the unofficial Cape Epic 2024 thread

[Jbr]

Grotts looks like he’s hanging on for dear life. Might well finish today with a new power PB 🙈🙈

 

when you see Matt cranking it with his derailleur cage completely flat, sho 😳 it’s bad news for anyone behind 

[mikkelz]

It's like watching a slideshow from the onboard camera. 🫠

[DieselnDust]

Coverage is poor unfortunately. No time splits and the commentary 🤮

spitz has to keep correcting laurel and hardy 

['Dale]

Matt looking good in his white kicks.

He’s an example of an athlete typology that defies gravity, He climbs so efficiently.

Reminiscent of Usain Bolt who was classified as too tall and big to sprint so fast, defying aerodynamics.

Go, Matt and Grotts!

Edited March 17 by 'Dale

[Nick]

21 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

Coverage is poor unfortunately. No time splits and the commentary 🤮

spitz has to keep correcting laurel and hardy 

I've been keeping on eye on the splits using the live timing. It seems pretty on it this year.

https://www.epic-series.com/capeepic-riders-liveresults

Select a category "UCI Men" to get the splits. Doesn't show in the all results mode.

A bit late for today.

[dev null]

Weather the coming week looks brutal for the late starters. Medics are going to be having a busy week with all the dehydrated riders.

 

https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/2-3360396/Republic of South Africa/Western Cape Province/Cape Winelands District Municipality/Tulbagh

Edited March 17 by dev null

[DieselnDust]

Yea I noticed this. In 2016 we had a brutal week with temps in the low 40's I ended up so dehydrated I had elevated levels of creatinine in my urine which could have been a sign of impending kidney failure. I was pulled from the race. Don't mess with dehydration.

[babse]

Fini a worthy partner to put up with Nino for 8 days... Bar serious technicals they going to put up a good fight to keep yellow.

Didn't expect Speed Company to loose almost 3mins today. 

[DieselnDust]

41 minutes ago, babse said:

Fini a worthy partner to put up with Nino for 8 days... Bar serious technicals they going to put up a good fight to keep yellow.

Didn't expect Speed Company to loose almost 3mins today. 

they looked to be doing quite a lot of riding since landing in SA as well as a lot of promotional work which they didn't do in the past.

[J Wakefield]

10 hours ago, @grootlem said:

Twenty years ago I was on the start line with Andre du Plessis. We're still friends even after swearing at each other on stage 4. Ok I did the swearing. Looking at this race I see  Mittenwaller suffered a bit. Happens if you don't want to rest a bit in the week leading up to the event. Would've loved to see Miller and Beers in a team. Would have a better chance according to some in the know. And in Olympic years we usually have less top xco riders interested. I know of a few teams definitely coming next year that's focusing on Olympics this year 

I often agree with your view on riders when you say things or add to a convo. Local and international. Road and mtb. 
This comment on partners for Matt is incorrect for epic. This is epic, not Tankwa or Sani.
Can Alex get there? Yes I think he can over time, I rate him as a rider.
Right now? No.
He will agree with that currently. 

I don’t know much, very little when I hear all the experts talking and typing in general but on this 1 small thing I’m more in the know than many of the people in the know. 
 

Edited March 17 by J Wakefield

[J Wakefield]

49 minutes ago, babse said:

Fini a worthy partner to put up with Nino for 8 days... Bar serious technicals they going to put up a good fight to keep yellow.

Didn't expect Speed Company to loose almost 3mins today. 

Day 4/5 will be the marker 

[DieselnDust]

2 minutes ago, J Wakefield said:

Day 4/5 will be the marker 

Rain forecast for days 6 and 7 which might throw the destiny of yellow and orange up in the air like it did in 2023

[duringd]

7 hours ago, babse said:

Fini a worthy partner to put up with Nino for 8 days... Bar serious technicals they going to put up a good fight to keep yellow.

Didn't expect Speed Company to loose almost 3mins today. 

Speed Company made a comment in their pre-race interview re the implications of a 2-3 minute deficit in the prologue. Hope it does not come back to bite them......

 

[love2fly]

38 minutes ago, duringd said:

Speed Company made a comment in their pre-race interview re the implications of a 2-3 minute deficit in the prologue. Hope it does not come back to bite them......

 

 

17 hours ago, Jbr said:

Grotts looks like he’s hanging on for dear life. Might well finish today with a new power PB 🙈🙈

 

when you see Matt cranking it with his derailleur cage completely flat, sho 😳 it’s bad news for anyone behind 

Grotts needed a bigger chainring yesterday - he was spinning out a bit.

[mecheng89]

17 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

Coverage is poor unfortunately. No time splits and the commentary 🤮

spitz has to keep correcting laurel and hardy 

The YT feed had split times. I didn't find the commentary too chunder-worthy.

Edited March 18 by mecheng89

[@grootlem]

8 hours ago, J Wakefield said:

I often agree with your view on riders when you say things or add to a convo. Local and international. Road and mtb. 
This comment on partners for Matt is incorrect for epic. This is epic, not Tankwa or Sani.
Can Alex get there? Yes I think he can over time, I rate him as a rider.
Right now? No.
He will agree with that currently. 

I don’t know much, very little when I hear all the experts talking and typing in general but on this 1 small thing I’m more in the know than many of the people in the know. 
 

I heard discussions from top riders on training camps here with that view. They felt that the Namibian would be better in the heat and that their riding strengths are more matched. We shall see