, does anyone know who to chat to wrt perhaps moving the race a week earlier next year with Ramadan looking like it will begin on that Sunday. I know many probably dont care but there is quite a large percentage of muslims who will all miss out if the race cant be moved. 

um, not wanting to sound insensitive but the short answer is no.

It is always the 2nd Sunday of March, which has been moved just twice AFAIK.

once for covid when we had it later that october and once for this guy

no spice, he had booked the stadium in 2016.

The main problem is that the date is set over a year before, and can't be moved now. I'm guessing that Ramadan is not that hard to predict in the future as it follows the lunar cycle. If there was a significant clash then it could easily have been brought up earlier.

sort of related, the church groups got all hot under the collar when they realised Two Oceans would be more than just Easter saturday last year, as covid protocol spread both events over two days. Rather than deal with this again they have just moved it away from the Easter weekend for the first time ever.

[Shebeen]

2 minutes ago, FootballingCyclist said:

If I'm not mistaken Ramadaan will likely fall on this se weekend (2nd weekend March) for some time to come?? Not exactly sure how many years. Would be really nice of the organizers to accommodate the muslim community as they are a fair percentage of the entrants.

According to google it is actually 22 march 2023, so no problems really.

 

BUT, it will move through the argus timeline for the next 4/5 years, expect it to be an issue till 2026.

[Skubarra]

6 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

um, not wanting to sound insensitive but the short answer is no.

It is always the 2nd Sunday of March, which has been moved just twice AFAIK.

once for covid when we had it later that october and once for this guy

no spice, he had booked the stadium in 2016.

The main problem is that the date is set over a year before, and can't be moved now. I'm guessing that Ramadan is not that hard to predict in the future as it follows the lunar cycle. If there was a significant clash then it could easily have been brought up earlier.

sort of related, the church groups got all hot under the collar when they realised Two Oceans would be more than just Easter saturday last year, as covid protocol spread both events over two days. Rather than deal with this again they have just moved it away from the Easter weekend for the first time ever.

Surely if they can move it for Lionel Richie they can also move it for Ramadan? If a different date gets you more entrants why not?

Edit - that said, 2016 turned out to be a disaster weather-wise and had to be canceled so maybe don't mess with the tradition! 🤣

Edited February 20, 2023 by Skubarra

[Meezo]

https://r.mtdv.me/articles/cycle-tour-date-proposal-decline

[FootballingCyclist]

8 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

According to google it is actually 22 march 2023, so no problems really.

 

BUT, it will move through the argus timeline for the next 4/5 years, expect it to be an issue till 2026.

Yeah this year is fine, but 4/5 years is alotta revenue foe the event if they perhaps don't try and accommodate the guys..

[Jbr]

9 minutes ago, Meezo said:

https://r.mtdv.me/articles/cycle-tour-date-proposal-decline

oh come on.... 😭

[DieselnDust]

1 hour ago, Skubarra said:

Surely if they can move it for Lionel Richie they can also move it for Ramadan? If a different date gets you more entrants why not?

Edit - that said, 2016 turned out to be a disaster weather-wise and had to be canceled so maybe don't mess with the tradition! 🤣

the problem with the different date is that the Cape Epic then also has alter its start date and then a host of other events have to follow. Running events have enough time gaps between them to be a little flexible. Cycling in March not so much

[DieselnDust]

Dates for Ramadan

Holiday	Date	Days to Go
Ramadan 2022	Sunday, April 03, 2022	-323
Ramadan 2023	Thursday, March 23, 2023	31
Ramadan 2024	Monday, March 11, 2024	385
Ramadan 2025	Saturday, March 01, 2025	740
Ramadan 2026	Wednesday, February 18, 2026	1094
Ramadan 2027	Monday, February 08, 2027	1449

 

2024 isn't a problem either as CTCT is likely to be on the 10th March.

2025 and 2026 are the two problem years.

But Christian riders haven't been complaining about the event being on a Sunday since 1989

[Jewbacca]

49 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

Dates for Ramadan

Holiday	Date	Days to Go
Ramadan 2022	Sunday, April 03, 2022	-323
Ramadan 2023	Thursday, March 23, 2023	31
Ramadan 2024	Monday, March 11, 2024	385
Ramadan 2025	Saturday, March 01, 2025	740
Ramadan 2026	Wednesday, February 18, 2026	1094
Ramadan 2027	Monday, February 08, 2027	1449

 

2024 isn't a problem either as CTCT is likely to be on the 10th March.

2025 and 2026 are the two problem years.

But Christian riders haven't been complaining about the event being on a Sunday since 1989

It also can't be on a Saturday because Shabbos....