Cape Town Cycle Tour 2024

[Oli4]

1 minute ago, ChrisF said:

 

This may be the one we passed a while later.  Ambulance blocking part of the road, working on the rider.

 

Never a good sight

 

 

THANKS to the vast number of medics all around the route

It took place on the left side of the road? I was same level on the right, just heard the screams and beginning of a pile up.

[mikkelz]

https://results.finishtime.co.za/Stats.aspx?CId=35&RId=4464

Entered: 22,116
Finished: 18,292
Fastest: 02:31:21
Average: 04:46:08

It looks like the numbers are slightly up compared to last year (comparing on RaceTec) – which is a good sign.

Still way below the numbers of previous years.

In 2010, my first, there were 28,035 finishers. From the events I completed, it looks like 2013 had the most with a whopping 31,666!

Edit: I realise now that in previous years there were no e-Bike or 42km events. And the numbers above excludes tandems (no way to get a overall total on FinishTime without manually adding them up). Each "event type" is split up on the web page above.

Edited March 11 by mikkelz

[Jbr]

on the same note as the person who crossed the road and the kid close to doing the same thing, between kalk bay and simon's town a guy who was probably walking his dog sat on the curb and took pictures of the bunch while his dog, on a not short enough leash was barking at us. At this point we could not see our front wheel as we had the sun straight in our eyes. That and the people taking selfies on the side of the road (sometimes more on the road than on the side of it).

Makes you realise how hectic it must be flying through the public at TdF or Roubaix. There's nothing you can do, by the time you see the danger and you brain processes the information you're already 15meters passed it.

[ChrisF]

14 minutes ago, Oli4 said:

It took place on the left side of the road? I was same level on the right, just heard the screams and beginning of a pile up.

 

By the time we came past, the right lane was closed.

 

Bunch was suddenly reduced from two to one lanes .... navigating the traffic congestion .... and then you see the rider being attended to .....

 

roller coaster of emotions

[ChrisF]

9 minutes ago, Jbr said:

on the same note as the person who crossed the road and the kid close to doing the same thing, between kalk bay and simon's town a guy who was probably walking his dog sat on the curb and took pictures of the bunch while his dog, on a not short enough leash was barking at us. At this point we could not see our front wheel as we had the sun straight in our eyes. That and the people taking selfies on the side of the road (sometimes more on the road than on the side of it).

Makes you realise how hectic it must be flying through the public at TdF or Roubaix. There's nothing you can do, by the time you see the danger and you brain processes the information you're already 15meters passed it.

 

Had two "tight spots" going up Suikerbossie.

 

Poepl keep closing the funnel ... but with riders next to you, you can only STRAIGHT at the people .... 

 

I made eye contact, waved to the right, drop my head and WENT STRAIGHT ....

 

 

 

I DO truly appreciate all the support and the music and the vibe.

 

 

Going up Suikerbossie in Zone 5 and seeing stars as you give it your all .... those spectators that narrowed the road was scary ....

[Phillippe Coetzee]

So a serious question.

For the people who did it around 3 hours. I would love to work to get to something like that but I am a little in the dark.

what is the trick to the whole operation when it comes to preparation, is the amount of riding you do(km), the speed you do it at or the total you climb in your rides ?

How many km a year will be sufficient?

Any feedback will be appreciated, really trying to achieve some goals 🙏🏼

[DieselnDust]

2 minutes ago, Phillippe Coetzee said:

So a serious question.

For the people who did it around 3 hours. I would love to work to get to something like that but I am a little in the dark.

what is the trick to the whole operation when it comes to preparation, is the amount of riding you do(km), the speed you do it at or the total you climb in your rides ?

How many km a year will be sufficient?

Any feedback will be appreciated, really trying to achieve some goals 🙏🏼

 

 

Its a combination of nutrition, training and mostly recovery from that training

[cadenceblur]

1 minute ago, DieselnDust said:

 

 

Its a combination of nutrition, training and mostly recovery from that training

Would also love to know, I reckon race management as well? or does this just go out of the window when you need to push to keep with the bunch? I definitely feel this is an area that I need help with - despite doing so many tours!

