Cape Town Cycle Tour 2017 cancelled

2nd Monday of March AKA "Bellairs has got some drama to explain"

Amashova - officially MY favourite race route. It has just about everything I enjoy: hills (1000's of them), long drags, fast winding descents, full road closure, a warm ocean at the end of the race. It even has it's windy days.

Fill it with sea water. Will burn the eyes no end

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Perhaps it's time for some people to consider another event for the annual getaway on a bike. I'm not knocking the CTCT but is is being loved to death with the number of entrants.

 

Have a go at the Amashova. For those that haven't done given the Shova a go it's an amazing event through beautiful scenery. It doesn't have have Chappies and so on but from a tactical point of view it is a tough nut to crack. Always been my favorite race actually.

 

Anyway just an example of what else is on offer.

Agree on it.  Yes, the Western Cape will remain one of my fav places in the world to cycle (especially Chapmans peak) but the CTCT as such in my opinion is overrated.  I have done a few Amashovas as well and given a choice between the Shova and the CTCT,the Shova wins hands down.

First weekend of April would be a much better time to hold the race. Significantly reduced chance of strong winds in April compared with early March.

Issue in April is daylight hours. The 1st group would probably start about 30 min later - way more like my getting up time. One would hope they can the cut off at 18H00 but I recall some issue with this. I cannot recall what.

If I lived in Cape Town, I would enter again. 

But as an out-of-towner, the prospect of gambling another R10k on another CTCT is as appealing as gargling wasps. 

Wonder what impact this will have?

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/arrests-after-masiphumelele-protest-cuts-cycle-tour-short-20170313

Wonder what impact this will have?

 

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/arrests-after-masiphumelele-protest-cuts-cycle-tour-short-20170313

So Felicity the DA councillor is to blame.....if only she had appeased the peeps. ..we could've had our tour....bloody agents. ..????????????

Well, I'm rather glad I did the Herald last month, and the Amashova last year! And I think I will do the same going forward - wind is something else, but there is no way to guarantee that similar protests won't cause havoc at the CTCT in future.

Both those events are very nice, and I can possibly look to combine the Amashova with a nice South Coast holiday

If I lived in Cape Town, I would enter again. 

 

But as an out-of-towner, the prospect of gambling another R10k on another CTCT is as appealing as gargling wasps. 

My sentiments exactly. 

I need a guaranteed start at any race that I entered. CTCancelledTours can not do so. 

I've said it before. My trust in the Brand is gone, given two misses and one hit over the last three events at CTCT. 

Adverse conditions I understand. Politics, I don't. It is a sport with k@k rules.

I'd much rather settle for a trek to Carnival one weekend and Tour Durban (home) the next. 

Keep the goodie bag. I have enough bottles and sunscreen. I need to ride and enjoy the value of my entry fee, and my effort to get me and the missus there cost me money as well. 

I will even shut up if I am not entirely happy with you channeling my entry fee to your charity of choice and not mine. Your race, your call. Just let me ride and I'm happy.

I will never be held to ransom by a lottery to enter, let alone a lottery of getting a start once I'm there. No other race that I have participated in has ever done this to me.

Like my neighbour says. I've stopped playing Lotto because I can no longer afford to lose Four Million every weekend. 

My sentiments exactly. 

 

I need a guaranteed start at any race that I entered. CTCancelledTours can not do so. 

 

I've said it before. My trust in the Brand is gone, given two misses and one hit over the last three events at CTCT. 

 

Adverse conditions I understand. Politics, I don't. It is a sport with k@k rules.

 

I'd much rather settle for a trek to Carnival one weekend and Tour Durban (home) the next. 

 

Keep the goodie bag. I have enough bottles and sunscreen. I need to ride and enjoy the value of my entry fee, and my effort to get me and the missus there cost me money as well. 

 

I will even shut up if I am not entirely happy with you channeling my entry fee to your charity of choice and not mine. Your race, your call. Just let me ride and I'm happy.

 

I will never be held to ransom by a lottery to enter, let alone a lottery of getting a start once I'm there. No other race that I have participated in has ever done this to me.

 

Like my neighbour says. I've stopped playing Lotto because I can no longer afford to lose Four Million every weekend. 

In today's news: preferential entries for the 2018 event to those who were at the start line this year. Small mercies...

My sentiments exactly. 

 

I need a guaranteed start at any race that I entered. CTCancelledTours can not do so. 

 

I've said it before. My trust in the Brand is gone, given two misses and one hit over the last three events at CTCT. 

 

Adverse conditions I understand. Politics, I don't. It is a sport with k@k rules.

