[Event] Cape Town Cycle Tour 2023

[dev null]

46 minutes ago, FootballingCyclist said:

Everyone saying the wind was "non existent" either only started after 8:30am because then by the time they hit Lakeside it had dropped completely all the way through to Smits, or they never sat on the front. I learned very quickly just how tough it was on the front with the wind..

That wind was really damn odd.

My son started around 7h20 and he said he had no wind. I started an hour later and we had bad wind from Muizenberg right through Simons Town. By the time we hit Smits it started dropping again. So I guess the people starting around 9h00 and after also had no wind.

That darn wind cost me my sub 5. Took me a 1h50 to get to the water point at Simons Town. When I rode my PB of 4h12 a few years ago it took me 1h10 to get there.

[NeverNotRolling]

31 minutes ago, Headshot said:

My wife rode with a friend of hers and did it in around ehr ballpark time considering her 5-6 ride mostly flat training. That said, some bad riding from a rider caused another rider to klap into her and she and her riding partner were taken down damaging her bike and bruising her left hand. Considering the conditions were pretty good its bizarre that there were so many incidents....  

Most people ride alone or with one or two friends for most of the year, and then the cycle tour comes along and its the only race they enter. They ride with hundreds of people around them and bunches flying past. I'm guessing they have no idea about etiquette or bunch mentality. It's not necessarily ignorance or them being spanners, they just aren't taught what to do in race situations.

[FootballingCyclist]

11 minutes ago, Long Wheel Base said:

Same guy. But I didn't know he is now dutch. 

Yep he is, Saw I think it was last year or the year before where he made the switch. Think a big part of it had to do with getting zero support from SA for the World Tri series but full support from the Dutch, His wife is also a top female Dutch Triathlete. He also said he wants to coach in the future and Netherlands has a much bigger opportunity for him to do so than in SA..

[saggy]

15 minutes ago, Mayo916 said:

Yes, He and 3 others (one super strong guy from INEOS) broke away on hospital hill. We never saw them again. The bunch only caught one on top of Suikerbossie.

The INEOS guy was Cameron Wurf, also a top triathlete, came 5th in Hawaii ironman a couple of years ago.

 

https://www.strava.com/activities/8699950785/overview

 

[El Duderino]

This was my second CTCT after doing the wet one in 2022. I'm more of a mountain biker than a roadie, and this was only my 3rd road race. I have no experience riding in a large bunch so that was a new experience for me. I tried to remember the basics, keep left, pass on the right (never the left), hold your line and try to relax. I was relaxed and calm until a bit of a horror moment on the M3 where I found myself on the front of a large group (more on this later).

My goals were:

1. Do a sub 4 hours (4 hours 10 mins last year)

2. Don't crash

3. Don't stop

4. Enjoy the ride

 

I was in 2F. I started off mid batch and watched as the leading bunch rode away from me as we headed to the first small climb. I managed to catch the back of the main part of our batch by the time we hit the middle of the Edinburgh Drive climb and stayed with this group until the M3. We passed a mini pile up on the way with bystanders frantically trying to direct groups around the fallen bikes and riders. On the M3 heading past the Tokai turnoff towards Muizenberg I decided it was time to do some work on the front. Made my way to the front and did a pull ...big mistake. It is hard work being in front, it was the highest my heart rate went for the entire ride on that stretch, and I got stuck at the front. Having no experience riding in bunches I did not know how to ease my way back into the bunch. I started to panic realising I was way above threshold for much longer than I wanted to be. I didn't know if you go off the left or the right or just let guys overtake you. In my panic I can't actually remember how I extricated myself from this horror that almost ruined my race. I dropped to the back hoping I hadn't cooked my legs. Managed to hang on with this bunch until Smitswinkel climb. Thought I was doing well on the climb until I saw Chris on his singlespeed BMX cruise past me like he was on an e-bike.

From the top of Smits onwards it was mostly uneventful and fun. Was a scary moment where large people mover vehicle with a massive bicycle trailer driving on the right hand side of the road passing Scarborough veered across us as we passed through the village. First and only time I swore at someone in a bicycle race, not sure if I should be proud of myself or not.

Chappies and Suikerbossie went by without incident, and about 4kms from the end a group of 4 riders being pulled along by a properly fit looking African gentleman came flying by and I jumped on the back of their train. This guy pulled us all the way to the end, and I felt like a pro peleton rider being pulled along by this group. My legs felt pretty strong so far into the race. I think this guy pulled this group for most of the way as they were all high fiving him and thanking him at the end, calling him a legend!!. I snuck off quietly and collected my medal and expired coke. 

Absolutely enjoyed the day on the bike. I won't be in a rush to do more road races, but I will do the CTCT again next year. Road bikes are actually fun!!

My figures:

Official time: 3:40:16

Position: 3406/18479

Gender position: 3087/14665

Group position: 40/455

Age group (50 to 54): 456/2060

Ave speed: 29.69km/hr

Edited March 13, 2023 by El Duderino
spelling

[Mayo916]

27 minutes ago, FootballingCyclist said:

Yeah my buddy was in the & group, came 7th, He said that he never knew they were gone until someone mentioned it after Smits only or else he would've gone with, He started too far back clearly LOL.

