the unofficial Cape Epic thread

[andydude]

2 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

The prologue and stage 1 delivered fairly high sealant consumption according to Lance from Daisy way. I will just add that Squirt need to rethink their sealant, Dan it’s awful. Once they switched my tyres bsck to my regular Enduroseal I stopped getting latex showers.

there were unseen mechanicals. Some issues with electronic gears and suspension and fine dust getting into the system. 
tyre choices were fairly conservative across the board with Rekon Race and Pirelli Scorpion XCRC Prowall being very popular choices. 
overall I think SRAM had 90% of the drivetrain field captured with a few challenges relating to dust that they know how to solve. The tech zones seemed quite quiet wrt to broken wheel. Mechs were mostly busy with cleaning battery contacts and then the system worked again. I think mechanical Transmission will be perfect for Cape Epic going forward.

some broken pedals , can’t say if it’s more or less than previous years. SPD s still don’t work in mud yet remain the most popular system. There seems to be a resurgence in TIME ATAC uptake.

gripshift scale and well and probably most trouble free shifter for cape epic. 
broken saddles were also popular in the amateur field. Those 3D printed jobs from you know who don’t appear to be sttong enough for Mtb 

I see Rekon Race is a semi-slick XC tyre. Is that good enough for a Epic and technical? And for example Tygerberg trails? Combination between front and back from what you have seen? For example both 2.25, or front 2.35 rather, or both 2.35?

[Dappere]

33 minutes ago, Cardiogoth said:

For sure, I'd love to do more heat training, but that's not really realistic for most people. I'm pretty sure I'd get a lot of strange looks if I took one of the Wattbikes at my gym into the sauna.

I doubt most people even make the time / investment to travel to the race venue a week early to set up properly, pre-ride some sections and do a little bit of acclimatisation (I can't) - but you probably need to do that for something this far outside your comfort zone.

I’m sure you’d get some odd looks pulling a Wattbike into the gym sauna! 😂

I first heard about cycling in a sauna on a TrainerRoad podcast, where they mentioned that some riders buy sauna tents to train in. But, as you said, it’s likely a significant investment. 

[Dappere]

30 minutes ago, andydude said:

I see Rekon Race is a semi-slick XC tyre. Is that good enough for a Epic and technical? And for example Tygerberg trails? Combination between front and back from what you have seen? For example both 2.25, or front 2.35 rather, or both 2.35?

Tyre choice is largely a matter of personal preference, with factors such as skill level, rolling resistance, and grip all playing a role. The Pirelli Scorpion RC XC tyres I used are quite similar to the Rekon Race, and I’ve never had any issues—they offer more than enough grip for my needs.

My riding partner completed two Epics on a single set of Rekon Race tyres—Cape Epic (March) and 4Islands (April)—with zero issues, even on the notoriously rough, sidewall-eating rocks of 4Islands. Based on that, I’d say they are more than capable for the Cape Epic.

As for width, we personally prefer wider tyres, and we both run 2.4s. At this size, the Rekon Race weighs around 800g per tyre, which is slightly heavier than the Pirelli Scorpion XC RC ProWall at approximately 700g per tyre.

[Cardiogoth]

26 minutes ago, Dappere said:

I’m sure you’d get some odd looks pulling a Wattbike into the gym sauna! 😂

I first heard about cycling in a sauna on a TrainerRoad podcast, where they mentioned that some riders buy sauna tents to train in. But, as you said, it’s likely a significant investment. 

To be honest, I think even doing a few hours of passive heat training a week would be pretty beneficial, but again, that's another time investment.

[shambler]

https://www.hln.be/antwerpen/toen-hij-duizelig-werd-wou-hij-blijven-doorgaan-vlaming-sterft-na-zware-zonnesteek-tijdens-mountainbikekoers-in-zuid-afrika~a1f5fcee/

Some more context about the death of the belgian cyclist:

Was quite a big news over all our media over here.

Translation by ChatGPT:

Flemish Cyclist Dies from Severe Heatstroke During Mountain Bike Race in South Africa

"When he got dizzy, he wanted to keep going":

"It went really well for two days. But on the third day, the average temperature was 44°C." Ben Elst (49) was with Ronny Raeymakers (51) during an eight-day mountain bike race in South Africa, which they were riding as a duo for the third time. Everything seemed to be going fine until Ronny suddenly suffered a severe heatstroke that proved fatal a few days later. "The whole mountain was filled with people who were feeling nauseous... Even Greg Van Avermaet said it was actually too hot," Ben recalls of that tragic day, where it took an exceptionally long time for Ronny to receive medical assistance.

