Really, No Epic 2023 Thread?

[love2fly]

2 hours ago, ChrisF said:

 

It was an eye opener being on a WA group with "mid-fielders" .... okay, they consistently came in top 40% of the overall.  Still only managed 3 seconds on tv, as he happened to be at the lead of a pack at the right moment.

 

Getting their photos, and supporters videos, their race debrief at night.  Their pics with the champs in the Epic tents .....

 

 

I fully understand the economics of only shooting the top riders. But would love to see 1 or 2 minutes per day of these riders.

 

That coverage is what used to make Comrades so great to watch. It's cool that the top guys finish a stage in 3 to 4 hours but the real heroes are the guys n girls who battle for 8 hours and don't give up.

A few years ago I went OTB hard on day one of Route 66, about 1/3 in and cracked some ribs and a few bruises so I suffered on and finished after 6 1/2 hours....got some cheers at the finish as I was covered in black soil and lots of blood on my arm....8 hours? Wow!

[DieselnDust]

36 minutes ago, bolt67 said:

Maybe another factor ( not withstanding a bacterial stomach bug that was doing the rounds according the pharmacist and a doctor I visited in Somerset West), was that the finish line food quality was shocking to say the least.  No more Woolies. Cost cutting ? Not sure what the dinners for the campers was like but if same caterers it couldn't have been good. I was lucky enough to be hosted by ABSA ,which was world class, and stay in hotels'. Huge respect for anybody that camped in the mud and ate that food, and still finished.

“ that food” is craved by many starving people. I’ve never had much issue with the food on offer. I just east the rice , potatoes salad and chicken anyway.

[DieselnDust]

3 hours ago, Shebeen said:

not sure what the 2023 entry fee was, but the early bird slots have filled up already at ZAR110k (or ~ZAR140k currently for the overseas riders)

say it's 100 teams, that's a nice 10bar+ in the bank (to pay the service providers for last week's work!)

2023 was R104k odd so it’s less than 10% increase .

still massively steep

[bolt67]

3 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

“ that food” is craved by many starving people. I’ve never had much issue with the food on offer. I just east the rice , potatoes salad and chicken anyway.

Good to hear ! My mates weren’t happy with it and gave it a skip. Got food outside race village.

[Shebeen]

39 minutes ago, bolt67 said:

Maybe another factor ( not withstanding a bacterial stomach bug that was doing the rounds according the pharmacist and a doctor I visited in Somerset West), was that the finish line food quality was shocking to say the least.  No more Woolies. Cost cutting ? Not sure what the dinners for the campers was like but if same caterers it couldn't have been good. I was lucky enough to be hosted by ABSA ,which was world class, and stay in hotels'. Huge respect for anybody that camped in the mud and ate that food, and still finished.

How can the food not be awesome?

R50k per person entry, they need to feed just 7 dinners, (with a lot of riders not taking them up/withdrawing). Good place to spend money properly there. I assume it was sponsored/subsidised by WW in the past?

I'd ask for money back if the food is crap

[DieselnDust]

5 minutes ago, bolt67 said:

Good to hear ! My mates weren’t happy with it and gave it a skip. Got food outside race village.

I think it can be tedious to eat similar food every night. 
when I rode in 2018 we ate out a few nights to steer clear of any stomach bugs but mostly to have a change of scenery. By day 3 the mood is low and okes are edgy. I found the food always tasty and the right options were available 

[Carmichael]

2 hours ago, dave303e said:

This is very true, also the form of food is a big thing. High carb drinks and gu gels are not sustainable. 

How long after Epic did it take for your stomach bug to settle? I caught a proper stomach bug in Lesotho at an event last year. It took 3 courses of antibiotics and nearly 2 months before I could trust a fart...

Went to the doc on the wednesday after and got a 5 days anti biotic course… was about 2 weeks to say i was 100 percent cleared.. 

[Jewbacca]

You guys are spoiled. On an adventure race I'm stoked to eat Pilchards, fruit, semi stale sandwiches and the very occasional dehydrated/rehydrated meal out of a bag if we boil some water.

Usually on the move or huddled together somewhere at 2am, mostly with unwashed hands having not showered for days, pooped in a bush and slept on the floor somewhere for a couple of hours a night.

Cyclists are hella fussy

[W@nted]

Any links to videos made of the real epic experience? Sleeping in muddy tents and eating the “not woolies” food? 

[DieselnDust]

25 minutes ago, W@nted said:

Any links to videos made of the real epic experience? Sleeping in muddy tents and eating the “not woolies” food? 

Apparently that’s no longer good entertainment 

[Shebeen]

1 hour ago, Jewbacca said:

You guys are spoiled. On an adventure race I'm stoked to eat Pilchards, fruit, semi stale sandwiches and the very occasional dehydrated/rehydrated meal out of a bag if we boil some water.

Usually on the move or huddled together somewhere at 2am, mostly with unwashed hands having not showered for days, pooped in a bush and slept on the floor somewhere for a couple of hours a night.

Cyclists are hella fussy

Had a very wet ~200km AR in Stanford over the weekend. There were no pies left at the Napier garage once we moved through, luxury!

[babse]

3 hours ago, bolt67 said:

Maybe another factor ( not withstanding a bacterial stomach bug that was doing the rounds according the pharmacist and a doctor I visited in Somerset West), was that the finish line food quality was shocking to say the least.  No more Woolies. Cost cutting ? Not sure what the dinners for the campers was like but if same caterers it couldn't have been good. I was lucky enough to be hosted by ABSA ,which was world class, and stay in hotels'. Huge respect for anybody that camped in the mud and ate that food, and still finished.

So they were also booted!? What was given on the line? 

The Woolies cool off zone immediately after the finish with shakes, pre packed meal with a wet towel over your neck was always well received.

Also the coffee in the village. Swak

[OVERDRIVE]

All the talk about running tummies...

[DieselnDust]

10 hours ago, babse said:

So they were also booted!? What was given on the line? 

The Woolies cool off zone immediately after the finish with shakes, pre packed meal with a wet towel over your neck was always well received.

Also the coffee in the village. Swak

given the boot or opted out, the race village is just not what it used to be. So now you pay more for less. This is the way

[DieselnDust]

watched a video of Stage 6 that was made by one of the rders. It looked like all the amateurs were riding 2.4 tyres like Recon Race, Bontraager XR, Racing ralph Pirelli Scorpion XC RC. No wonder so many struggled with mud build up. A 2.0 trail or mud tyre would have been a better option

[Carmichael]

10 hours ago, babse said:

So they were also booted!? What was given on the line? 

The Woolies cool off zone immediately after the finish with shakes, pre packed meal with a wet towel over your neck was always well received.

Also the coffee in the village. Swak

Ah now i click, that is why i could not find the woolies coffee stand in the village.. just Vida....