Really, No Epic 2023 Thread?

[babse]

18 minutes ago, pedal menace said:

Will we have live broadcasts during the whole week? DSTV (ad ridden I assume) or via web? 

Yes, they do have a stream via YouTube. Its not amazing but it suffices.

[SwissVan]

3 hours ago, BMCfan said:

What's happening in bikeland?

 

No excitement over a MTB race?

Bikehub classifieds happened 

[DieselnDust]

32 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

What has happened to the depth in the ladies' field?

I am not scared to say that equal prize money does very little for developing sport long term, here it seem apparent.

 

Gunn-Rita Dahle rode in 2015, I seem to remember her being quite vocal about the racing need it's own start to improve the racing quality. I think it happened the next year. 

since then, has it got better? maybe, has it attracted the top riders, definitely not.

Just looking at the startlist,

UCI men is 59 teams, racing for prizemoney per stage/GC down to 10th place

UCI women is 13 teams, racing for prizemoney per stage/GC down to 10th place

 

I don't think this has changed things.

 

Totally agree. Every year it seems the ladies teams are scrapped  together and specialized runs away with it. The depth in the Ladies field is not improving despite a lot of initiatives to promote women’s cycling ie equal prize money, own start group, etc. 
has any of the #sheuntamed ladies improved their level of competitiveness or is the initiative just putting more ladies faces in the media and on covers? I thought women didn’t want to be used in this manner…??

I’ll say it,  by not promoting ladies racing at grassroots level the number of uci ladies teams at the epic will remain low

[Jbr]

Keen to go watch the prologue at Meerendal, what's the hoogies section that is marked at "though" ? The tough part seems to be straight up dorstberg 🤣

[babse]

12 minutes ago, Jbr said:

Keen to go watch the prologue at Meerendal, what's the hoogies section that is marked at "though" ? The tough part seems to be straight up dorstberg 🤣

 

[Jbr]

6 minutes ago, babse said:

 

Like I said, Dorstberg is more technically challenging than the main Hoogies descent that is just fun 😅

[openmind]

2 hours ago, Shebeen said:

both stem and seatpost custom made

 

 

Lukas Baum/SCR

This is interesting. He has foregone a dropper post for a funky one that gets him a lot further back than the frame geo will allow. Quite an indictment on the "steep seat tube to get you over the BB" spiel that brands are punting today. The Orbea Oiz has one of the steepest seat tubes in the XC business. Traditional thinking says you need to be a bit behind the BB to engage your glutes and hammies properly. Probably the thinking here given the long stages and the need to be as bio-mechanically as efficient as possible. Efficiency over control. They would be better off I think with a less steep seat tube that is relaxed enough to get the same efficiency and then use a dropper. But maybe they are just incredible bike handlers and don't need a dropper or Orbea pays them enough to use this bike and suck up the compromise. Thoughts?

[DieselnDust]

37 minutes ago, Jbr said:

Keen to go watch the prologue at Meerendal, what's the hoogies section that is marked at "though" ? The tough part seems to be straight up dorstberg 🤣

Epic tough isn’t XCO tough…

[DieselnDust]

5 minutes ago, openmind said:

This is interesting. He has foregone a dropper post for a funky one that gets him a lot further back than the frame geo will allow. Quite an indictment on the "steep seat tube to get you over the BB" spiel that brands are punting today. The Orbea Oiz has one of the steepest seat tubes in the XC business. Traditional thinking says you need to be a bit behind the BB to engage your glutes and hammies properly. Probably the thinking here given the long stages and the need to be as bio-mechanically as efficient as possible. Efficiency over control. They would be better off I think with a less steep seat tube that is relaxed enough to get the same efficiency and then use a dropper. But maybe they are just incredible bike handlers and don't need a dropper or Orbea pays them enough to use this bike and suck up the compromise. Thoughts?

Droppers are overrated for marathon. Especially the epic. It’s not technical enough to justify the additional mechanical/electronic  risk 

[BuffsVintageBikes]

2 hours ago, openmind said:

This is interesting. He has foregone a dropper post for a funky one that gets him a lot further back than the frame geo will allow. Quite an indictment on the "steep seat tube to get you over the BB" spiel that brands are punting today. The Orbea Oiz has one of the steepest seat tubes in the XC business. Traditional thinking says you need to be a bit behind the BB to engage your glutes and hammies properly. Probably the thinking here given the long stages and the need to be as bio-mechanically as efficient as possible. Efficiency over control. They would be better off I think with a less steep seat tube that is relaxed enough to get the same efficiency and then use a dropper. But maybe they are just incredible bike handlers and don't need a dropper or Orbea pays them enough to use this bike and suck up the compromise. Thoughts?

Spot on, I ride an Oiz and my only gripe is that I constantly find myself pushing myself back on the saddle to activate my glutes. It feels like I need one of those Thompson laid back posts of old. But that could just be my riding style, I'm old school after all 😊

[babse]

So who's riding and going to give up daily updates? 😅

[BrettS]

Very excited for the Epic, a great line up of teams in the mens field. Will be interesting to see how they progress and who has the legs and the least mechanicals (RIP Ninos tyres).

Keen to see Nibali on a mtb and some pro's from the tour. Would be amazing if they could pull VDP, Pidcock and van Aert. 

Good luck to the guys participating.

[DieselnDust]

Had a really cool evening at cycle lab n1 city with Orbea Leatt speed company racing 

these boys are just really special so they’re my pick for the win. Their hole approach is uncomplicated and clear. From bike prep to training to nutrition. I hope they stay healthy for the duration and light it up while providing us The next best cape epic race ever 

[gemmerbal]

I propose a drinking game: take a shot every time Gerald says “Absa Cape Epic”. 

[Kom]

6 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

Had a really cool evening at cycle lab n1 city with Orbea Leatt speed company racing 

these boys are just really special so they’re my pick for the win. Their hole approach is uncomplicated and clear. From bike prep to training to nutrition. I hope they stay healthy for the duration and light it up while providing us The next best cape epic race ever 

Speed company racing -> Underdogs last year, this year a target on their backs.

I think beers and Blevins are going to be putting a lot of pressure.

and of course never write off N1n0 👏

[DieselnDust]

14 hours ago, gemmerbal said:

I propose a drinking game: take a shot every time Gerald says “Absa Cape Epic”. 

I'm already drunk