Battle it out with Virgin Active for a 2018 Absa Cape Epic entry

50 year old  @ 75kg vs 25 year old at 75kg - both same fitness

 

Who will win ? There is a reason why you dont see "old" pro's in the peloton ...

Well then, if its a power based challenge and biased towards young pro's then what was the point of the competition all along - and we wont know what the wattbike challenge will be until the day it happens...

i wonder how many people got flous'd into signing up for VA just for the comp 

from the web site (http://virginactiveepicbattle.co.za) ...

Congratulations to everyone who took part in stage 1 of the Virgin Active Epic Battle Challenge!

Out of the 1311 competitors, 257 challengers climbed, slogged, and sprinted their way through all 5 Virgin Active Epic Battle challenges.

Our 3 lucky draw finalists competing in the Virgin Active Epic Battle, which will be held at the 2017 Absa Cape Epic Grande Finale are:

• Andrew Koen & partner
• Niven Wood & partner
• John Dalton & partner

And the 5 lucky draw winners for each Challenge are:

• Challenge 1: Beverly Du Plessis won a Uvex Ivo Helmet
• Challenge 2: Dirk Labuschagne won a pair of Endura Bibshorts
• Challenge 3: Jono Cloete won a pair of KTM Factor Line shoes
• Challenge 4: Yacoob Jaffar won a pair of Oakley Sunglasses
• Challenge 5: Bryan Harding won a Suunto Spartan Sport watch

That's it then I guess, congrats guys. 

So who's still in the running for next years tickets?

I've managed the first 2 Challenges, but only just. The 3rd challenge of 2 x 4hr rides is going to prove difficult, I can't remember when last I cycled non-stop for so long. I might need to saddle up the road bike.

I'm still in but I haven't won any prize yet.

Surprisingly I managed the distance challenge (1st one). Did a 70km ride and then the Garmin file was corrupt so I couldn't download it and then rain "forced" an indoor session. I thought that I was out but on the Monday after this challenge ended I received an sms saying that I had completed the 1st challenge.

The 2nd (climbing) challenge was easier for me to complete as there were no corrupt files nor rain to interfere with my riding. I've completed that challenge by my calculations.

Now we on the 3rd challenge and as long as the rain stays away on the weekends I'll manage the 2 x 4hr rides.

That's where the challenge will end for me.

I have no intention of booking and going for classes.

I am just after one of the mini prizes but so far I have won JACK !!!!

I won the lucky draw prize for the first challenge (so that you guys know that there are prize winners - based on posts preceding these!).  Meant to be getting a Virgin Cycling top and then a gym bag hamper thing.

Also only just made the 400km on the first challenge after wiping out 11km into my cycle leg on a triathlon to push me past the 400km, so I had to come home and do the remaining km on the watt bike at the gym full of roasties.

Challenge 2 was a bit of a mission to do suffering with flu, but got it finished up yesterday afternoon.  Challenge 3 should be fun with the 94.7 Mtb race on the last day of the 2 weeks, so looks like I'll be doing a 4 hour ride Sat and then coasting along on the 94.7 route on Sunday.

I have completed the 2 challenges so far. I have not had to change much apart from doing some hill sessions instead of sitting on my IDT luckily the weather was good and I've enjoyed it. I normally do a 4hr ride every weekend so this won't be too hard. I assume that stopping for a coffee will be OK as I'm not sure how they will know anyway.

I have completed the 2 challenges so far. I have not had to change much apart from doing some hill sessions instead of sitting on my IDT luckily the weather was good and I've enjoyed it. I normally do a 4hr ride every weekend so this won't be too hard. I assume that stopping for a coffee will be OK as I'm not sure how they will know anyway.

It's not about not stopping at all, it's just about having a total moving time of 4 hours. Your Garmin/Wahoo etc. picks up total time and moving time. So you just can't ride for 10mins, stop for 3hrs40mins, ride for 10mins and press stop. You can however ride for 2hrs, stop for a couple mins/for a coffee, ride another 2hrs, then press stop. I've been on rides where we wited for people, took photos, stopped for coffee etc, where my total time was 7hrs, but total moving time just 5hrs.... I would assume such a ride would count.

