[Event] Cape Town Cycle Tour 2023

[Meezo]

8 minutes ago, GenoW said:

2cents as a first timer.

My first CTCT, previous years didn't appeal, always too windy and I didn't train enough to even think about it. This last year though i wanted to experience 'racing'. Got myself into 1B with a few minor PPA events leading up. Overall enjoyed everything, nothing was as bad as i thought, ie parking & traffic, an luckily my group was not the crashy one, but it also wasn't great.

There was zero teamwork, a few guys tried to roll multiple times only to be sat on by the bunch riders and all intent lost. We caught many ahead but couldn't bridge proper. I pulled with the sub 3 in mind but eventually cooked myself and cracked on chappies/suikerbossie, minor cramps all the way to the end.

Overall 1B bros were mostly cordial, fairly polite in etiquette, almost got chopped only once or twice but i focused hard on staying safe so saw them coming. I did see the aftermath of the 1A crashes so that immediately put me in high alert for most of the race. I only started enjoying the race on chappies decent, being able to ride both lanes is too much fun, and then the flying finish after suikerbossie was bliss. I knew most of the route and where to be careful so didn't hit any potholes and got out ahead where ever i could.

It definitely is easier riding the smaller events and i even saw the same bros, one guy in particular had zero awareness or care of how **** he rides, made sure to get away from him asap.

I made one minor mistake but wasn't sweared at so i take that as a good day, unlike some other riders up chappies whom got into a heated debate xD.

There wasn't any banter at the front of 1B and at times the group was eerily silent. So to me the fanfare was great, but I've read it was subpar this year.
The coke and energade was awfully watered down and the water itself tasted of more chlorine than water, that was disgusting.

I chucked my sponsored bottle to some kid asking for one and even got a small push up the last bit of chappies. I didn't puncture so was very thankful for a clean race.

I am fairly disappointed not making the sub and that i cracked, still came in at around 3.14 according to racetec, also got shifted down to 1C.

At present I don't think I'll do another CTCT unless i can smash a 100km solo at 37km/h avg or get some fit mates to form a group.

The views were amazing, the weather was superb, and i enjoyed the experience mostly.
Thanks to everyone out there, riders, organisers, spectators and all.

we checked the date on them, it was expired!

[Jbr]

The vast majority of participants aren't racers, so these kinds of behaviours are to be expected.

I was impressed with the low amount of crashes in $, the field was huge and very packed (as you can see on helicopter shots), lots of last minute changes of direction due to road furniture and stuff, and in the end I only witnessed a crash on the M3 (as usual, we have 3 full lanes on a motorway, okes start relaxing, and a crash happens).

The whole way through muizenberg / kalk bay / Simon's town was very nervous/stressfull but in the end no crashes. I heard a noise outside simonstown but didn't see a crash, not sure what it was.           

[FootballingCyclist]

Haven't read all the post race reoorts just yet, Just logged in, But I'm going to say @Sid the Sloth, Wow bro, Just wow, What an amazing ride being in the Elite break all day, putting in proper turns keeping the bunch at bay, Seriously impressive ride from a dude who hasn't even had a bike for 5 years against okes riding bikes their entire lives.. 4th in your 3rd CTCT is something special. Kudos bru...

[Furbz]

12 hours ago, Theunissa said:

Ride for sight results were up before I left the place. And was racetec. 

Ok so we have confirmed its not racetec, its CT? 🤔

[dexterdent]

I started at the back of 1C (not doing that again) and had a "fun" time trying to get back up to the leaders. We started gathering slower 1B and even 1A riders and by Fish Hoek it was one of the bigger groups I have ever seen. Lots of hard braking and shouting, but no serious crashes I could see. So nervous I only touched my bottle for the first time at 45 mins. Very true that you start to recognize the dangerous riders and avoid them after a while.

On Smits the group was so big it was pretty hard to pass going up, but it luckily broke up a bit and felt way safer from there on. Nice little bits of bridging to groups that I can clearly see in my power data

On Suikerbossie I was alone going down, and then caught the tail end of a strong small group, who then went on and gobbled up stragglers to the end at speed. Came in at a PB ~3h10 (Racetec have my start group wrong). Pretty much a great day out, thanks to all the people pulling groups along!

[mrdaynes]

Does anyone know who creates those incredible bar and whisker charts of each group for the CTCT?

 

Regards

An interested data nerd

[FootballingCyclist]

Re the groups which are incorrect, I think it's just an IT things as the announcer at the start did say we were starting later than we were supposed to because there was a 5min delay, So perhaps the racetec system has picked up the whole batch of "1s" as a group later than it should've because start times were later (if this makes any sense), So instead of being 1B where I started, I rolled over the mat at the time 1c would've because of the delay so it has me now linked as a 1C rider. Should be a quick fix, But they can leave my time as is LOL..

 

On the race.

