the unofficial Cape Epic thread

[ChrisF]

1 minute ago, Robbie Stewart said:

First off, well done to DieselNDust, Stephan and SamTaylor (and everyone else) for finishing the event. It sounds like it was tougher than the daily broadcasts made it look.

Reading the race reports I am convinced more than ever that the amateur field exists for the sole reason of funding the helicopters and nothing else. I am more convinced as well that I am 100% not a candidate for this type of event. I enjoy riding my mtb over long distances, but I enjoy riding single track more. And the more technical the trail, the higher my level of enjoyment. So for me to pay all that money and then stand in endless queues waiting for unskilled people to ride the most basic of trails would just end me. I have a short fuse already, so no need to add to it.

But at least this event isn't about me, and no one cares, but I will honestly say that I enjoyed watching the live streams every day, even long after the event stopped broadcasting, but still, I won't be lining up to partake in what to seems to me to be a fool's errand.

 

You will ENJOY the Eselfontein weekend.

[@grootlem]

Hi, I haven't been on here for a few months and thought I'll check in. If this was covered in the previous 80 pages I apologize. I was quite verbal on my social media that the Epic should have qualifying events and times, a bit like Comrades. But I guess part of the business model is to have a certain number out within a short time. I'm not a fan of shortened stages but after a coffee with one of the route guys I understand a bit better. Just a bit Hats off to everyone, I'm glad I did my 5 epics pre 2010 when we could still get half drunk in the chill zone after stages. One Epic Greg Minnaar and myself were last out every night. That's the advantage of a slower partner. RIP to the Belgian rider that passed away.

Edited March 24, 2025 by @grootlem
Insensitive

[DieselnDust]

38 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

Who is head of communications/ media at epic? 

They might be keeping schtum because of legal action over negligence 

This incident has been an EPIC FAIL on their part. I see serious blow back on how this event was handled in general. 

Good selling early bird entries at 4pm. Whoever signs up for that now is a sucker.

Overall I think there is a serious problem with values. They held a “after party” last night while 3 people were fighting for their lives and now one has passed on. These riders deserved better. The event deserves better. There is sommuch wrong here that I it almost needs new Ownerrship to stop the downward spiral. 

[RobynE 🚵‍♀️]

I saw a comment on social media from a Belgian guy whose brother was in ICU, where it said SOS was not responded to and it took something like 1:30 for him to get any help - I’ll try find the comment. 
 

Ok found it. Not sure if this is the guy. Edit: it is. Condolences to his family 😞 
 

Emergencies are real. If you are paying this sort of money there is simply no reason to not be able to extract people or at the very least have enough ILS and ALS medics on bikes or quads, hell, even on horseback, who can get to the locations of SOS calls and keep people from circling the drain. A time frame of 1:30 is not it! 
 

I really think the organisers need to be changed out completely, and to get someone else in there with a fresh eye and modern approach to high risk sporting event management. 
 

 

Edited March 24, 2025 by RobynE
Rest in peace Ronny 🕊️

[W@nted]

1 hour ago, ChrisF said:

 

Multi-tier pricing seems to be an international thing, for various items from tourism to sports.

 

 

Even CTCT has three price groups, SA, Southern Africa and then international.

 

@SwissVan do you know if a similar multi-tier pricing exists for sporting events in Europe ?

 

Nope. I have only seen one price/option regarding nationality of the riders. Same for events in NL and Belgium.

 

[JohanDiv]

Yes, the belgium guy. Very sad news..

[Shebeen]

1 hour ago, Michael S said:

https://www.instagram.com/capeepic/p/DHlO6VioEGh/

Something has come to light,
 

Going to call it as I see it. This is epic upper management, (probably not even in SA) going into crisis mode. 

"Let's post the video of the afterparty with dance scenes"

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHlGXOYIgJA/

                  10 minutes later

"someone in IT says only 10 people have clicked on the early bird entry link each hour, normally it is 500+".

"ok we need a reason to reassess. Can we still roll out the story of someone who died, after we denied his existence for a few days hoping everyone would forget? Do we need to R15m instant cashflow to pay off suppliers this week? With half the expenditure after all the cost cutting, that shouldn't be too hard"

 

 

 

Kevin Vermaak will be able to buy this back at 20c in the Rand in 5 years' time. I'll back him to turn it around too.

[DieselnDust]

5 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

Going to call it as I see it. This is epic upper management, (probably not even in SA) going into crisis mode. 

"Let's post the video of the afterparty with dance scenes"

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHlGXOYIgJA/

                  10 minutes later

"someone in IT says only 10 people have clicked on the early bird entry link each hour, normally it is 500+".

"ok we need a reason to reassess. Can we still roll out the story of someone who died, after we denied his existence for a few days hoping everyone would forget? Do we need to R15m instant cashflow to pay off suppliers this week? With half the expenditure after all the cost cutting, that shouldn't be too hard"

 

 

 

Kevin Vermaak will be able to buy this back at 20c in the Rand in 5 years' time. I'll back him to turn it around too.