"A Match Made in Heaven"

"I met Ronny and his wife at Cape Epic in 2021. We finished with flying colors back then, too." Ben Elst (49) from Kalmthout speaks warmly about his friend Ronny (51). They immediately hit it off and turned out to be the perfect match when it came to their shared passion: mountain biking. "We were known as ‘The Bears from Belgium’ because we were both solidly built and real power riders. As a duo, we could really put other riders to the test, especially on false flats. A match made in heaven. We were even making plans for the future to ride together more often."

However, fate had other plans. During the eight-day Cape Epic mountain bike race—held in the western part of South Africa since 2004 and often called the ‘Tour de France of mountain biking’—things went terribly wrong for Ronny.

Extreme Heat and Lack of Water

"The first two days actually went very well," Ben continues. "But on the third day, last Wednesday, the average temperature was 44°C. The highest temperature I recorded was 61°C. That first hour and a half on the mountain was the worst of my life. The whole mountain was filled with people who were feeling sick. In the medical tent, dozens of people were on IV drips for hydration. Honestly, the race shouldn’t have started under those conditions. Even professional riders, including Greg Van Avermaet, said it was too hot. Some participants took 10 hours to complete the stage in that heat."

At around noon, things took a turn for the worse for Ronny. Despite having completed Cape Epic twice before, he suddenly suffered heatstroke. "Also known as ‘heat stroke’—something we hardly ever experience in Belgium. We were in the front half of the group and had already noticed that there was no water left at some of the hydration stations, but we pushed through. A little later, Ronny mentioned he was feeling dizzy. I let him ride in front and adjusted my pace. But Ronny was a fighter, and he kept going."

"He Needs to Get Off This Mountain Immediately"

At one point, Ronny had to stop the race. "He got off his bike and walked for a bit while I carried both bikes, but after two minutes, he sat down. Around noon, he lost consciousness due to heatstroke and dehydration. I laid him on his side, but he also started vomiting. At that moment, you feel completely powerless. You're on top of the mountain, on a single track, and there's nothing you can do."

Ben pressed the SOS button he had with him, but help took an agonizingly long time to arrive. "It took 45 minutes for someone to finally show up. And even then, that person had little medical knowledge but at least had a walkie-talkie. I contacted the organization and made it clear that it was extremely urgent. Two other participants, who did have medical knowledge, also emphasized: ‘This man needs to get off the mountain immediately.’"

It wasn’t until an hour and a half after Ronny collapsed that someone with IV drips and extra oxygen arrived. By 3:00 PM, he was airlifted by helicopter—two and a half hours after losing consciousness. "That day, they had to pick up two other participants with the helicopter as well. He was taken to a hospital in Paarl, where he remained from Wednesday until Monday morning. At first, it seemed like he was improving, but at around 6:30 AM, we received the devastating news that he didn’t make it."

"Ronny, Don’t You Dare Die"

Ben is heartbroken and still struggles to believe what happened. "We had already been there for three or four weeks and had acclimatized well," he says. "And we both had so much experience. But the organization really failed here. The first time I rode Cape Epic in 2021, I was with another partner, Paul, when he suddenly crashed into a cable. Even then, it took way too long for them to respond to the SOS signal. That was just a flesh wound and not life-threatening, but we were already furious at the time."

What happens next remains uncertain. "I never thought that sun and heat could do something like this to a person. The night before, I even told Ronny: ‘Ronny, don’t you dare die. Because I’ll never get over it.’ Damn it, he did it anyway."

[amac]

14 minutes ago, shambler said:

https://www.hln.be/antwerpen/toen-hij-duizelig-werd-wou-hij-blijven-doorgaan-vlaming-sterft-na-zware-zonnesteek-tijdens-mountainbikekoers-in-zuid-afrika~a1f5fcee/

Some more context about the death of the belgian cyclist:

Was quite a big news over all our media over here.