 

I'd much rather settle for a trek to Carnival one weekend and Tour Durban (home) the next. 

 

Keep the goodie bag. I have enough bottles and sunscreen. I need to ride and enjoy the value of my entry fee, and my effort to get me and the missus there cost me money as well. 

 

I will even shut up if I am not entirely happy with you channeling my entry fee to your charity of choice and not mine. Your race, your call. Just let me ride and I'm happy.

 

I will never be held to ransom by a lottery to enter, let alone a lottery of getting a start once I'm there. No other race that I have participated in has ever done this to me.

 

Like my neighbour says. I've stopped playing Lotto because I can no longer afford to lose Four Million every weekend. 

out of sheer curiosity, would you have the same sentiments if they cancelled the shova while you were in a start shute, say do to protest action on the road ?

out of sheer curiosity, would you have the same sentiments if they cancelled the shova while you were in a start shute, say do to protest action on the road ?

i think that was his point exactly, if he is from Durbs.

same here for us Capies we are in the Cape so we are as to say "best" off others not so.

hell even i'm not convinced by entering next year as well.

I'd be interested to see the stat of the 35000 entries how much are from Cape Town

i think that was his point exactly, if he is from Durbs.

 

same here for us Capies we are in the Cape so we are as to say "best" off others not so.

hell even i'm not convinced by entering next year as well.

 

I'd be interested to see the stat of the 35000 entries how much are from Cape Town

I would think a small percentage, its like when the vaalies pull into durbs ,,,locals run

why ride with thousands of riders who cant ride when you can rise most of the route at you own time and no drama

Meezo, first off not wanting to start a fight.

But, to say you want a guarantee to start the race and that trust is lost in the brand because they cancelled a ride for safety reasons, does not sit right.

Would the same sentiments of loss of trust and need of guarantee also apply to the Shova, which is a local race for David Higgs

As an add on, the only guarantee I want from any ride, is that my safety as a rider always comes first. So that means adequate route safety and adequate refreshments on route, adequate route marking etc.

As with anything, events may unfold that an event is cancelled for whatever reason. It is always a chance.

Where the problems start is how the organisers handle said cancellation. And THAT is a whole new issue that I think we are all grappling with here.

If they opened entries up today, I would enter! Yes I was fuming on Sunday and I had a few things to say but in hindsight, I was wrong and should have kept my mouth shut. I have done 27 consecutive starts(I am counting Sunday as a start because I managed to do 21km before being stopped) and this is the first time this has happened. Yes 2015 was short but at least they made a plan. IMHO it's still a great race and I will be there in 2018 for the 40th event and my 27th. CTCT will see my money again.

My sentiments exactly. 

 

I need a guaranteed start at any race that I entered. CTCancelledTours can not do so. 

 

I've said it before. My trust in the Brand is gone, given two misses and one hit over the last three events at CTCT. 

 

SNIP

Just nit-picking here, but 2 misses in 40 editions is the correct figure to use here, narrow-mindedness isn't really helpful to looking at the context of the situation. You could also say that they have missed 1 of 1, or 1 of 2, which would give different impacts on the perceived success/failure of the event to occur.

We all lost time and money, life goes on and most of us will be back next year to ride, it's a beautiful race with an amazing setting and riding with so many other cyclists is definitely an experience.

Some people like to gamble on horses or at the casino, where the chance of winning is very slim compared to the 95% success rate the CTCT has had. I would rather bet my money on this where the outcome is an amazing experience.

If they opened entries up today, I would enter! Yes I was fuming on Sunday and I had a few things to say but in hindsight, I was wrong and should have kept my mouth shut. I have done 27 consecutive starts(I am counting Sunday as a start because I managed to do 21km before being stopped) and this is the first time this has happened. Yes 2015 was short but at least they made a plan. IMHO it's still a great race and I will be there in 2018 for the 40th event and my 27th. CTCT will see my money again.

True, and you can tell your kids and grand-kids one day that you started the 40th edition twice haha.

I think we were all over-emotional on Sunday, even the apology from the captain of the flight I took back to Joburg was met with mumbles from the passengers, including myself.

I just spoke to a colleague whose husband runs the Two Oceans every year. They've already cancelled their leave. They are not willing to risk their safety and the large expense on hopefully not having a repeat of the protests.

I understand that there was little choice but cancel the event. You can only reroute so many times, you can only delay so much.

It was a nice breakaway, and we visited family that we don't see that frequently.

My only real concern is if I (and everyone who has to drive far and stay over for the event) can trust that the chances of more such protests affecting the event next year are slim.

