![\"ccs-62657-0-59883800-1540915784.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-59883800-1540915784.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nAll of which followed a fire fanned by the wind yesterday afternoon and which had been approaching the race village at Oak Valley. The flames were bought under control some distance from the tents and infrastructure, but there was much more drama to follow.<\/p>\n
Strong winds had been buffeting the temporary village on the Oak Valley rugby field but as evening approached the gusts got more powerful. In one blast tent poles inside the bedouin tent housing the CBC chill zone were dislodged and fell to the ground.<\/p>\n
The FNB Wines2Whales management team and senior emergency services personnel gathered in the Venue Operations Centre (VOC) to discuss their options.<\/p>\n
While they were busy with their deliberations the yellow one-man rider tents on the field were straining against their tethering. Gazebos were blown over and some hoardings were torn from fences.<\/p>\n It was decided to evacuate the area.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were sleeping at about 10.30pm when a car with its siren switched on drove between the tents,\u201d recalled George\u2019s Shawn Buckley.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were told to pack everything and to go to the buses and were taken to the primary school at Paul Cluver (wine estate).\u201d<\/p>\n Buckley said the organisers had taken the \u201cbest option to ensure everybody\u2019s safety\u201d. He added that it was \u201camazing to organise that in such a short time\u201d.<\/p>\n Another rider, Candice Ilic, said she had been trying to sleep in the gusting winds when the \u201cwake up\u201d call came through. \u201cWe got out of there quickly and after a \u2018mini-heart attack\u2019 we got into the buses and off to the school.\u201d<\/p>\n Capetonian Koos Jordaan said he was \u201cvery impressed with the evacuation\u201d while his brother and riding partner Johannes said it \u201cwent very well\u201d.<\/p>\n Johannes added that his fellow riders had handled the situation well too and \u201cI got the feeling that people were happy with the way it was handled \u2026 the gees (spirit) is good\u201d.<\/p>\n That certainly seemed to be the case after the evacuees had been fed breakfast at venues outside the race village and returned to ride a shortened 40km course with a 11am start (delayed from a scheduled 8am).<\/p>\n Shortly before the start the rain returned and riders had to put up with repeated showers and extremely muddy conditions \u2013 with quite a few turning back towards the race village after only riding a few kilometres.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n