CSA / gravel

[mecheng89]

I did find this document. Apparently gravel is classified as XCG. Cup events for 2024 TBA. 

2024 Gauteng Cycling Colours Selection Criteria.pdf

[Skubarra]

Bad communication from WP Cycling but the gravel events that could potentially be WP league races only start end of April / early May so no need to panic just yet?

Will hopefully be announced after the CTCT/Epic before gravel season starts

 

[BuffsVintageBikes]

I wasn't aware there was a Gravel "season" in SA. Surely if we race XCM all year around then we can race Gravel all year around? Case in point being Attakwas which was the WC's first XCM race of the year.

[Skubarra]

3 hours ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

I wasn't aware there was a Gravel "season" in SA. Surely if we race XCM all year around then we can race Gravel all year around? Case in point being Attakwas which was the WC's first XCM race of the year.

Just my wording - there is not an official gravel season, but Im not aware of any major gravel events in the WC between Jan and April

[Danger Dassie]

20 minutes ago, Skubarra said:

Just my wording - there is not an official gravel season, but Im not aware of any major gravel events in the WC between Jan and April

Swartberg 100 on the 27th April. It’s also part of the UCI Gravel World Series.

 

[Mayo916]

On 1/29/2024 at 7:39 AM, Skubarra said:

Bad communication from WP Cycling but the gravel events that could potentially be WP league races only start end of April / early May so no need to panic just yet?

Will hopefully be announced after the CTCT/Epic before gravel season starts

 

[Rowl]

10 minutes ago, Mayo916 said:

Some obvious ones missed imo, but nice to have something like this going again.

 

Edit: Would have been great if they could get the same hype going as what Lifetime does in the USA (better communication would be a start).

Edited March 6 by Rowl

[Jbr]

Great to have something going on, but also a bit hectic as if you add swartberg, rvr and nationals to this calendar, that’s 6 races on consecutive weekends, all of them almost requiring to spend the night away from home. Busy busy month and half, seems a bit unnecessary to pack all theses races like this, will have to make a selection unfortunately

[BuffsVintageBikes]

This WC Gravel schedule is just about impossible to following if you're a working class citizen.

Let's break it down:

3 events in May, almost back to back. Fine for sponsored Elites, not so lekka for Vets & Masters who need some recovery time. All 3 of these races are away games at Houhoek, McGregor and Oudtshoorn.  Okay, Houhoek you can maybe make a day of it if you're prepared to leave home at 4am.
Entry fees for all 3 is close to 3.5K, never mind traveling costs and accommodation. So add in an extra 6K. That's R9 500 for your races in May 😲

Then the same thing happens in Sept, this time racing 3 weekends in a row at events of over 140km's long. Recovery time in mid winter is so over rated 🙄 Another R9K out the budget.

Then you can only miss 1 race so best you don't get sick or injured on your 1 sit-out event otherwise you're out of the running.

If they're going to present these series they need to be a little more realistic about the time & cost implications for riders. I get that it's not easy to put a race schedule together but it doesn't help to say at the end of the year that the series was poorly represented and not worth pursuing going forward when the schedule is extremely difficult & expensive to follow. I was keen to give it a bash this year but sadly that's not going to happen.

[Rowl]

22 minutes ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

This WC Gravel schedule is just about impossible to following if you're a working class citizen.

Let's break it down:

3 events in May, almost back to back. Fine for sponsored Elites, not so lekka for Vets & Masters who need some recovery time. All 3 of these races are away games at Houhoek, McGregor and Oudtshoorn.  Okay, Houhoek you can maybe make a day of it if you're prepared to leave home at 4am.
Entry fees for all 3 is close to 3.5K, never mind traveling costs and accommodation. So add in an extra 6K. That's R9 500 for your races in May 😲

Then the same thing happens in Sept, this time racing 3 weekends in a row at events of over 140km's long. Recovery time in mid winter is so over rated 🙄 Another R9K out the budget.

Then you can only miss 1 race so best you don't get sick or injured on your 1 sit-out event otherwise you're out of the running.

If they're going to present these series they need to be a little more realistic about the time & cost implications for riders. I get that it's not easy to put a race schedule together but it doesn't help to say at the end of the year that the series was poorly represented and not worth pursuing going forward when the schedule is extremely difficult & expensive to follow. I was keen to give it a bash this year but sadly that's not going to happen.

