[Event] 99er Cycle Tour

[bleedToWin]

1 hour ago, Titleist said:

wheel suckers who do nothing at the back for 98km suddenly wants to work 1km from the line

Imagine if rugby supporters complained about the wingers at their local club games always wanting to score the tries and never pushing in the scrums... 🤣



Edit to elaborate since I'm probably going to get lynched for going against the mainstream:

• If you simply want a fast time, help to pull the bunch, finish near the back and enjoy your fast time.
• If you want a good position then conserve all race and get active in the final.
• If you want both a good position and a fast time then attack / join attacks and go in breakaways

We all have different objectives and we all play the same game. This is not a group ride. Don't hate on smart riders optimising their strategy based on the strategy of others.

Edited January 14 by bleedToWin

[NicholasH]

Not that I have to justify/defend our route choices or the way the event is run BUT (and there it is....) we are also the only race (as far as I know) that offers an intermediate sprint prize and green jersey. It is something small, I know, but this how we do try to set ourselves apart from all the other races that use our northern suburbs roads. We used have the KOM jersey for Vissershok, also unique as far as I know.... Anyway, I am always open to constructive input to find ways to improve our event. I think is the 27th year we run the 99er event. Not bad for a bunch of school parents.... 😃

Edited January 14 by NicholasH

[Skubarra]

1 hour ago, NicholasH said:

You hit the nail on the head. Durbanville roads have not kept up with its expansion. Vissershok will be repaired BUT just after Hoogekraal it will now turn right and cut past the quarry to come out near Zone 7. Thus we can never again come up from that side again. To go from the new start (sports club) up and over Tiekiedraai to get to Vissershok will also never happen. So, we have to make do with what have out here.... ie unexciting Malmesbury and back 🤣

It's sad that we have the Tiekie, Vissershok (even Malans) hill climbs right around the corner but no way to incorporate it into a road race anymore. Guess we did not appreciate those climbs when we had access to them 😂

[babse]

1 hour ago, Titleist said:

Thank goodness Odendaal is gone. The 3 circles between the finish and Adderley was huge accident waiting to happen. All because the wheel suckers who do nothing at the back for 98km suddenly wants to work 1km from the line. 

Curious if there has there been any accidents by these circles? cant see how hard it must be to navigate them as is it not the fastest section of road (ive been to the last few events since its been going through there and this is the least of the safety concerns)...

 

also if you made it that point sucking wheel, you deserve to be there. no positions gained for working up front...

 

#BeLekker

[Titleist]

35 minutes ago, bleedToWin said:

Imagine if rugby supporters complained about the wingers at their local club games always wanting to score the tries and never pushing in the scrums... 🤣



Edit to elaborate since I'm probably going to get lynched for going against the mainstream:

• If you simply want a fast time, help to pull the bunch, finish near the back and enjoy your fast time.
• If you want a good position then conserve all race and get active in the final.
• If you want both a good position and a fast time then attack / join attacks and go in breakaways

We all have different objectives and we all play the same game. This is not a group ride. Don't hate on smart riders optimising their strategy based on the strategy of others.

I'm glad you noticed my post. Next time you'll feel guilty for not contributing and maybe you'll even do your bit as well to get the ave speed up😁

 

 

[ChrisF]

6 minutes ago, NicholasH said:

....we are also the only race (as far as I know) that offers an intermediate sprint prize and green jersey.....

 

Along the same lines .... as much as it is not the same.

 

Vines and Views have a sponsor for the Skaapkop climb.  Those that want to participate must load their Strava just after the race.  Fastest for that segment, on the day, gets the prize.

 

Potential option if you get sponsors on board for the Trilogy, or any other ride.

[NicholasH]

21 minutes ago, babse said:

Curious if there has there been any accidents by these circles? cant see how hard it must be to navigate them as is it not the fastest section of road (ive been to the last few events since its been going through there and this is the least of the safety concerns)...

 

also if you made it that point sucking wheel, you deserve to be there. no positions gained for working up front...

 

#BeLekker

We have one of the best safety records in the local racing scene (except that year of the Malans gravel fiasco 😂) We take safety extremely seriously but at the end of the day it is obviously up to how cyclist s behave that prevent/cause accidents. So, no accidents at those circles despite the speed and sheer number of cyclists coming through that area....

