the unofficial Cape Epic thread

[DieselnDust]

The cape epic website has a Qualifiaction tab. When you click on it , it takes you to an advertorial of other events in the portfolio. Once you read it you have qualified to pay ZAR113750 to enter for 2025.

this is all very similar to PetroSa RFPs…

[nathrix]

3 hours ago, BaGearA said:

Are they really riding down the same trail people are supposed to go up ????

 

 

wtffffff

Isn't the rule of thumb or the so called trail etiquette state that riders riding downhill should yield to the ones heading uphill, unless the trail is clearly signed for one-way or downhill-only traffic...O ja, and use your bell to warn others...🤫

[BuffsVintageBikes]

3 hours ago, Stephan said:

Is there a leading motorbike uphead that would give these backmarkers a warning that the pro's are coming? They would obviously hear the helicopter as well, but this looks like a route-planning mess. The backmarkers are going to bundu-bash up that trail now because there is going to be a constant stream of riders coming down. 

Yes, 2 x Lead motorcyclists on scramblers that ride well ahead and check trail markings are correct, gates are open etc. etc. They would have given those hikers ample warning.

Certainly not an ideal scenario though and heads will probably roll tonight 🤣

[NotSoBigBen]

2 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

You really want me to answer that. 😂😂

this morning they would have been cursing like unpaid sailors as they hiked their bikes up that climb

I think it would be a close call, I still have nightmares about that climb though and it was many years ago that I did it!

[Ant in the NL]

1 hour ago, DieselnDust said:

The cape epic website has a Qualifiaction tab. When you click on it , it takes you to an advertorial of other events in the portfolio. Once you read it you have qualified to pay ZAR113750 to enter for 2025.

this is all very similar to PetroSa RFPs…

Don't talk to me about RFPs for SEOs 🤣🤣

.

Rather pay the R114k and struggle my b@llz off pretending I can ride a stage or 2 of the Epic, wait maybe just the prologue  🤣🤣

[DieselnDust]

11 minutes ago, BaGearA said:

Take a moment for the riders who still need to get to 60km ( of which i'm betting there's atleast 10 )

One of those teams is a good friend of mine. They don’t look they’re going to make it to WP3 before the cutoff. I don’t know why she’s tamed does this to their riders. Where’s the coaching???

[Shebeen]

12 minutes ago, BaGearA said:

Take a moment for the riders who still need to get to 60km ( of which i'm betting there's atleast 10 )

the live timing is not so easy to navigate this year.

if you dnf at a waterpoint, i guess thta means you got there and pulled out.

 

there must still be like 40+ teams with timing still at WP2 Welgemeen (47km), but not yet tracked at WP3(70km).

They've been going for at least 6:30 hours now. What's the cut-off going to be?

still a climb out of WP3 to then go down the wapad, they will be struggling.

 

[SwissVan]

5 minutes ago, BaGearA said:

It honestly blows my mind that someone signs up for this when they must know they won't finish.

 

Sure lots of people have 135k to just throw away casually twice a week but even when you're ready and fit you know there's going to be some suffering involved 

 

Starting so late is definitely a crappy spanner to be thrown by the organizer but surely if you can't make it halfway by 13:00 on stage 2 then you should never have even been allowed to start on Sunday

A year ago when lots of people entered not even sure if they would get a ticket...it seemed like a great idea.

Unfortunately once you have entered and paid, its hard to take it back 

 

[DieselnDust]

4 hours ago, Shebeen said:

the live timing is not so easy to navigate this year.

if you dnf at a waterpoint, i guess thta means you got there and pulled out.

 

there must still be like 40+ teams with timing still at WP2 Welgemeen (47km), but not yet tracked at WP3(70km).

They've been going for at least 6:30 hours now. What's the cut-off going to be?

still a climb out of WP3 to then go down the wapad, they will be struggling.

 

The teams that have not checked in at WP 3 by 15:00 are in trouble. Cut off is 9hr 40 so if departing at 8:20 the cut off is at 18:00

three hours to complete the last 27km is a big ask especially when that wagon train descent isn’t a free ride home

Edited March 19, 2024 by DieselnDust
Corrected my crappy clock math

[BuffsVintageBikes]

I just mentioned to some friends that the thing most Epic first-timers fail to train for is the hike-a-bike sections and they absolutely kill your legs for the next days stage. You end up with massive muscle stiffness because you're only conditioned for cycling so the glutes, hammies & calves take a beating. It sounds inconsequential but believe me, you pay the price. It's literally only the Pros that can climb those massive mountains on the bike, for the rest it's a 30min to 1 hour hike, almost every day.

[BuffsVintageBikes]

3 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

The teams that have not checked in at WP 3 by 15:00 are in trouble. Cut off is 9hr 40 so if departing at 8:20 the cut off is at 17:00

two hours to complete the last 27km is a big ask especially when that wagon train descent isn’t a free ride home

Pretty sure they'll extend cut off today due to the abortion on the climb

[DieselnDust]

6 minutes ago, SwissVan said:

A year ago when lots of people entered not even sure if they would get a ticket...it seemed like a great idea.

Unfortunately once you have entered and paid, its hard to take it back 

 

A lot of the dropouts are sponsored entries. Theres not much commitment other than pride when its a freebie

[DieselnDust]

16 minutes ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

Pretty sure they'll extend cut off today due to the abortion on the climb

According to rule 15 it shouldn’t be extended further since the max allowed stage time is the greater of the max advertised stage time (9hr40) or double the stage winner’s time ( 8 hr 10min 44sec)

the race director can extend it but the past few years they have only done so if conditions were extreme. In 2016 we had 44C temps but the cut off remained at 17:00

Edited March 19, 2024 by DieselnDust

[mikkelz]

13 minutes ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

for the rest it's a 30min to 1 hour hike, almost every day.

I can think of better things to do with my money (and time) than taking my bike for a hike. 😂

[ajnkzn]

Unpopular opinion, but if you look at the day's profile and where the Wagon Trail is situated on the way out / back;

 

No matter how fast the top guys are and how far after them one starts (is it 07h00 for top dogs and last batch off at 08h20 - only 1hr20?), if you can't get to 20km in 3 hours or so then I'm not sure it's the organisers who are to blame?

 

It's (arguably) the most prestigious and "hardest" MTB stage race in the world so if you enter, make sure you are experienced, fit, fast and technically very able.

Edited March 19, 2024 by ajnkzn

[Newbie321]

4 minutes ago, ajnkzn said:

Unpopular opinion, but if you look at the day's profile;

 

No matter how fast the top guys are and how far after them one starts (is it 07h00 for top dogs and last batch off at 08h20 - only 1hr20?), if you can't get to 20km in 3 hours or so then I'm not sure it's the organisers who are to blame?

 

It's (arguably) the most prestigious and "hardest" MTB stage race in the world so if you enter, make sure you are experienced, fit, fast and technically very able.

Those poor oakes probably spent all their money on the entry instead of buying a race ready bike worth north of 150k.