Couldn't have said it better... So many options to choose from to make up the series with at least one gravel event every month from March through September. (Both Houwhoek and the extended Pie Run are 'newish' events if that counts for anything)

I'm not a WP cycling official but can't imagine why they wouldn't have considered your/or an individual's cost point of view. But great to also have a sponsor onboard in Cannondale.

 

Did a quick take on the form, but couldn't see an amateur/open category championship?

[Skubarra]

1 hour ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

This WC Gravel schedule is just about impossible to following if you're a working class citizen.

Let's break it down:

3 events in May, almost back to back. Fine for sponsored Elites, not so lekka for Vets & Masters who need some recovery time. All 3 of these races are away games at Houhoek, McGregor and Oudtshoorn.  Okay, Houhoek you can maybe make a day of it if you're prepared to leave home at 4am.
Entry fees for all 3 is close to 3.5K, never mind traveling costs and accommodation. So add in an extra 6K. That's R9 500 for your races in May 😲

Then the same thing happens in Sept, this time racing 3 weekends in a row at events of over 140km's long. Recovery time in mid winter is so over rated 🙄 Another R9K out the budget.

Then you can only miss 1 race so best you don't get sick or injured on your 1 sit-out event otherwise you're out of the running.

If they're going to present these series they need to be a little more realistic about the time & cost implications for riders. I get that it's not easy to put a race schedule together but it doesn't help to say at the end of the year that the series was poorly represented and not worth pursuing going forward when the schedule is extremely difficult & expensive to follow. I was keen to give it a bash this year but sadly that's not going to happen.

I agree lumping 3 races together in May and then another 3 in September is daft and impractical, also not going to do it.

I do think though 4 of the 6 should be fairly priced and close enough you can do without booking accomodation (36One half makes for a very expensive weekend & Ceder the other one where it is impractical to drive through for the day)

[Shebeen]

4 hours ago, Mayo916 said:

You need to do 4 to just make the list for Gravel cup log? So that's basically skip one of the May ones and then do both in sept? 

Is the obvious thing not to make an unofficial log?

Take these 5 events, add in the 4/5 other ones.

Then you say that your best 4 events from here count, but list anyone who has done more than 3.

 

Winner gets a noddy badge and bragging rights.

 

I think it is fair to say that 4 events are possible, if you

 

 

[Skubarra]

35 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

You need to do 4 to just make the list for Gravel cup log? So that's basically skip one of the May ones and then do both in sept? 

Is the obvious thing not to make an unofficial log?

Take these 5 events, add in the 4/5 other ones.

Then you say that your best 4 events from here count, but list anyone who has done more than 3.

 

Winner gets a noddy badge and bragging rights.

 

I think it is fair to say that 4 events are possible, if you

 

 

To add what @BuffsVintageBikes was saying, further problem is that there is a list of good races (also mostly happening in May/Sept) not on the list - Swartberg, Ronde van Riebeek, Race to the Sea (add nationals in May Race to the Sun if you are serious) & Prince George comes to mind. So the opportunity cost chasing the WP noddy badge is quite high. 

[Danger Dassie]

On 1/29/2024 at 7:16 AM, mecheng89 said:

I did find this document. Apparently gravel is classified as XCG. Cup events for 2024 TBA. 

2024 Gauteng Cycling Colours Selection Criteria.pdf 1.11 MB · 6 downloads

Is this from one of the various Telegram groups? See the only reference for gravel (XCG) is R2S. 

Finding the whole telegram thing onerous and counterproductive, especially when it can all be accommodated within FB/WhatsApp.

[WaldoZ]

Privileged to have first world problems like these. Soooo much to choose from!

The travelling and logistics so close together is a concern though.

[binxc]

At least Gauteng and Western Cape are trying. KZN cancelled their road championships last minute, to host in the middle of winter at an as yet still undefined time and location. Fair MTB scene but no gravel despite having a tonne of challenging routes. Eastern Cape, Free State and Mpumalanga seem to put in sporadic effort. Do provincial cycling bodies even exist for North-West, Northern Cape and Limpopo?