Well, I'm rather glad I did the Herald last month, and the Amashova last year! And I think I will do the same going forward - wind is something else, but there is no way to guarantee that similar protests won't cause havoc at the CTCT in future.

 

Both those events are very nice, and I can possibly look to combine the Amashova with a nice South Coast holiday

Have to agree with you about the Amashova, such a great event and such great weather and beautiful scenery. The valley of 1000 hills is very aptly named haha.

See it's a week before the Mangaung Cycle Tour this year, so should be interesting

If they opened entries up today, I would enter! Yes I was fuming on Sunday and I had a few things to say but in hindsight, I was wrong and should have kept my mouth shut. I have done 27 consecutive starts(I am counting Sunday as a start because I managed to do 21km before being stopped) and this is the first time this has happened. Yes 2015 was short but at least they made a plan. IMHO it's still a great race and I will be there in 2018 for the 40th event and my 27th. CTCT will see my money again.

You couldn't keep your mouth shut, the effort of riding into that head wind up Nelson Mandela Boulevard had us all gasping for air. Particularly, and it's a 1st for me, being blown over BEFORE the start mats and having to chase.

So far I'm zero from 3 since the The Argus became the CTCT. 1 short coke and bar one overload session, 1 in post surgery recovery from CTCT training and then a fun jaunt almost to Tokai on Sunday. Is that my sub 3 CTCTs?

What will next year hold?

I just spoke to a colleague whose husband runs the Two Oceans every year. They've already cancelled their leave. They are not willing to risk their safety and the large expense on hopefully not having a repeat of the protests.

 

I understand that there was little choice but cancel the event. You can only reroute so many times, you can only delay so much.

It was a nice breakaway, and we visited family that we don't see that frequently.

My only real concern is if I (and everyone who has to drive far and stay over for the event) can trust that the chances of more such protests affecting the event next year are slim.

This is what the Organisers need to focus on! Get these ducks in a row, come up with a plan for the day with the necessary role players and the risk element is drastically reduced!

Everyone acting very emotional about the event. Let's just put this out there. Imagine the worlds media are watching the streaming live footage as a group of 100 plus protesters charge across the road at the Sun Valley traffic light where the elite bunch are coming down Black Hill at pace on the diverted route. That's before the thousands of other riders that have already started on the course even get there! And they will all be pumped up and ready for confrontation!!!! Could you just imagine the conflict on the day????????? Would this likely end with someone losing their life?

Meezo, first off not wanting to start a fight.

 

But, to say you want a guarantee to start the race and that trust is lost in the brand because they cancelled a ride for safety reasons, does not sit right.

 

 

Would the same sentiments of loss of trust and need of guarantee also apply to the Shova, which is a local race for David Higgs

not picking or arguing as well, again i think we as being from the Cape got off lightly.

I'm trying to see it from the rest of the masses, ie not from Cape Town.

Amongst our group, what also got to us, was the build up to and then finally the cancelling.

1. Moving of the venue of Kiddies Tour, new venue preference but still a move

2. Having the Kiddies Tour same days weekend like the Argus MTB, many of our guys didn't do the Argus MTB because they wanted to take their kids for a ride.

3. The delayed opening of the Expo

4. The 1st SMS to say if riders not experienced they should reconsider their participation, in my view this would have maybe left 5-10% of riders not pitching to the start.

5. The 2nd SMS saying the race was shortened due to protests.

6. The Final Blow was the cancellation.

There were a few other issues, like not having the hospitality setup at the end etc etc. woulda been great to catch up and and

Now, saying that we wont be doing the Argus again, well we'd be lying, however its now become like I'm leaning 40% at maybe not doing it. Again I'm not arguing that cancelling was or wasn't the right call, i think it was the right call.

I did like iCycling's suggestion, of having the 47km as a worst case solution, atleast a ride still takes place.

I wasn't there in 2009 but many are saying it was worse, what has happened since then?

EDIT : Spelling, i suck at grammer so its still bad

You couldn't keep your mouth shut, the effort of riding into that head wind up Nelson Mandela Boulevard had us all gasping for air. Particularly, and it's a 1st for me, being blown over BEFORE the start mats and having to chase.

 

So far I'm zero from 3 since the The Argus became the CTCT. 1 short coke and bar one overload session, 1 in post surgery recovery from CTCT training and then a fun jaunt almost to Tokai on Sunday. Is that my sub 3 CTCTs?

 

What will next year hold?

Can you please not enter next year. Even better, go ride in Gauteng that weekend!

And yes I'm joking [emoji12]

Next year will be great. If yes I'll quote this. If not, I will edit it [emoji41]