[Matt]

3 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

 

 

Its a combination of nutrition, training and mostly recovery from that training

@Phillippe Coetzee And as a function of doing the above well enough for long enough, you should find yourself in a group capable of holding the required speeds for 3 hours or less. Not impossible to do it on your own in the right conditions, but on top of your own fitness, the attitude and strength of the group will often be make or break for any <=3 hour ambitions. 

[Jbr]

4 minutes ago, cadenceblur said:

Would also love to know, I reckon race management as well? or does this just go out of the window when you need to push to keep with the bunch? I definitely feel this is an area that I need help with - despite doing so many tours!

Ooof, it's a balance between trying to hold on to a fast group to make maintaining an average quick enough, and not trying to desperately hold on to a group that is going at an unsustainable pace for you, because if you blow up it's game over. So yeah, I guess main thing is know yourself, ride within your limits and just above, but not way above them, and don't forget to eat and drink throughout

[openmind]

Interval training and learn how to ride in a bunch. Ride as many other road races as you can to get a seeding that will put you into an actual racing bunch instead of having to do an ITT slalom-ing through the masses. 

Yesterday I rode a 3:49 with my son starting from group 7E. In 2021 I did a 2:48 starting in the vets racing group. I worked much harder yesterday. 

[cadenceblur]

yes, that fine balance - but reckon for me its also not burning too many matches before Oceanview, I was confident of a PB - but the conditions prevented that as well as perhaps being a bit too overzealous at the start - (as I felt in good shape) - ai - have some work to do I guess!

[cadenceblur]

3 minutes ago, openmind said:

Interval training and learn how to ride in a bunch. Ride as many other road races as you can to get a seeding that will put you into an actual racing bunch instead of having to do an ITT slalom-ing through the masses. 

Yesterday I rode a 3:49 with my son starting from group 7E. In 2021 I did a 2:48 starting in the vets racing group. I worked much harder yesterday. 

ja ney - I am not in that "category" - but feel perhaps I should be a bit doing better at least! I rode in 1E and did 3h29 - which was about 15 minutes slower than I was hoping for 

[dev null]

1 hour ago, Kom said:

Same here - did you both get your special medal?

If not you can still go to cycle trust office.

 

Yes. Got our blue medals.

[openmind]

8 minutes ago, cadenceblur said:

ja ney - I am not in that "category" - but feel perhaps I should be a bit doing better at least! I rode in 1E and did 3h29 - which was about 15 minutes slower than I was hoping for 

1E is definitely racy enough  Typically you lose time in the Argus because you drop on the climbs or you drift too far back in the bunch and then get caught behind a spilt. Work on those two aspects and you should do a lot better. The climbs are relatively short and punchy, so you need to do lots of interval training to survive those. And then work hard on staying as close to the front of your bunch as possible - around 10-20th position is ideal. That way you stay out of trouble and don't miss the splits. 

Edited March 11 by openmind
Spelling

[dexterdent]

To get a sub-3, either be VERY fit, or get a great seeding (1A or better, not *that* hard if you do the PPA or 99er) and hope the weather plays along (some years there are 1000+ sub-3s and others <500).

I missed out this year by ~5m, but finished top20 in 1B and tried to spend some time (not a lot) in the wind to get the group average speed up a bit. I lost a full minute on the Chappies descent due to the wind, and there wasn't much group cohesion from there onwards. I keep telling myself I'm happy with the result, and I am, but it feels like unfinished business.

There were three major changes I made to go from a 3h30-3h45 rider to where I am now: Firstly, upped my training from 5 hours per week to 7-8 hours - zwift helped a lot. Secondly, get nutrition right with carbs while training and protein/carbs afterwards. Thirdly, I lost about 8kg's and now I like climbs.