Started in 1B, Saw @Mamil in the chutes just ahead and @Long Wheel Base too on his pumpkin chariot. 1b went out the blocks as if the race ended at the start of the onramp to hospital bend, then bottlenecked, by the time I got into a rhythm, front of the bunch was about 5om ahead, as this round ball of flesh wasn't ever going to get up there, Made it to the top of hospital bend not too far back(was super chuffed cz last year I was already dropped) and started my descent, Got caught behind the crash which was on the bridge going over the N2 and pulled over was my sub3 train, @Long Wheel Base and his Dad fixing his bike which the okes had ridden into the back of, was kinda bleak for them(and for my hopes of working with them for a sub3) LOL.. Managed to make it over Edinburgh with guys still around me(was so happy I wanted to actually quit right there) and descended down the M3, It looked like we were the 3rd split of 1B, the 2nd split was about 50m ahead and I was confident we would catch them, So sat in the middle recovering after the climbs, and when I pulled out again to check we were even further away. So I lost hope. Turned right onto the main road in Lakeside and the group were now about 150m ahead and into the SE with no help i knew we weren't going to catch them. From Muizenberg to F/Hoek i sat on the front most of the time hoping the bunch ahead would miraculously slow down, which, ofcourse they did not, So at Fish Hoek circle I said stuff it and went back into the bunch. It got kinda frustrating as going through Glencairn past Dixies, We were going at 23km/h and 1 stage and I did not feel like a "race" and I was just surprised at how many 1B guys were happy to be on a coffee ride. 1C caught us just on the drag before the descent to Millers and everyone then decided to start riding again. Again, I got caught behind 2 guys touching wheels and had to unclip and walk around the limit my losses, Worked as hard as gravity allowed my fat ass to up till the circle by Red Hill and through Scarborough and Misty Cliffs, Saw my bunch taking the Ocean View turn off as I was on the drag before that about 70m behind. From the Police Station in Ocean View till the robots at black Hill is where I sent myself to heaven, Chased and chased the group as much as I can, sole alone into the South Easter with literally nobody else for 100s of metres behind me, eventually got all the way to Chappies alone where I caught a few earlier stragglers. On the Chappies descent I tried to make up some time but was starting to feel niggles and hints of cramp, I managed to get past it, Over Suikers SUPER slow and then pushed hard, took a loooong train of guys with me all the way through to Camps Bay while doing most of the work and forgetting about the cramp which showed its face once again around the Sea Point Pools and this time it was serious and had enough of me, Let the group go past as they would with 1 or 2 thank you's from 1C riders helping them get under 3:15 while I single leg pedalled to the finish for a disappointing but relieved 3:17. Glad i managed to stay rubber side down with all the close call though and great to have a chat @Long Wheel Base and his Dad at the finsih area.

Edited March 13, 2023 by FootballingCyclist

[Kom]

6 minutes ago, mrdaynes said:

Does anyone know who creates those incredible bar and whisker charts of each group for the CTCT?

 

Regards

An interested data nerd

@JM_NEL would you mind pulling that same graph you did for 99er please 🙏 

[FootballingCyclist]

Also had a good few laughs on the descents and faster sections with load of cyclists in groups trying to keep in the left lane. The descent down Llandudno into Camps Bay we must've passed close to 30 different riders all keeping left of the middle line while trying to go fast instead of cutting inside corners etc in their bunches. I think most tried to latch on as we past but were unable as we past too quickly..

[MarcelGriff]

58 minutes ago, FootballingCyclist said:

Haven't read all the post race reoorts just yet, Just logged in, But I'm going to say @Sid the Sloth, Wow bro, Just wow, What an amazing ride being in the Elite break all day, putting in proper turns keeping the bunch at bay, Seriously impressive ride from a dude who hasn't even had a bike for 5 years against okes riding bikes their entire lives.. 4th in your 3rd CTCT is something special. Kudos bru...

I sat and watched the race with huge admiration at the hard work @Sid the Sloth did in the group. There is absolutely no Sloth in any of his riding. Hats off to the amazing ride.

[FootballingCyclist]

*ATTENTION ALL*

Start groups and times have been updated on racetec

[FootballingCyclist]

Eish I feel for the rider from 1B with 3:00:01....

[BMCfan]

4 minutes ago, FootballingCyclist said:

Eish I feel for the rider from 1B with 3:00:01....

It took me 2 beers to get over my disappointment of 3:01:43 from 1B, i guess it took him a few more 

[dexterdent]

Just about 516 sub-3's - much better than last year I think (~350), but not quite the ~1100 odd from 2020 if I recall correctly

[Jbr]

7 minutes ago, FootballingCyclist said:

*ATTENTION ALL*

Start groups and times have been updated on racetec

I'm still 2 secs behind a guy I overtook before the line...  should I email organisers to move from 63 to 59 ? 🤣

Meh...

[Long Wheel Base]

16 hours ago, Mamil said:

A lot of overlapping wheels in the first 10km of 1B and one spectacular crash to my left where I swear I heard the guys collarbone snap. 

This overlapping wheel.is the biggest cause me thinks and also a lack of awareness of the concertina effect of even a slight rise in the road.

I watched the front of 1B slowly pull out distance on the main body of 1b after Edinburgh and knew the sub 3 was out of the question by the time we got to Muizenberg. 

Just rode along for a 3.11... sigh. 

I'm going to do what every self respecting mamil should do in these circumstances and spend more money on more aero bling.

The crashes are bad folks ... Seriously makes me wonder if it's worth it.

On another note... I slunk back onto the m3 at Searle street and eventually peeled my SO off the grass at the side of the road. She had ridden more than half the route with her ebike throwing an error code and hadn't realised it. 

Admin rights revoked.

 

If you talking about the crash at the bottom of hospital hill, you must have been close to me. Some guys went down in the middle of the group towards the front. Then instead of panicking I just picked a line and didn't even slow down then all of a sudden some dude ploughs into the back of us. The sound of his spokes grinding our derailleur is horrendous. Anyway, our derailleur was jammed into the spokes so although I managed to keep us from falling(I heard him come down taking a few extra with him) we had to stop to bend the derailleur back. That's when my race was over but the ride could continue luckily. Wounded bike and unable to use the top 2 gears made chappies and suikerbossie a bit hard..........