WC Gravel Monster - .......erm.."tar monster ? "

[Max Headroom]

RACE FACT FILE:
Date: 17 September 2023
Distances: 150km Monster and 100km Mini Monster
Elevation: 150km: 2000m | 100km 1300m
Terrain:
150km: 85km gravel | 65km tar

🤨

[Bub Marley]

So what dude. If it doesn’t appeal, don’t enter.

[ChrisF]

48 minutes ago, Bub Marley said:

So what dude. If it doesn’t appeal, don’t enter.

 

SA gravel may well be in a better condition than the tar section .... 

[cadenceblur]

Hefty entrance fee as well,  but this appears to be the case with gravel events 

[ChrisF]

51 minutes ago, cadenceblur said:

Hefty entrance fee as well,  but this appears to be the case with gravel events 

 

Some anecdotal info ....

 

Spoke to an event time keeper last week.  They travel all over the country doing time keeping.

 

All road and MTB events are drastically down on numbers.  Most events entry numbers down by about 50% over the last two years.

 

Only Gravel events that show growth in numbers.

[cadenceblur]

Yip, so this discipline is here to stay then ! 
and along with it these process!

[Theunissa]

40 minutes ago, cadenceblur said:

Yip, so this discipline is here to stay then ! 
and along with it these process!

Everything new peaks at some point. 

[Shebeen]

1 hour ago, cadenceblur said:

Hefty entrance fee as well,  but this appears to be the case with gravel events 

actually the opposite. this one looks pricier because believe it or not the tar sections probably involve more WC road admin at a price - routing through bainskloof pass officially must be $$$.  pure gravel event like ATP is cheaper.

[cadenceblur]

13 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

actually the opposite. this one looks pricier because believe it or not the tar sections probably involve more WC road admin at a price - routing through bainskloof pass officially must be $$$.  pure gravel event like ATP is cheaper.

Prices of the 2 events are similar 

ATP 60 miler is R750

Boland is R850

[milky4130]

1 hour ago, Shebeen said:

actually the opposite. this one looks pricier because believe it or not the tar sections probably involve more WC road admin at a price - routing through bainskloof pass officially must be $$$.  pure gravel event like ATP is cheaper.

Bainskloof was open to the public, where we popped out from the farm onto the pass there was a marshal & I now can't recall if there was a traffic cop stationed there as well almost think there was and also where we swung off the pass as well.

[Danger Dassie]

It's not that uncommon for gravel events to include tar, that kind if mix is what makes it appealing for many.

[Skubarra]

5 minutes ago, Danger Dassie said:

It's not that uncommon for gravel events to include tar, that kind if mix is what makes it appealing for many.

UCI definition as per the website

 

So they are slightly over the "allowed" limit if you want to throw the book at them

Swartberg 100 Miler also about 40/60 tar vs gravel

So yes - lots of tar definitely part of the gravel scene, I agree the mix is part of the appeal and makes it more interesting. Have not seen many complaints

[WaldoZ]

haha, if anyone thinks the tar on this course is just free miles I can't wait to see their faces on race day and with a bit of a spicy wind direction 😜

[milky4130]

23 hours ago, Bub Marley said:

So what dude. If it doesn’t appeal, don’t enter.

That's what I was thinking as well. But I see he is moaner so I'm not surprised. Yes 2 Climbs are tar which is already brutal in Road Races, do it on a Gravel Bike then it becomes a Monster route. Then there are the gravel sectors 1 big climb that I can remember with a fast descent, the others are rolling hills, last year the gravel roads was rutted like MF'er then there is also one long drag of a climb I reckon between 3-5%, Garmin Pro Climber classifies it as Climb but you wont know its a climb until you get dropped. So I dont really have a problem with this race having Monster in its name if that is what the Op was getting at. You'll definitely not make it on a Road Bike that's for sure.

[Bub Marley]

3 hours ago, Skubarra said:

UCI definition as per the website

 

So they are slightly over the "allowed" limit if you want to throw the book at them

Swartberg 100 Miler also about 40/60 tar vs gravel

So yes - lots of tar definitely part of the gravel scene, I agree the mix is part of the appeal and makes it more interesting. Have not seen many complaints

Tarred sections include Bothmaskloof and Bainskloof pass. Why would you not include them? Especially Bainskloof pass and that magical descent. That’s a definite plus point of the race.

[WaldoZ]

Yeah the gravel bits are proper gravel and sandy sections just before and a technical downhill after Bains climb where MTB's pulled 30s lead on the rest of the lead bunch as far as I can remember. It's a very diverse route, quite liked it to be honest.