I was in the perfect position to go with them. I'm still kicking myself. 

I was with them until about 250m from the top (Edinburg drive) when it started to flat out a bit. I did not want to push myself into the red early and my legs did feel good. So I decided to take it easy over the top. 
It was only when I looked back and saw the bunch 50-100m back that I released my mistake and by then it was too late to join them again.

My legs never showed up for the race so just finished in the bunch. I blame the stomach bug I had a week ago.
 

[babse]

49 minutes ago, Mayo916 said:

Yes, He and 3 others (one super strong guy from INEOS) broke away on hospital hill. We never saw them again. The bunch only caught one on top of Suikerbossie.

I was on top of wynberg hill and actually have a pic of them. 

Ineos rider, +2s 4 riders incl R.Murray, +12s the @ bunch lead by a few Mother Ametuers. I have some pics that came out bluh but I was able to get timechecks from.

[FootballingCyclist]

3 minutes ago, babse said:

I was on top of wynberg hill and actually have a pic of them. 

Ineos rider, +2s 4 riders incl R.Murray, +12s the @ bunch lead by a few Mother Ametuers. I have some pics that came out bluh but I was able to get timechecks from.

Was lekker seeing you, Not lekker with your arm strapped up though...

[Meezo]

23 minutes ago, FootballingCyclist said:

Was lekker seeing you, Not lekker with your arm strapped up though...

he takes a 100 pictures of everyone else, except me... 😤 he shoulda stayed in bed

[Pure Savage]

3 hours ago, bleedToWin said:

Racetec never used to be this pathetic, and I'm confused as to why they are regressing in their service since they still use the exact same technology they were using when I started racing 21 years ago...

At Tour de PPA the winner had daylight over the riders in second and third, but was "provisionally" placed 3rd on the same time as the oke in 2nd.

Folks talking about "time to process" also confuses me. It's raw data, there is no processing required. Hence Racetec's ability 10 years ago to sms you your official time within seconds of you crossing the mats.

Its nothing to do with the data, its more to do with the Categaory winners, when its a photo finish etc they need to work out who actually won. Hell have no furry like a Vets rider being wronged of a podium spot, would get a lawyers letter for sure. People get upset if you just upload uncleaned data of people that rode with other people's chips etc. Its more of a sanity check than just clicking upload. 

The 42km was quick as there are no category prizes, so no worries if Tim from Potch used Sarahs timing chip and won the U13 girls.

[Skubarra]

2 minutes ago, Pure Savage said:

Its nothing to do with the data, its more to do with the Categaory winners, when its a photo finish etc they need to work out who actually won. Hell have no furry like a Vets rider being wronged of a podium spot, would get a lawyers letter for sure. People get upset if you just upload uncleaned data of people that rode with other people's chips etc. Its more of a sanity check than just clicking upload. 

The 42km was quick as there are no category prizes, so no worries if Tim from Potch used Sarahs timing chip and won the U13 girls.

The 42km was probably also quick because its wrong.... Still waiting for my time 😛

[FootballingCyclist]

9 minutes ago, Pure Savage said:

Its nothing to do with the data, its more to do with the Categaory winners, when its a photo finish etc they need to work out who actually won. Hell have no furry like a Vets rider being wronged of a podium spot, would get a lawyers letter for sure. People get upset if you just upload uncleaned data of people that rode with other people's chips etc. Its more of a sanity check than just clicking upload. 

The 42km was quick as there are no category prizes, so no worries if Tim from Potch used Sarahs timing chip and won the U13 girls.

The 42km was quick because some Dads were riding Zipps..

Should be a rule that no wheel depths are allowed to be bigger in mm than the race is long in kms...

[ChrisF]

8 minutes ago, FootballingCyclist said:

The 42km was quick because some Dads were riding Zipps..

Should be a rule that no wheel depths are allowed to be bigger in mm than the race is long in kms...

 

DC rims .... 

[sias]

18 minutes ago, Pure Savage said:

 Tim from Potch used Sarahs timing chip and won the U13 girls.

Hey, leave us Potchefstromers out of this! We were just too happy to be by the sea and riding the "August" again! 

I'll have a chat with Tim and tell him to stop cross-chipping and leave his Zipp 808's at home next time!

[ChrisF]

1 minute ago, sias said:

Hey, leave us Potchefstromers out of this! We were just too happy to be by the sea and riding the "August" again! 

I'll have a chat with Tim and tell him to stop cross-chipping and leave his Zipp 808's at home next time!

 

Sounds like half of Potch was in Cape Town ..... 

[Headshot]

1 hour ago, FootballingCyclist said:

Yep he is, Saw I think it was last year or the year before where he made the switch. Think a big part of it had to do with getting zero support from SA for the World Tri series but full support from the Dutch, His wife is also a top female Dutch Triathlete. He also said he wants to coach in the future and Netherlands has a much bigger opportunity for him to do so than in SA..

Funnily enough in all my CTCTs, (15) and fun rides since the 1990's I've only ever had one crash - caused by someone losing it in a small peloton on the old Stellenbosch Cycle tour. Hyper vigilance thanks to a few years of commuter motorcycling probably helps a bit too.