Translation by ChatGPT:

Flemish Cyclist Dies from Severe Heatstroke During Mountain Bike Race in South Africa

"When he got dizzy, he wanted to keep going":

"It went really well for two days. But on the third day, the average temperature was 44°C." Ben Elst (49) was with Ronny Raeymakers (51) during an eight-day mountain bike race in South Africa, which they were riding as a duo for the third time. Everything seemed to be going fine until Ronny suddenly suffered a severe heatstroke that proved fatal a few days later. "The whole mountain was filled with people who were feeling nauseous... Even Greg Van Avermaet said it was actually too hot," Ben recalls of that tragic day, where it took an exceptionally long time for Ronny to receive medical assistance.

"A Match Made in Heaven"

"I met Ronny and his wife at Cape Epic in 2021. We finished with flying colors back then, too." Ben Elst (49) from Kalmthout speaks warmly about his friend Ronny (51). They immediately hit it off and turned out to be the perfect match when it came to their shared passion: mountain biking. "We were known as ‘The Bears from Belgium’ because we were both solidly built and real power riders. As a duo, we could really put other riders to the test, especially on false flats. A match made in heaven. We were even making plans for the future to ride together more often."

However, fate had other plans. During the eight-day Cape Epic mountain bike race—held in the western part of South Africa since 2004 and often called the ‘Tour de France of mountain biking’—things went terribly wrong for Ronny.

Extreme Heat and Lack of Water

"The first two days actually went very well," Ben continues. "But on the third day, last Wednesday, the average temperature was 44°C. The highest temperature I recorded was 61°C. That first hour and a half on the mountain was the worst of my life. The whole mountain was filled with people who were feeling sick. In the medical tent, dozens of people were on IV drips for hydration. Honestly, the race shouldn’t have started under those conditions. Even professional riders, including Greg Van Avermaet, said it was too hot. Some participants took 10 hours to complete the stage in that heat."

At around noon, things took a turn for the worse for Ronny. Despite having completed Cape Epic twice before, he suddenly suffered heatstroke. "Also known as ‘heat stroke’—something we hardly ever experience in Belgium. We were in the front half of the group and had already noticed that there was no water left at some of the hydration stations, but we pushed through. A little later, Ronny mentioned he was feeling dizzy. I let him ride in front and adjusted my pace. But Ronny was a fighter, and he kept going."

"He Needs to Get Off This Mountain Immediately"

At one point, Ronny had to stop the race. "He got off his bike and walked for a bit while I carried both bikes, but after two minutes, he sat down. Around noon, he lost consciousness due to heatstroke and dehydration. I laid him on his side, but he also started vomiting. At that moment, you feel completely powerless. You're on top of the mountain, on a single track, and there's nothing you can do."

Ben pressed the SOS button he had with him, but help took an agonizingly long time to arrive. "It took 45 minutes for someone to finally show up. And even then, that person had little medical knowledge but at least had a walkie-talkie. I contacted the organization and made it clear that it was extremely urgent. Two other participants, who did have medical knowledge, also emphasized: ‘This man needs to get off the mountain immediately.’"

It wasn’t until an hour and a half after Ronny collapsed that someone with IV drips and extra oxygen arrived. By 3:00 PM, he was airlifted by helicopter—two and a half hours after losing consciousness. "That day, they had to pick up two other participants with the helicopter as well. He was taken to a hospital in Paarl, where he remained from Wednesday until Monday morning. At first, it seemed like he was improving, but at around 6:30 AM, we received the devastating news that he didn’t make it."

"Ronny, Don’t You Dare Die"

Ben is heartbroken and still struggles to believe what happened. "We had already been there for three or four weeks and had acclimatized well," he says. "And we both had so much experience. But the organization really failed here. The first time I rode Cape Epic in 2021, I was with another partner, Paul, when he suddenly crashed into a cable. Even then, it took way too long for them to respond to the SOS signal. That was just a flesh wound and not life-threatening, but we were already furious at the time."

What happens next remains uncertain. "I never thought that sun and heat could do something like this to a person. The night before, I even told Ronny: ‘Ronny, don’t you dare die. Because I’ll never get over it.’ Damn it, he did it anyway."

This is awful.

[Mamil]

45 minutes ago, shambler said:

https://www.hln.be/antwerpen/toen-hij-duizelig-werd-wou-hij-blijven-doorgaan-vlaming-sterft-na-zware-zonnesteek-tijdens-mountainbikekoers-in-zuid-afrika~a1f5fcee/

Some more context about the death of the belgian cyclist:

Was quite a big news over all our media over here.

