the unofficial Cape Epic thread

[MongooseMan]

1 hour ago, mecheng89 said:

He was on a podcast a little while ago with some US-based riders, I'll have to go dig for it, it think it was just after this previous Epic overall victory.

That was the Bonk Bros podcast: https://bonkbrospodcast.com/e/episode-42-cape-epic-special-w-the-champ-matt-beers/

[The Bull Shark]

40 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

Yeah for the racing perspective the full stages are available on YouTube for your to watch at your leisure. It’s the amateur field that needs some coverage. 

It is all about money now. As soon as the pro ladies finishes they land those helis because they get billed heavy for flight time I think.

[Bub Marley]

1 hour ago, DieselnDust said:

Yeah for the racing perspective the full stages are available on YouTube for your to watch at your leisure. It’s the amateur field that needs some coverage. 

That’s never going to happen as much as we want to see it. They rely on the YouTubers to provide this content. 

 

If you want to see more of the back of the field guys, watch Craig Kolesky. He’s given you a great perspective of what it’s like. If anything it’s actually put me off it a bit with the amount of walking that would have to be done if you stuck behind someone on a climb and then also stuck behind slower guys on single track and not really enjoying the trails. 

 

I would also subscribe to Jasper Verkuijl’s channel on YouTube. He’s an amateur but very fit and finished 3rd at the epic in the Amateur category. His videos are top notch quality and bring a more racing perspective from the amateurs. It’ll probably be a while though before he edits and uploads it but yeah he’s the go to guy for amateur racing. His content on the Haute Route events are top class.

[saturdayknight]

So many riders dropped out with heat stress - mediclinic apparently was struggling to find hospital beds after day 4 - 40 odd riders in hospital with kidney failure / heat stress - thats not counting all the riders in the race village hospital on a drip. Heat acclimatisation for me seems to key to making it through if this race is held in Wellington / Tulbagh area - my Garmin read 39 degrees with no wind going up the Alp de Huez to Cliffhanger. Was brutal. I did quite a bit of heated yoga going into the Epic and I think this helped, but us back markers are riding in the heat of the day whereas the pros are already done and dusted.

[JohanC]

Time to get Netflix involved? A "drive to survive"/ Cape Epic documentary will be awesome..

[Danger Dassie]

Imho there’s a fair amount of amateur coverage amongst the highlights packages etc. Arguably there could be more depth, at the same time who pays for this?
Using the heli as am example, flying hours are already at their limit, including the pilot, camera operator, editing and producers. So to extend that means an extra crew on a heli, pilot, cameraman and producer hours for editing, or draw down hours on capturing elites. 
As it is, the eyeballs are drawn by what happens in the elite race, this is a fact. It is the driving impetus behind coverage. 

[Danger Dassie]

28 minutes ago, Bub Marley said:

That’s never going to happen as much as we want to see it. They rely on the YouTubers to provide this content. 

 

If you want to see more of the back of the field guys, watch Craig Kolesky. He’s given you a great perspective of what it’s like. If anything it’s actually put me off it a bit with the amount of walking that would have to be done if you stuck behind someone on a climb and then also stuck behind slower guys on single track and not really enjoying the trails. 

 

I would also subscribe to Jasper Verkuijl’s channel on YouTube. He’s an amateur but very fit and finished 3rd at the epic in the Amateur category. His videos are top notch quality and bring a more racing perspective from the amateurs. It’ll probably be a while though before he edits and uploads it but yeah he’s the go to guy for amateur racing. His content on the Haute Route events are top class.

Jasper is an absolute mullet and legend, class human.

[Pieta Swanepoel]

I am well aware of the cost implications of tv coverage. I therefor do no expect full coverage of everybody that rides. But some footage from a drone of the rest of the riders would be nice.

 

And showing the category results for the amateur classes at the end of the days highlights would also be nice. And yes, I know you can look it up on the internet. Else, why bother with even having these categories. Might as well then be: Pros vs the rest 

[DieselnDust]

I reckon just drop the race office the feedback and see what happens for next year. 

[Jewbacca]

Just now, DieselnDust said:

I reckon just drop the race office the feedback and see what happens for next year. 

This

I think everyone agrees it would be good to see a more rounded coverage, the real challenge is getting that to the right people.

I guess it would also be important to know what the numbers look like in terms of engagement - Number of Saffas, spanish etc and who engages in the non live stuff.

Are we, those watching most years, the actual target market? Is it worthwhile for them to go through the processes for a handful of people who likely won't buy entries down the line?

I'd guess these are all things the company can look at after the feedback and suggestions have reached the right people

[eala]

5 hours ago, mecheng89 said:

Yes, in the daily highlights package they perhaps named the age cat winners once. 

BTW, why did Bart B not ride this year? His "pigeon chest" is looking worse as time goes on.

Shoulder operation earlier this year 

[NotSoBigBen]

QED!

[saturdayknight]

43 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

This

I think everyone agrees it would be good to see a more rounded coverage, the real challenge is getting that to the right people.

I guess it would also be important to know what the numbers look like in terms of engagement - Number of Saffas, spanish etc and who engages in the non live stuff.

Are we, those watching most years, the actual target market? Is it worthwhile for them to go through the processes for a handful of people who likely won't buy entries down the line?

I'd guess these are all things the company can look at after the feedback and suggestions have reached the right people

I reckon once the choppers are out the way they should throw a few drones up to get coverage of rest of the field. There were no drones which I suppose is due to concern with choppers still in the air. And maybe attach a few go-pros to riders for an entry reduction ?! 

[The Bull Shark]

36 minutes ago, NotSoBigBen said:

QED!

So a poor person can thus never be a real mountain biker? I have all sorts of problems with the above statement by Burry. Maybe he never knew how the entrance fees and equipment prices would spiral out of control, and thus out of reach for the average person. That statement might have held water then, but not anymore.

[BuffsVintageBikes]

It still holds water for me. Burry never mentioned that was the only race that determined whether he classed someone as a true mountain biker, merely one of them.

[SwissVan]

47 minutes ago, NotSoBigBen said:

QED!

 

1 minute ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

It still holds water for me. Burry never mentioned that was the only race that determined whether he classed someone as a true mountain biker, merely one of them.

What Buff said, I doubt Burry or anyone meant it was the only race.