According to the leaderboard three guys have completed challenge 3 already!! Seems a bit dodgy to me 

So far only 398 have managed to complete challenges 1 and 2, maybe a few more need to still sync their weekend rides with Strava.  Find it odd that some of the guys with massive distances completed so far in challenge haven't managed to get challenge 2 done.  

But the field is thinning!  Keep pushing guys!

Moving time of 4hrs will be doable for sure, that means I can still fit in a breakfast feed in Stellies

According to the leaderboard three guys have completed challenge 3 already!! Seems a bit dodgy to me 

 

So far only 398 have managed to complete challenges 1 and 2, maybe a few more need to still sync their weekend rides with Strava.  Find it odd that some of the guys with massive distances completed so far in challenge haven't managed to get challenge 2 done.  

 

But the field is thinning!  Keep pushing guys!

As far as I'm aware the 3rd challenge only started today so to do 2 x 4 hour rides by 11am seems very dodgy.

Suppose they could do 2 x 4hr rides in the same day but that's a bit unlikely IMO.

Since we have 2 weeks to complete the challenge it doesn't really matter.

Surely it's who has completed the 2 x 4hr rides in the allocated time, shouldn't make a difference if it was achieved in 2 days or in 14 days.

Nice to see a hubber winning 1 of the prizes.

Hopefully I also win 1 

According to the leaderboard three guys have completed challenge 3 already!! Seems a bit dodgy to me 

 

So far only 398 have managed to complete challenges 1 and 2, maybe a few more need to still sync their weekend rides with Strava.  Find it odd that some of the guys with massive distances completed so far in challenge haven't managed to get challenge 2 done.  

 

But the field is thinning!  Keep pushing guys!

They probably did a single 4 hour ride and recorded it on 2 devices, which then shows up as 2 rides on Strava. They will need to delete the "2nd activity". The organisers are aware of this happening and have informed contestants to delete the 2nd activity otherwise they won't be eligible.

According to the leaderboard three guys have completed challenge 3 already!! Seems a bit dodgy to me 

 

So far only 398 have managed to complete challenges 1 and 2, maybe a few more need to still sync their weekend rides with Strava.  Find it odd that some of the guys with massive distances completed so far in challenge haven't managed to get challenge 2 done.  

 

But the field is thinning!  Keep pushing guys!

The guys (aka the Hub manne) might have fixed since your post but I just had a look at the leaderboard and no-one is listed as having completed Challenge 3 yet, There are 8 people who have done a 4h+ ride in challenge 3 but that seems plausible (i.e. they rode today)

What is weird though is how little kays the guys rode on the 4h+ rides, see link below

https://www.youaremadetomove.co.za/epic-battle/leader-board/

Virgin Active have fixed the error, someone highlighted it on Strava and they corrected it pronto.

What is weird though is how little kays the guys rode on the 4h+ rides, see link below

https://www.youaremadetomove.co.za/epic-battle/leader-board/

Wines 2 whales riders maybe.....

Last week to go, who's still in with a chance?

I've managed to hang in there, only 3 more group classes to go and then it's time to cross my fingers and hope for the best.

I see some of the classes are now reflecting. But most of mine are still missing. ☹️

how did i miss this...

I see some of the classes are now reflecting. But most of mine are still missing. ☹️

They did mention it could take up to 5 days to reflect.

Looking at the stats, it started with 1528 entries and declined ever since Seems it wasn't as easy as everyone first expected it to be.

After Challenge 1, down to 508

after Challenge 2, down to 403

after Challenge 3, down to 349

after Challenge 4, ? (I'm guessing around 250?)

A 2/250 chance at a Cape Epic entry isn't bad odds

I've completed all the challenges so far, I just need to attend one more class tomorrow morning.

Anybody who wants to double their chances of winning and has completed all the challenges please send me a pm.

I'll make you my partner and vice versa.

We will have to compare Strava times and have a little chat to ensure a good riding match.

I’m still in the running. Need to attend 3 more classes!