Translation by ChatGPT:

Flemish Cyclist Dies from Severe Heatstroke During Mountain Bike Race in South Africa

"When he got dizzy, he wanted to keep going":

"It went really well for two days. But on the third day, the average temperature was 44°C." Ben Elst (49) was with Ronny Raeymakers (51) during an eight-day mountain bike race in South Africa, which they were riding as a duo for the third time. Everything seemed to be going fine until Ronny suddenly suffered a severe heatstroke that proved fatal a few days later. "The whole mountain was filled with people who were feeling nauseous... Even Greg Van Avermaet said it was actually too hot," Ben recalls of that tragic day, where it took an exceptionally long time for Ronny to receive medical assistance.

"A Match Made in Heaven"

"I met Ronny and his wife at Cape Epic in 2021. We finished with flying colors back then, too." Ben Elst (49) from Kalmthout speaks warmly about his friend Ronny (51). They immediately hit it off and turned out to be the perfect match when it came to their shared passion: mountain biking. "We were known as ‘The Bears from Belgium’ because we were both solidly built and real power riders. As a duo, we could really put other riders to the test, especially on false flats. A match made in heaven. We were even making plans for the future to ride together more often."

However, fate had other plans. During the eight-day Cape Epic mountain bike race—held in the western part of South Africa since 2004 and often called the ‘Tour de France of mountain biking’—things went terribly wrong for Ronny.

Extreme Heat and Lack of Water

"The first two days actually went very well," Ben continues. "But on the third day, last Wednesday, the average temperature was 44°C. The highest temperature I recorded was 61°C. That first hour and a half on the mountain was the worst of my life. The whole mountain was filled with people who were feeling sick. In the medical tent, dozens of people were on IV drips for hydration. Honestly, the race shouldn’t have started under those conditions. Even professional riders, including Greg Van Avermaet, said it was too hot. Some participants took 10 hours to complete the stage in that heat."

At around noon, things took a turn for the worse for Ronny. Despite having completed Cape Epic twice before, he suddenly suffered heatstroke. "Also known as ‘heat stroke’—something we hardly ever experience in Belgium. We were in the front half of the group and had already noticed that there was no water left at some of the hydration stations, but we pushed through. A little later, Ronny mentioned he was feeling dizzy. I let him ride in front and adjusted my pace. But Ronny was a fighter, and he kept going."

"He Needs to Get Off This Mountain Immediately"

At one point, Ronny had to stop the race. "He got off his bike and walked for a bit while I carried both bikes, but after two minutes, he sat down. Around noon, he lost consciousness due to heatstroke and dehydration. I laid him on his side, but he also started vomiting. At that moment, you feel completely powerless. You're on top of the mountain, on a single track, and there's nothing you can do."

Ben pressed the SOS button he had with him, but help took an agonizingly long time to arrive. "It took 45 minutes for someone to finally show up. And even then, that person had little medical knowledge but at least had a walkie-talkie. I contacted the organization and made it clear that it was extremely urgent. Two other participants, who did have medical knowledge, also emphasized: ‘This man needs to get off the mountain immediately.’"

It wasn’t until an hour and a half after Ronny collapsed that someone with IV drips and extra oxygen arrived. By 3:00 PM, he was airlifted by helicopter—two and a half hours after losing consciousness. "That day, they had to pick up two other participants with the helicopter as well. He was taken to a hospital in Paarl, where he remained from Wednesday until Monday morning. At first, it seemed like he was improving, but at around 6:30 AM, we received the devastating news that he didn’t make it."

"Ronny, Don’t You Dare Die"

Ben is heartbroken and still struggles to believe what happened. "We had already been there for three or four weeks and had acclimatized well," he says. "And we both had so much experience. But the organization really failed here. The first time I rode Cape Epic in 2021, I was with another partner, Paul, when he suddenly crashed into a cable. Even then, it took way too long for them to respond to the SOS signal. That was just a flesh wound and not life-threatening, but we were already furious at the time."

What happens next remains uncertain. "I never thought that sun and heat could do something like this to a person. The night before, I even told Ronny: ‘Ronny, don’t you dare die. Because I’ll never get over it.’ Damn it, he did it anyway."

This media as well as several first hand accounts strongly suggest that the statement referring to the lack of water on the mountain as "misinformation" is a actually a lie.

An investigative journalist might make a name for him/herself here.

