[Event] Cape Town Cycle Tour 2023

[KidCharlemagne]

50 minutes ago, MORNE said:

Its not just you. Im here to call out every person who have said in the past the riding etiquette sucks in 4 down.  
 

I found myself in the upper 1’s and 2’s today for the first time and i was shocked at how bad the riding was. I witnessed 4!!!! brutal crashes around me…people in puddles if their own blood, two idiots came together at 50kph+ too after suikerbos. And not in one of those instances did the involved parties who didn't fall stop to help. Did you get thst sub 3:30? You twats.
What f@&$cking boxes. Is it because they all think they are the next Armstrong? Why are people such a$$holes?
At misty cliffs i also just decided ill sacrifice trying to go fast in the group and just ride on my own on the left. EVEN then the od poephol will come and pass you on the left. If this is how it goes in the upper groups i wont be riding here again. 

Calm down mate, perhaps wait 24hrs before you post. 

[MORNE]

8 minutes ago, KidCharlemagne said:

Calm down mate, perhaps wait 24hrs before you post. 

Nope.
I call it how it is and stomp away. i don’t care who’s toes are in the way. I don't regret anything i ever post on here. 

And I am genuinely disgusted by just the general disregard for fellow riders - for the sake of a fast time in the fun ride world champs. Abd then when you ask an involved party if they are not going to stop for a crash they had a role in..you get told to “f@ck off”

 

Edited March 12, 2023 by MORNE

[HdB]

5 minutes ago, MORNE said:

Nope.

I am genuinely disgusted by just the general disregard for fellow riders - for the sake of a fast time in the fun ride world champs. Abd then when you ask an involved party if they are not going to stop for a crash they had a role in..you get told to “f@ck off”

need i question why it doesn't bother you maybe?

Yeah, 1A was not wonderful either, huge crash at hospital bend, and three people willing to work out of 50 (second group, after it split at Smitswinkel). A buddy in @ had a similar experience, dangerous riding, big crash at hospital bend.

Unofficial sub-3, barely, but one of the less enjoyable ones.

[HdB]

Just now, HdB said:

Yeah, 1A was not wonderful either, huge crash at hospital bend, and three people willing to work out of 50 (second group, after it split at Smitswinkel). A buddy in @ had a similar experience, dangerous riding, big crash at hospital bend.

Unofficial sub-3, barely, but one of the less enjoyable ones.

Also, some criminal decided to do this on the way to the start this morning

Casually ambles into the road, as if trying to cross, and at the last second flings a rock at our car, on the N1. Luckily it hit more of the pillar than the glass

[The Ouzo]

Started in 2A. My goal, sub3:30

Looking around at the start and just about everyone has number indicating they’ve done 10plus rides. Awesome, we have some experience. 
 

climbed up through the neutral zone onto the highway, settled in and then added a dash of speed working my way to the front of the bunch. 
played it safe on the decent leading up to Edinburg and then proceeded to work up to the front of the group up the climb. 
Jumping onto the M3 tucked in behind some guys and the group just swelled to about 30. We kept a comfortable pace heading down main rd and for once I did not feel nervous sitting in the Centre of the group. 
By the time we got to fish hoek the group swelled some more, it was HUGE. 
After boulders is where it started to get sketchy, and twice we almost came to a complete standstill. I still don’t know why. 
By the time we crested Smits there was no more group. I thought they were further up the road, so I put the hammer down and proceeded to have guys trying to tuck in behind me, but they kept dropping off. Eventually through scoborough all the way up to the climb out of misty cliffs it was just 3 of us with the hammer down, every wheel sucker we picked up could not hang on. 
but I think that broke my legs. I was feeling it after that. 
we found a group to shelter behind from ocean view through to chappies, with my legs aching I let everyone go and just settled into a rhythm. 
On the little kicker just before suikerbossie my legs cramped, I pushed through and just decided to take it very easy up suikers. 
Down the other side I picked up some shelter from a group and followed them through to seapoint, from there I let them go and just ground my way, gritting my teeth to the end. 
 

my garmin time shows 3:37. I’ll take that thank you. 

[HdB]

1 hour ago, MORNE said:

Is it because they all think they are the next Armstrong? Why are people such a$$holes?

 

It is the "it good wether, me get gud time" attitude

Edited March 12, 2023 by HdB

[EJC]

11 minutes ago, HdB said:

Yeah, 1A was not wonderful either, huge crash at hospital bend, and three people willing to work out of 50 (second group, after it split at Smitswinkel). A buddy in @ had a similar experience, dangerous riding, big crash at hospital bend.

Unofficial sub-3, barely, but one of the less enjoyable ones.

Also in 1A. Narrowly avoided the 1st crash. The first part till Smits was not fun. I barely drank anything because every second felt like something was going to happen. Just had to focus on what was going on around me. I managed the first group over Smits and from that point it was fine but I don't think I have felt this unsafe in a group that I can remember. Maybe my memory is a bit foggy but jeez man. That was something else. 

 

My friend also said they had same issues in &.