Edited January 14 by NicholasH

[Titleist]

8 minutes ago, babse said:

Curious if there has there been any accidents by these circles? cant see how hard it must be to navigate them as is it not the fastest section of road (ive been to the last few events since its been going through there and this is the least of the safety concerns)...

 

Navigation isn't the issue. Last year cars and cyclists were facing one another head-on because there weren't any road closures. Cyclists were going around the circles on the right.

[NicholasH]

3 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

 

Along the same lines .... as much as it is not the same.

 

Vines and Views have a sponsor for the Skaapkop climb.  Those that want to participate must load their Strava just after the race.  Fastest for that segment, on the day, gets the prize.

 

Potential option if you get sponsors on board for the Trilogy, or any other ride.

Recall, while it may not have a named sponsor, we DO have a cash prize for our green jersey/intermediate sprint. In fact, we go as far as to have the Western Province Race Commissaires at the green line to make the call on the winner. We don't rely on uploads. 

[NicholasH]

Just now, Titleist said:

Navigation isn't the issue. Last year cars and cyclists were facing one another head-on because there weren't any road closures. Cyclists were going around the circles on the right.

to be honest, this was becoming a problem for us - in a way glad we do not have to go through D'Urbanvale because of exactly what you described - the oncoming traffic and cyclists. The residents there hated us I think!

[bleedToWin]

15 minutes ago, Titleist said:

I'm glad you noticed my post. Next time you'll feel guilty for not contributing and maybe you'll even do your bit as well to get the ave speed up😁

 

 

🤔 Haha, not sure if you know me IRL and are taking a dig?
I couldn't care less about avg speed! 🤫

[bleedToWin]

11 minutes ago, Titleist said:

Navigation isn't the issue. Last year cars and cyclists were facing one another head-on because there weren't any road closures. Cyclists were going around the circles on the right.

Yip, the high speed right hander with cars surprised to see us coming and then the circles taken both sides was not very safe. I know safety officials did their best but if there's even one car allowed into this area it's a dogshow!

Edited January 14 by bleedToWin

[NicholasH]

1 minute ago, bleedToWin said:

Yip, the high speed right hander with cars surprised to see us coming and then the circles taken both sides was not very safe. I know safety officials did their best but if there's even one car allowed into this area it's a dogshow!

as stated, luckily this is now a thing of the past and thank the Lord we had no incidents!

[ChrisF]

Just now, bleedToWin said:

Yip, the high speed right hander with cars surprised to see us coming and then the circles taken both sides was not very safe. I know safety officials did their best but if there's even one car in this area it's a dogshow!

 

Last year a double cab bakkie pushed past the official ... I had to brake hard not to T-bone it.

 

I was more worried about the riders behind me ... it can go wrong so quickly.

[Bub Marley]

17 hours ago, NicholasH said:

Lol! I actually rode that race before I was a parent of a kid in the school. What a disaster that gravel bit was for roadbikes! I still rag some of the committee who are still serving and that were involved in THAT race. Broken collarbones and bikes piled up at the medical tent 😂

And yes, the Vissers/Odendaal combination were legend...RIP

(in fact, we could quite easily use that exact route now and label it "gravel" race and it would be an awesome event!)

Maybe something to consider for a future gravel event then? I think you could possibly keep the route exactly as is but instead of finishing on adderley, take a right into Malans come up the hill and then instead of going up Vissers on tar, perhaps use the farm roads like they do in the epic prologue.

 

You’d probably still have the traffic issue after the vissershok descent but perhaps make that a neutral zone and end the race at the top of one of those steep pitches on Vissers? Something to think about perhaps.

[NicholasH]

1 hour ago, Bub Marley said:

Maybe something to consider for a future gravel event then? I think you could possibly keep the route exactly as is but instead of finishing on adderley, take a right into Malans come up the hill and then instead of going up Vissers on tar, perhaps use the farm roads like they do in the epic prologue.

 

You’d probably still have the traffic issue after the vissershok descent but perhaps make that a neutral zone and end the race at the top of one of those steep pitches on Vissers? Something to think about perhaps.

That's a great option if it was not connected to the even as a whole. We have to bring 4 different races to the same finish line and then marshal the riders back to the start venue.... Also, crossing RIGHT onto Malans from Adderly without full road closure is a trainwreck waiting to happen. There's a reason why 99% of road races go anti-clockwise : you never have to cross traffic. But, yes, we are always looking to improve. We will build on this year's experience for next year