[DieselnDust]

49 minutes ago, Mamil said:

This media as well as several first hand accounts strongly suggest that the statement referring to the lack of water on the mountain as "misinformation" is a actually a lie.

An investigative journalist might make a name for him/herself here.

The media statement is laced with semantics. 

This event is going to get ugly. I foresee gag orders, lawyering up, threats and a lot  of foul play in the future. Where a death has occurred, the police will get involved....

 

[Lynskey]

We all have our own interpretation of what happened here. What matters is how it is dealt with. As sad as this situation is no one can bring him back to life. We can all wish and say and do whatever we desire but due process has to follow now. Let us wish that things are dealt with in a respectful and proper manner. And we will all have our own interpretation of that too. There is the law and then there are personal feelings. It is tragic what has happened. Let's be respectful of the life lost and try to work forward in a positive manner. Happy Friday y'all. There is a family missing a member this weekend. Let's hope they manage to get through the coming period knowing that the cycling community is with them in thought and prayer. Be safe.

[Ozzie NL]

21 hours ago, SwissVan said:

This /\
 

I rode amongst the back markers and did not encounter a water shortage

[SamTaylor]

https://www.treadmtb.co.za/absa-cape-epic-its-no-longer-the-race-it-used-to-be/
 

Tread Media has always been a reasonably decent media outlet regarding the local cycling scene. But this article must be some of the worst and most pointless “journalism” I have ever seen. I have no idea what point Shaun is actually trying to make here - or is he just trying to jump onto the “epic bad” bandwagon that seems to be doing the roads.

 

Is he saying Joburgers should prepare better, or is he suggesting because I the bulk of the field is from Gauteng (which I don’t think is really true), the organisers should take that into consideration? 
 

I do agree that planning 2 full days around Paarl, in mid March wasn’t particularly well thought through, but also, the riding around Paarl was amazing (barring the heat). 

As a local, I don’t particularly find Lourensford/Somerset West/Stellies trails to be “bad” when it’s wet…. Also, there’s always a chance of rain, anywhere. Would he prefer they go back to a primarily gravel road route format incase it rains?

[ChrisF]

On second thought ....

Edited Saturday at 09:02 AM by ChrisF

[SwissVan]

22 hours ago, shambler said:

https://www.hln.be/antwerpen/toen-hij-duizelig-werd-wou-hij-blijven-doorgaan-vlaming-sterft-na-zware-zonnesteek-tijdens-mountainbikekoers-in-zuid-afrika~a1f5fcee/

Some more context about the death of the belgian cyclist:

Was quite a big news over all our media over here.

Translation by ChatGPT:

Flemish Cyclist Dies from Severe Heatstroke During Mountain Bike Race in South Africa

"When he got dizzy, he wanted to keep going"

Extreme Heat and Lack of Water

At around noon, things took a turn for the worse for Ronny. Despite having completed Cape Epic twice before, he suddenly suffered heatstroke. "Also known as ‘heat stroke’—

something we hardly ever experience in Belgium.

 

We were in the front half of the group and had already noticed that there was no water left at some of the hydration stations

but we pushed through

A little later, Ronny mentioned he was feeling dizzy.

I let him ride in front and adjusted my pace. But Ronny was a fighter, and he kept going

 

At one point, Ronny had to stop the race. "He got off his bike and walked for a bit while I carried both bikes, but after two minutes, he sat down. Around noon, he lost consciousness due to heatstroke and dehydration. I laid him on his side, but he also started vomiting. At that moment, you feel completely powerless. You're on top of the mountain, on a single track, and there's nothing you can do."

Ben pressed the SOS button he had with him, but help took an agonizingly long time to arrive. "It took 45 minutes for someone to finally show up. And even then, that person had little medical knowledge but at least had a walkie-talkie. I contacted the organization and made it clear that it was extremely urgent. Two other participants, who did have medical knowledge, also emphasized: ‘This man needs to get off the mountain immediately.’"

It wasn’t until an hour and a half after Ronny collapsed that someone with IV drips and extra oxygen arrived. By 3:00 PM, he was airlifted by helicopter—two and a half hours after losing consciousness. "That day, they had to pick up two other participants with the helicopter as well. He was taken to a hospital in Paarl, where he remained from Wednesday until Monday morning. At first, it seemed like he was improving, but at around 6:30 AM, we received the devastating news that he didn’t make it."

