the unofficial Cape Epic thread

[MongooseMan]

3 minutes ago, Hilton. said:

Ok, according to the Race Register on the website, there were about 930 teams starting the Epic in 2025.

Of those, the 477 teams have finished today's Stage 3 so far, on the live Results page. Almost exactly 50% so far. Is that correct?

Pages and pages of Individual Finishers and DNF's. Latest finish time was about 7hrs 50 mins.

Pretty sure everyone who is timed at WP3 (66k) and not DNF there will be allowed to start tomorrow.

[Mamil]

Circulating on whatsapp groups

 

!URGENT!

We are implementing a STAGE CANCELLATION AT WATER POINT 3 due to the extreme heat and will be assisting riders being removed from the route.  Riders on route already through Water Point 3 can continue to finish.  Riders between Water Point 2 to Water Point 3 will be removed from route – vehicles are being deployed to accessible  points on the route to evacuate riders.  

If you are able to assist with transporting riders from route to race village, please report at the VOC (behind Race Hospital) and we will deploy you.

Please do not make any statements to press or media.

[MongooseMan]

1 minute ago, Mamil said:

Circulating on whatsapp groups

 

!URGENT!

We are implementing a STAGE CANCELLATION AT WATER POINT 3 due to the extreme heat and will be assisting riders being removed from the route.  Riders on route already through Water Point 3 can continue to finish.  Riders between Water Point 2 to Water Point 3 will be removed from route – vehicles are being deployed to accessible  points on the route to evacuate riders.  

If you are able to assist with transporting riders from route to race village, please report at the VOC (behind Race Hospital) and we will deploy you.

Please do not make any statements to press or media.

I mean, this came through about 2 hours late. And still nothing on Cape Epic channels.

[RobynE]

This really sounds so badly organised 😮 

 

[Hilton.]

6 minutes ago, MongooseMan said:

Pretty sure everyone who is timed at WP3 (66k) and not DNF there will be allowed to start tomorrow.

That adds another 72 teams back into the mix, that were at WP 3 and not DNF.

[MaMc]

I'm not well versed in my epic history, has a cancellation and removing/evacuating riders from the course happened before?

[varkie2]

They called it too late. Way too late. Reports of a rider passing away on the route. Aid stations out of water. I really really hope reports are wrong. 

Edited March 19 by varkie2
Extra info

[Spafsack]

1 minute ago, varkie2 said:

They called it too late. Way too late. Reports of a rider passing away.

O my word, this is bad!! How do vehciles get to those single track areas in any case, this is a nightmare......

[Vaultboy]

31 minutes ago, Mamil said:

!URGENT!

We are implementing a STAGE CANCELLATION AT WATER POINT 3 due to the extreme heat and will be assisting riders being removed from the route.  .....

Please do not make any statements to press or media.

Nothing yet on the official site, but media have the story now: ABSA CAPE EPIC STAGE 3 STOPPED EARLY FOR SAFETY REASONS – TREAD MEDIA 

[Paul Ruinaard]

so just checking whether the stage has officially been stopped. Where can we see that and what happens to those that were still out on the course?

[dev null]

39 minutes ago, RobynE said:

This really sounds so badly organised 😮 

 

It is piss poorly organised. Anybody who looked at the weather forecast 2 days ago and knew just a little bit about mountain biking in the Western Cape knew it was going to be bad. Especially Paarlberg which is extremely exposed to the sun on the western slopes and northern slopes. Just refer to some of the  earlier comments here on this forum from a few days ago.

Edited March 19 by dev null

[dev null]

30 minutes ago, MaMc said:

I'm not well versed in my epic history, has a cancellation and removing/evacuating riders from the course happened before?

Not that I am aware of. Only stage shortening or extension of cut-off times.

[MongooseMan]

9 minutes ago, Paul Ruinaard said:

so just checking whether the stage has officially been stopped. Where can we see that and what happens to those that were still out on the course?

The obvious answer would be to look at Cape Epic channels, but they're completely radio-silent.

Most of us are relying on second hand info coming from riders on course, or back at race village.

It's a very expensive clown-show.

[Bro Derek]

I'd guess that if people have died, they will need to be very careful how they release information.

There is also the case of 'My only Story' in terms of Image control and what can be covered up and denied in order to protect the product image.

With people dying at more than one IronMan event in the last 24 months and now this, one needs to ask some questions of the qualifying criteria for those taking part as well as the race organisers. 

There is zero control over who enters these races other than willing payer. Maybe that also needs to be looked at going into what is supposed to be the ultimate test in human endeavour. 

The 'self check' approach to overall competency may not be as effective as it used to be as we as humans evolve further and further towards a scene from Wall-E 

[babse]

The lack of water is absolutely inexcusable... 

[Paul Ruinaard]

At my house in Paarl today in the sun at 13:14. You could see then it was very dangerous then. . I saw 41,5 in the car at the same time