the unofficial Cape Epic thread

[Shebeen]

20 hours ago, MongooseMan said:

I was in the medic tent this afternoon, they had a conveyor belt of kidney function tests running (i failed mine 🙈) and they were shipping every second person off to hospital.

 

does this mean you are out? sorry if so (maybe happy to have been on a couch today rather)

[MongooseMan]

1 minute ago, Shebeen said:

does this mean you are out? sorry if so (maybe happy to have been on a couch today rather)

Yeah, been playing support today.

Got heatstroke yesterday (headache, dizzy, all the fun things when you're going downhill on singletrack and you're not a "real" mountain biker 😆)
Collapsed under a gazebo on top of a hill and medics pulled me and took me to race village. Drew blood for kidney tests and told me I was 1 point below going to hospital. If it was cooler today, maybe, but given the forecast I was strongly advised to not start, which given the outcome, I'm ok with.

[ChrisF]

14 minutes ago, MongooseMan said:

Yeah, been playing support today.

Got heatstroke yesterday (headache, dizzy, all the fun things when you're going downhill on singletrack and you're not a "real" mountain biker 😆)
Collapsed under a gazebo on top of a hill and medics pulled me and took me to race village. Drew blood for kidney tests and told me I was 1 point below going to hospital. If it was cooler today, maybe, but given the forecast I was strongly advised to not start, which given the outcome, I'm ok with.

 

That sucks big time.

 

Do you know if your partner can ride tomorrow, as he is being "brought back to the race village" now ?

[Rapunzel]

Stage has been stopped due to heat and believe waterpoints have run out of water. Riders who reached various cut off points in the allowed time will be allowed to ride tomorrow. Must be hectic for riders, supporters and organisers. Website shows 106DNF's for the day and 200 teams still on course.

 

Edited March 19, 2025 by Rapunzel

[BuffsVintageBikes]

Welcome to Africa boys... this is why you train for the Epic at midday over the weekends and not at 5am in the cool of the morning 🙄 Those poor Euros must think they have arrived at the pit of hell 🔥

[MongooseMan]

Just now, BuffsVintageBikes said:

Welcome to Africa boys... this is why you train for the Epic at midday over the weekends and not at 5am in the cool of the morning 🙄 Those poor Euros must think they have arrived at the pit of hell 🔥

As we were saying to riders at WP2 today: If there isn't a South African (or other African) flag on your race number, you don't have enough ice on you right now.

[Underachiever]

3 minutes ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

Welcome to Africa boys... this is why you train for the Epic at midday over the weekends and not at 5am in the cool of the morning 🙄 Those poor Euros must think they have arrived at the pit of hell 🔥

Exactly - did my training in 41 C into Swartberg and of course into the Hell...   Learnt a lot w.r.t. fluid management.  

[saturdayknight]

25 minutes ago, MongooseMan said:

Yeah, been playing support today.

Got heatstroke yesterday (headache, dizzy, all the fun things when you're going downhill on singletrack and you're not a "real" mountain biker 😆)
Collapsed under a gazebo on top of a hill and medics pulled me and took me to race village. Drew blood for kidney tests and told me I was 1 point below going to hospital. If it was cooler today, maybe, but given the forecast I was strongly advised to not start, which given the outcome, I'm ok with.

sorry bru thats horrible - all the training and investment...

[MongooseMan]

4 minutes ago, saturdayknight said:

sorry bru thats horrible - all the training and investment...

Well, not quite (see my backstory, I was probably the least qualified entrant in that I only got on a mountain bike a month ago to help out a mate who had run out of partner options).
 

 

Edited March 19, 2025 by MongooseMan

[Titleist]

8 minutes ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

Welcome to Africa boys... this is why you train for the Epic at midday over the weekends and not at 5am in the cool of the morning 🙄 Those poor Euros must think they have arrived at the pit of hell 🔥

I would love to know what the average training hours per week was since December '24, for the slowest 25% of the field.

[DJuice]

Super proud of of my brother in law, was concerned the whole day.

Around 50km it was looking not so great for team, pulled through and came in at 7h25min.

[saturdayknight]

Just now, Underachiever said:

Exactly - did my training in 41 C into Swartberg and of course into the Hell...   Learnt a lot w.r.t. fluid management.  

Yip - did loads of heated power yoga and riding in the heat. I noticed last year the europeans didnt drink enough - sometimes you just have to stop, get off your bike, and bury your head in a stream or water source even if 20 guys ride past you - and carry a hydration pack. Need to drink a **** ton more than you think and pour water onto your chest and back as evaporative loss cools you down a lot quicker than convection or radiation. Its possible to ride in 43 degree heat but need to manage yourself well and prepare. Heat acclimatisaion takes weeks of preparation.

[Paul Ruinaard]

I am in Paarl - I had 46,8 Centigrade on my outside thermometer on my deck in the sun at Midday today. 41,5C in the car. Thats pretty much a recipe for disaster. Brutal conditions and really always the back markers who will be out there. Not much moving air and on Paarl mountain you will be baked to well done in minutes. 

[saturdayknight]

8 minutes ago, MongooseMan said:

Well, not quite (see my backstory, I was probably the least qualified entrant in that I only got on a mountain bike a month ago to help out a mate who had run out of partner options).
 

 

making it hard for yourself!! I also only got dropped in late Jan with no training or little riding the year before. I suffered massively. But I made sure i was heat tolerant, carried water ++, and somehow got through. Once you start getting heat stress is very very hard to pull it back. 

[117]

Is there a link we can check the DNF's?

[mikkelz]

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