We had already been there for three or four weeks and had acclimatized well,

"And we both had so much experience.
 

But the organization really failed here

I never thought that sun and heat could do something like this to a person.

 

What a tragic story, which in hindsight could have been prevented.

Pardon me for editing and removing some of shambles original text but some things stood out for me and raise questions in my mind, most of which I’ll probably keep to myself so as not be labeled as a insensitive t**t

A lot of people are pointing fingers at the organization due to the water shortage and allowing the stage to go ahead / continue knowing in advance it was going to be very very hot., all valid questions or accusations. 

My question (here comes the insensitive bit…) when does a competitor and in the case of team events the rest of the team take responsibility for their own health and safety? 

For example

“When he got dizzy, he wanted to keep going “

”A little later, Ronny mentioned he was feeling dizzy. I let him ride in front and adjusted my pace. But Ronny was a fighter, and he kept going “

If only these warning signs had not been ignored until it was too late….

Yes I know, easy to say in hindsight sitting on my couch….. however I do have some experience having trained through a European winter for the ACE and suffering like a dog with food poisoning and dehydration on day 4 and 5….. 

 

 

[DieselnDust]

5 minutes ago, SwissVan said:

What a tragic story, which in hindsight could have been prevented.

Pardon me for editing and removing some of shambles original text but some things stood out for me and raise questions in my mind, most of which I’ll probably keep to myself so as not be labeled as a insensitive t**t

A lot of people are pointing fingers at the organization due to the water shortage and allowing the stage to go ahead / continue knowing in advance it was going to be very very hot., all valid questions or accusations. 

My question (here comes the insensitive bit…) when does a competitor and in the case of team events the rest of the team take responsibility for their own health and safety? 

For example

“When he got dizzy, he wanted to keep going “

”A little later, Ronny mentioned he was feeling dizzy. I let him ride in front and adjusted my pace. But Ronny was a fighter, and he kept going “

If only these warning signs had not been ignored until it was too late….

Yes I know, easy to say in hindsight sitting on my couch….. however I do have some experience having trained through a European winter for the ACE and suffering like a dog with food poisoning and dehydration on day 4 and 5….. 

 

 

I think it’s a valid question. 
the issue revolves around cognitive impairment.

when people get dehydrated their reasoning starts to be affected. You can halucinate, become aggressive (emotional instability) or simply just start to behave out of character. If it’s happening to you, very few have the capacity to recognise what is going on. You think oh “I have a headache “ or “wow what that’s this beautiful lady doing all the way up here ?”

that is when an outsider needs to step in and take control of the situation. In this case your team mate. However if they are also impaired then it’s a double edged sword and at this point someone who is fully functional needs to step in. 
considering the terrain and that many others were in various states of dehydration already I would have to look at the higher authority in the day monitoring distress calls to ascertain what is going on. 
as you say with hindsight there’s a lot more that could have been done to monitor conditions and make a safer determination of continuing or stopping the race.

the key issue here is that none ir very few of the riders on pipeline and Boulder City after noon were going to have the capacity to make good decisions in that heat.

overlay the cost of the event and therefore the cost of failure and it’s not as black and white as it seems when sitting at home or in the office watching from a distance.

[SSCC]

2 hours ago, SamTaylor said:

https://www.treadmtb.co.za/absa-cape-epic-its-no-longer-the-race-it-used-to-be/
 

Tread Media has always been a reasonably decent media outlet regarding the local cycling scene. But this article must be some of the worst and most pointless “journalism” I have ever seen  

I think it’s your reading and comprehension skills that are lacking rather than his writing skills. You completely misunderstood his point about JHB riders. 

He makes lots of good points backed up by stats.

[Zebra]

3 hours ago, SamTaylor said:

https://www.treadmtb.co.za/absa-cape-epic-its-no-longer-the-race-it-used-to-be/
 

Tread Media has always been a reasonably decent media outlet regarding the local cycling scene. But this article must be some of the worst and most pointless “journalism” I have ever seen. 

I thought it was a very well-balanced article, which gave me a much-clearer idea of just how much this event has changed in its nature, from ‘endurance’-focus, to much more of a skills-focus.

Back in 05/06/07, it really was more of a gravel-type stage race, with say a bit of Groenlandberg, and small bits of single-track thrown in, whereas today it really is a different ‘animal’. I am wiser for reading his well-reasoned argument.

Chris