Really, No Epic 2023 Thread?

[PappaWatTrap]

Anyone know the timestamp on the YouTube streem of Niños fall? Or would care to share a video?

['Dale]

Another win on the final stage of the Absa Cape Epic. Yoh! The stoic Matt Beers defies gravity yet again (2nd overall win) with his American partner in the white dancing shoes, Blevins (first win).

What I appreciate most of the race is the symbiosis required to succeed and the compatibility challenge that each team faces every single day. Overcoming an 8 mins deficit after Blevins' blew up on Stage 1 - remarkable team effort and sheer grit.
So sweet to see the South African marathon jersey do so well. 🥰

Fatal mechanicals for the leading women and the leading men on Stage 6 - so so so close to kissing glory. Gotta feel for them. The raw and uncompromising nature of professional sport.

The brand Specialized, an American brand started in 1974, continues to dominate this race. It will be interesting to get the stats on this dominance. 

Edited March 26, 2023 by 'Dale

[Meezo]

14 minutes ago, PappaWatTrap said:

Anyone know the timestamp on the YouTube streem of Niños fall? Or would care to share a video?

https://twitter.com/CapeEpic/status/1639894638986252288?s=20

[peetwindhoek]

Such a cool dude that just wants to “race his bicycle”! Lekker Matt! And his partnership with Blevins looks like he is enjoying it a lot! They could dominate this for years to come! 
 

Sheesh: I get the cold sweats thinking about the damage equipment must have taken yesterday! And I did not even ride/walk/swim.

[babse]

That final stretch OTB by singer rider was a classic... That'll be more memorable than a stage win 😆

[Bernard and Christell Mtb Bucket List]

Blevins actually impressed me allot, he is dam strong. Cool, calculated, no nonsense gut.

[jcza]

I think we have safely put to bed any comparison between the TdF and Cape Epic. World tour road racing is the pinnacle of cycling. MTB is for retired road pros or those that are not good enough to make it on the world tour. Nino can pick a world tour rider from a Scott sponsored team and come and win the Epic again next year. 

[babse]

Val de vie the Champs Elysees of the Cape Epic...WTAF 🤣

 

 

Why must there be a comparison? 
 

Edited March 26, 2023 by babse

[DieselnDust]

8 hours ago, Nick said:

Start list says they kicked off at 7:45 today instead of 7:00. Is that usual for the last day? Or something to do with the conditions?

Yip the last stage start is always delayed an hour. It was less this year due to the longer than normal distance for stage 7. Normally it gets going at 8am.

6 hours ago, ChrisF said:

Huge bottle neck as the masses enters the single tracks ...

Ai ai Ai that never fails. Probably started by someone who raced to the front of the singletrack start then got off to walk, the held everyone up while apologising profusely but never giving way

6 hours ago, mrcg said:

I think it's been all too much for Amy and she just finally cracked. Totally understandable, after all she has been through this week.

Just a side note on her wheel/rim damage: having seen the footage of incident, this is a small technical error she made in my mind. Perhaps she was slightly unsighted by rider in front of her (Sophia or Kat?), but one should always try to jump any "depression"/gap/hole in trail, especially at speed to prevent impact of wheel/drive train.

I doubt she had enough visibility. When your glasses are caked in mud you typically look out over the top rim so it acts as a mud shield. This limits field of Vision and also depth of field. It’s easy to miss something . She said a rock rolled out from someone’s wheel and she didn’t have enough time to react. Add the visibility issues to the reaction time and the latter increases a lot. Bear in mind pulling up suddenly on the bars would be extremely painful due to her still healing injury.

5 hours ago, babse said:

Massive respect to Spez factory racing. That some some way back from 10th. I thought the field was too deep without doubting their capabilities...

 

Mad administration for our local Beers 🥵💪

Toyota Specialized Ninety One….#semanet.

specialized factory racing is an XCO registered team. 
I’m a bit pedantic about this because their presence started due to Christoph Sauser wanting to market the Songo.info NPO and he went to Investec Asset Management for sponsorship. That relationship has continued since 2009. The sponsors are an important part of this success, very important.

4 hours ago, dev null said:

I just wish the commentators would stop to compare the Cape Epic to the Tour de France. Give the Epic it's own due. I almost puked when the commentator compared Val de Vie to the Champs de Elysees.

😂😂, surely you jest….

2 hours ago, 'Dale said:

Another win on the final stage of the Absa Cape Epic. Yoh! The stoic Matt Beers defies gravity yet again with his American partner in the white kicks. 

What I appreciate most of the race is the symbiosis required to succeed and the compatibility challenge that each team faces every single day. Overcoming an 8 mins deficit after Blevins' blew up on Stage 1 - remarkable team effort.
So sweet to see the South African marathon jersey do so well. 🥰

Fatal mechanicals for the leading women and the leading men on Stage 6 - so so so close to kissing glory. Gotta feel for them. The raw and uncompromising nature of professional sport.

The brand Specialized, an American brand started in 1974, continues to dominate this race. It will be interesting to get the stats on this dominance. 

Also as per above , Investec asset management / Ninety One Asset Management have been an integral part of this success. They pay the bills for the Specialized cape epic teams for the event.

Edited March 26, 2023 by DieselnDust

[Stephan]

2 hours ago, babse said:

That final stretch OTB by singer rider was a classic... That'll be more memorable than a stage win 😆

Watched it a couple of times as well. Looks like he landed about 1m away from a steel dropper/peg in the ground (used to attach banner tape)? If he landed on that steel peg....eish. Thankfully he missed it. It was an exciting finish sprint to watch though. 

Very well done to Matt and Chris. Superb ride! Never gave up. You make your own luck, and they certainly deserve the win. 

As for ladies race, my heart breaks for Candice and Amy. They deserved the win, but wow their graciousness in loss is so admirable. Big respect. 

[love2fly]

6 hours ago, J Wakefield said:

Nino needs to ride the capabilities of his partner. Not the other way around as a expectation 

Disagree....that's kind of what he's done and look where it got them....

[J Wakefield]

16 minutes ago, love2fly said:

Disagree....that's kind of what he's done and look where it got them....

Destroyed partners repetitively

yet incredible in XCO as solo.

kinda what I said  

[TheoG]

4 minutes ago, J Wakefield said:

Destroyed partners repetitively

yet incredible in XCO as solo.

kinda what I said  

I think he ride himself to pieces also sometimes, he knows no other way ... 🙈

[SwissVan]

In a team event like the epic, the team is only as good as the slowest rider.

Nino needs to look beyond switz for a partner, and beyond Scott bicycles

Sometimes the Swiss shoot themselves in the foot with their national pride

true story, live from planet Zug 

 

[love2fly]

17 minutes ago, J Wakefield said:

Destroyed partners repetitively

yet incredible in XCO as solo.

kinda what I said  

He's won with Lars. If he had a matching partner he might not beat SCR in a straight fight but I'd rate them up there...

As an aside I was hoping Kate Courtney would stay and race Epic as a foundation for the XC season but not to be...

 

[Bernard and Christell Mtb Bucket List]

Imagine wout va and vd pool enter as a team next year....going to be strong.