[Breezer]

I had a nightmare of a ride. Started in 2d after 3 years of not riding. Felt real good and pushed hard from the beginning. Just before Muizenberg I join a group with mostly 2 a riders. 500m after jubilee square I hit a manhole cover and both my wheels got punctures. Had to walk back to jubilee square as I only had one tube. There I bought another tube and while I fitted the rear wheel tube the one guy from the tech zone did the front. Started again but the sudden stop and stand stil made my legs deel stiff.  After 3 kilos I felt beter and start pushing again. Flew ip Smitswinkel and at the ostrich farm my front wheel was flat again. I walked back again the the waterpoint on top of Smitswinkel, but they did not have any tech support there. Luckily for me the was a gent that fell and did not want to continue. So I asked him if he had a tube and he helped me. ( thanks, and if you read this, please sent me a pm) I was back on the road and at Scarborough I stopped and bought another tube, just in case something went wrong again. 

Luckily everything went smoothly from there. I regain my rhythm and pushed hard to the finish.  A lousy 4.02. Was aiming for 3.15.

Lets hope next year will be better. 

 

[mikkelz]

Had a great ride today. Started in 1C – weather conditions were perfect.

RE: the (lack of) ability of some riders, I noticed so many 0 tours riders, that I wonder if they need to factor that in for seeding?

Sure, you can klap a great finish in a few "smaller" PPA rides, but riding at 35/40 km/h in a big bunch on some challenging sections (if you don't know the route) is a recipe for disaster.

Anyway, glad I stayed upright, as did the majority. Seemed to be lots of punctures too.

Shout out to the crowds today. I can't remember seeing so many people out, since my first back in 2010.

Edited March 12, 2023 by mikkelz

[Wannabe]

Started in 3A after my seeding took a dive due to me not participating in races anymore. I can attest that bunch riding skills are lacking greatly. Guys comes flying from behind and squeeze into a non existing gap in front of you, causing you to slam on brakes, which causes a ripple affect to the back. "Chatting" to the perpetrator only unleashes a torrent of bad language, or you just get a death stare. And my other favorite is when they point to the wheel in front of you, and immediately changes tack to occupy that space, even if there is no existing gap.

We got into the 2 groups quite quickly, as we were not hanging around, but at Simonstown I noticed two 3G riders suddenly appear in our group. There was no way they were able to put as much time into us, if they started in their proper group (at that stage I only saw about three youngsters with 3B numbers join our little peloton) Must say, as soon as the road started pointing up past Boulders, the two 3G's quickly disapeared out the back. 

Had a good ride, was chatting for a long time with a youngster called Ryan, perched behind his dad on a tandem. We bantered a lot, and worked together as well, until I had a rear flat at the Houtbay waterpoint just after the traffic circle. Obviously Ryan and his dad disappeared down the road, as it should be. Made quick work of changing the tube, and got going again in about 5 minutes, according to Strava. 

Finished strong, even posting a PB or two over the last few km, suggesting that I was hanging back too much till then, lol.....

Not a PB race for me, but I did it within my goal time, without cramps or any other problems. In my eyes, that a WIN for me.

[JacquesJ]

1 hour ago, MORNE said:

Nope.
I call it how it is and stomp away. i don’t care who’s toes are in the way. I don't regret anything i ever post on here. 

And I am genuinely disgusted by just the general disregard for fellow riders - for the sake of a fast time in the fun ride world champs. Abd then when you ask an involved party if they are not going to stop for a crash they had a role in..you get told to “f@ck off”

 

Hey @Morne, agree that the bunches can be sketchy,  but Im not sure I agree with stopping at a crash...it feels bad to roll past, but imagine another 10/20 guys in the bunch slamming on brakes to go try and help...it will cause much more chaos. I really feel the safer thing to do is clear the road as quick as possible to those behind can also pass the accident safely. And then trust that the organizers medical support is going to take care of the incident professionally. My 2c, maybe Im wrong 🤷

[throttles]

Lady with e-bike in 2B towing a guy up Suikerbossie 

Edited March 12, 2023 by throttles

[dev null]

I am back in the mix. 

Rode in the October race in 2021 but did not finish. I had COVID 3 weeks prior and sort of convinced myself that I was fine. I was not. Stopped at the halfway mark with bad heart issues and nausea.

In 2022 both me and the wife sat out because we still did not feel great.

So started this year way down in the bunches as my seeding took a hit. I forgot how painful it is to ride from the later bunches. No groups at all on the Blue Route and we got bad wind from Muizenberg right up to Simons town. Finished just a minute or 2 over 5 hours. I wanted to push for sub 5 but my calf muscle was having none of it. Started cramping at Llandudno.

Also saw a man that passed away laying in the road just as you leave Misty Cliffs. Can't see that it was an accident as speed is low there. Must have been a medical emergency. At that point I counted my blessings and just enjoyed my ride even if my 56 year old unfit body was bitching and moaning.

[mikkelz]

Saw a guy pushing his buddy up Chappies, even though he wasn't taking part today (no number on his jersey and pulled over at the top). 😂

[Thomo]

23 minutes ago, throttles said:

Lady with e-bike in 2B towing a guy up Suikerbossie

Sometimes we just need a little motivation. 😊

[Jorrie]

Is dit net ek of irreteer die ebikes ander ook. Couple of bunches just sitting behind our tandem and don't want to work, decided to drop them just for an e-bike to pull them back again...there's probably a place for them but I don't like them having a influence on others times...

Saw a few more riders sitting behind e-bikes...I like the old days where you work on your own for whatever time you chase. Any way still enjoyed the race!