My thoughts exactly 

[Shebeen]

 

1 hour ago, @grootlem said:

 RIP to the Belgian rider that passed away. Hope his partner learns a lesson to listen to medical advice because he previously also continued in another race after being unconscious 

Hendrik, that's a bit unnecessary comment (after doing so well). To make such a statement you must know plenty to back it up. Someone died, and it looks like it could have been avoidable.

(edit: Ben = Ronny's riding partner for 2025.) He was not some noob, this was his third epic. (I think, Epic have in their wisdom killed the rider history function from 2025, so this is legacy info still up on their site - nice one again)

 

RIP Ronny. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 24, 2025 by Shebeen
clarified riders

[Spafsack]

Very sad, 51 years is not old at all, jeez like.

[@grootlem]

47 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

 

Hendrik, that's a bit unnecessary comment (after doing so well). To make such a statement you must know plenty to back it up. Someone died, and it looks like it could have been avoidable.

(edit: Ben = Ronny's riding partner for 2025.) He was not some noob, this was his third epic. (I think, Epic have in their wisdom killed the rider history function from 2025, so this is legacy info still up on their site - nice one again)

 

RIP Ronny. 

 

I went to Ben's Facebook after one of the route guys told me earlier today how a Belgian shouted at his partner when the doctor said it's not safe to continue and then I heard the bad news. 

 

Edited March 24, 2025 by @grootlem

[DieselnDust]

29 minutes ago, @grootlem said:

What’s has Ben’s antics from another event got to do with 5 other riders aiding Ronny for 90 minutes before help arrived? Were you there? No Henrik you weren’t. I can vouch for that because I was there as they tried to cool him down, checked his pulse regularly. You weren’t there with a helpless feeling , understanding that Ronny and others were beyond the help of the people trying to help.

how they got into the situation they were in is understandable to me. I was there.
The time for blame will come and everyone is asking themselves “what could have been done differently?” My heart goes out to the two young ladies and Ben who sat with Ronny for that 90min trying to cool him down before help came running down the trail. Maybe lay off the blame for now huh…?

there was at least 6 other people in a similar condition that I passed and checked in on. 
 

we can chat about qualifying criteria a different time. I’m fully supportive of that for several reasons. It will mean bad things for the sponsors program though

Edited March 24, 2025 by DieselnDust

[Shebeen]

23 minutes ago, @grootlem said:

so let me get this straight,

guy rides 500 miles on an velodrome track. passes out momentarily. 

Doc says: "that's probably enough"

He goes back out to see what it's like and rides another 5 laps (so 1,25km) and then calls it quits.

 

but you're going to give him anonymous advice on how to move on from this tragedy on the day his race partner passes away? And defend it with your desktop research?

Welcome back to the hub, I guess. Don't lose those login details.

 

Ben Elst, if you're reading this - not all of us share this opinion. Sorry for the loss and the tragedy this adventure has become for you and your friends.

 

 

 

 

[@grootlem]

I will edit my post. I was angry after I was told what he shouted at his partner when a medic advised him not to continue at a water point. 

Edited March 24, 2025 by @grootlem

[W Smith]

On 3/13/2025 at 8:50 AM, SamTaylor said:

There’s two days back to back there that are seriously tough. You’re gonna need all your technical skills, and your best climbing legs just to have a shot at staying with the race there. Add to that some extreme heat which Paarl rock can dish up in spades, and you are in for some fun.

plus, racing hard on those trails will require a lot of good luck as well, that there are no mechanicals or crashes to ruin your day. 
 

so that all added up, I reckon will make those two days the decider in terms of the elite field, and I think a lot amateurs will be caught out and end their epic there, especially if it’s hot. 

Always listen to the locals .

[DieselnDust]

Just now, @grootlem said:

I will take down my post. I was angry after I was told what he shouted at his partner when a medic advised him not to continue at a water point. 

remember, when dehydration sets in, people don't see the wood from the fire. The medics will advise but people still make the choice for them. My team mate wanted to continue despite having elevated  blood pressure. I literally told the medic to remove his number before they pulled him. Amateurs think getting through the adversity is going to earn kudos on stage later that night.

I get where you're coming from but now is not the time. Many teams at Wp2 faced the same situation. Some got lucky and some didn't, Rhebokskloof bit. 

I firmly believe that there comes a time when the race organization has to take a firm human health stance and impose a conservative limit and pull the plug on the stage, or route the event such that medical assistance is quickly available and where riders can cool down. When outsiders have to jump in and assist it is unacceptable and the event has lost control; A farmer set up a hose under a gazebo to cool riders down, I was given water and ice from a spectator after the emergency WP at the Rhebokskloof exit could only give me 250ml because they didn't have enough.  This is simply not acceptable.

 

The selling position #untamed strokes ego, and this kills....from both sides.

I've been sending out sponsorship proposals for one of our MTBer's. A couple of responses I received back was "isn't that an extreme sport? We don't want our brand displayed on sports were people could die on social media coverage." Deaths at the Epic make this situation more dire. It is not desirable at all. The result is we are fed half truths, sematics overlaid by feelgood stories so that sponsors feel all is under control. Damage limitation.