Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour!!!

[gdiza]

Hi there,

The event is now open for entries

web addy is: http://www.capetowncycletour.co.za

PS: NEW ENTRY PROCESS for the 2005 Cape Argus / Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour
http://www.capetowncycletour.co.za/entry.html

later

(i've registered, i hope they accept my application and let me cycle the 2005!)

 

[Lazy legs]

Hi there,

The event is now open for entries

web addy is: http://www.capetowncycletour.co.za

PS: NEW ENTRY PROCESS for the 2005 Cape Argus / Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour
http://www.capetowncycletour.co.za/entry.html

later

(i've registered, i hope they accept my application and let me cycle the 2005!)

.

Yep got my online entry yesterday and entered. Now we have to wait for them to decide if they accept our entries or not, damn. When will we know for sure if we have been entered or not?

 

[gdiza]

well, its R20 for first off applications
then, by the 15th september (if i remember correctly)
if they accept you, u have to pay the full entry fee (for me, it'll be R145 if i am correct, if you a foreigner, its R200 before the "NEXT" closing date which is august sometime or whatever)
then you're in!

its so stupid they've got this new entry system!
yes i know the event is growing but thats the whole point... it must grow and they must adapt. its also a tourism thing so ya...

but.. no point in bitching bout it... might as well just accept it and move on.

ps: mike, if u get in, and u come down a few days before, let me know and maybe we can hook up and go for a mini training session.

 

[Lazy legs]

ps: mike, if u get in, and u come down a few days before, let me know and maybe we can hook up and go for a mini training session.

Hey if that is you in your avatar I sure as hell won't be able to keep up . I will however take you up on your offer. How many times have you done the Argus?
I think the new entry system (however complicated) is overdue, it will give the more serius riders a better chance to get an entry and the way I see it it's a formallity if you meet the qualifying criteria. It is however a "shlep" having to wait so long to know your fate. I suppose it will be better next year when they've sorted out any hickups they stumble accross this year.

 

[gdiza]

Hi Mike

No bud, thats not me in my avatar, thats a picture of Lance Armstrong i found online, resized it and used it as my avatar.

I haven't done the argus yet, i am however hoping and praying i'll do it "next" year (2005) and then do it every year after that.

I think differently to you however, the argus is a event, if you register, you should be able to do it.

Yes the event is growing, but thats not our problem, thats the event coordinator's problem, they should be exhilirated that the event is growing and should adapt to that (more money incoming at the end of the day)

I hope however that i can do it. i really want to.

I heard today that i might be asked to cycle for a cycling team so i'm really chuffed, maybe that way, i can get into the argus
i'm going to really pull string to get in eh... lots of strings.

 

[Lazy legs]

gdiza, the biggest problem with the Argus is the logistics around organising this event. Getting 35,000 people to start on time is no joke. The problem I have with the old system was that there are a lot of people out there who only do 1 race a year and that's the Argus, they deny serius riders who do 10 or more races a year the chance to get to do the biggest timed race in the world. I know you don't fall into this category (wanting to join a pro team and all that - BTW our date for a training ride is off ), but these people have no idea of how to ride in such a big group, they cause accidents and cant go the distance.
Organising this event must be one hell of a headache, getting 35,000 cyclist to start on time and finish on time . Not even half of the field has started when the first riders cross the finnish line. The last groups start around 11'o clock and they need 6 hours to complete the race, unfortunately there are only x number of hours in a day, the organisers can do nothing to change this.
Last year when the online entries opened the 32,000 entries was grabbed up in less than 80 hours, the tour site crashed and then the payment site crahed, effectively the entries was taken in around 48 hours. There were a lot of dissapointed DEDICATED riders out there who couldn't get entries and a lot of one-timers smiling from ear to ear cause they got an entry to a race they probly won't be able to finnish.
With the qualifying now in place at least you will get riders who has ridden in a group before and knows more or less what to expect. As I said at the start this is not aimed at you personally as you don't fit the tag as a one-timer / racer, but there are a lot oif them out there. Give the more serious riders a chance and then they can fill up the numbers with the rest.

 

[gdiza]

Mike,

No, you very correct in everything you say but i'm hoping with this entry process in the way, many 1 timers are gonna be scared off and not bother trying to get in and maybe i'll get my shot, but, push comes to shove, if i dont get in the normal way, i'll make more off a effort because i will do the argus and i will do it faster than all my friends (looking at 3:40:00 and less... hopefully)

I've even been asked to cycle for a cycling team here in cape town and the big guy of the whole thing has been cycling for 15 years so maybe i'll get some serious training with his 'team' and then kick some serious ass

guess i'll have to show them by doing the Burger Sanlam in a good time.

 

[Lazy legs]

Mike,

No, you very correct in everything you say but i'm hoping with this entry process in the way, many 1 timers are gonna be scared off and not bother trying to get in and maybe i'll get my shot, but, push comes to shove, if i dont get in the normal way, i'll make more off a effort because i will do the argus and i will do it faster than all my friends (looking at 3:40:00 and less... hopefully)

I've even been asked to cycle for a cycling team here in cape town and the big guy of the whole thing has been cycling for 15 years so maybe i'll get some serious training with his 'team' and then kick some serious ass

guess i'll have to show them by doing the Burger Sanlam in a good time.

gdiza, I'm not trying to say that people who want to get into cycling should be denied the right to do the Argus. My grief is with people who only do the Argus and the rest of the year they don't enter any races and sit around waiting for the next Argus. This while there are people who ride every day, enter races and then they can't get an entry for the biggest race.
As I said in my previous post the qualifying races will also ensure that riders know how to ride in a big group, trust me the Argus is a big group, and there are a hell of a lot of idiots on their bikes that have no clue as to what to do when a group approach them from behind, or to indicate what they plan to do and just stop in the middle of the road without even looking if they are blocking someone or not. Let them get some experience in smaller races and then they can come and join the big race.
I'm no pro and I cycle for the fun of it, but I do take it serius enough to enter races and enjoy it with other people. I did 4 big 100km+ races in 2 months before my first Argus, the experiences gained there helped me a moer of a lot when the big day finaly arrived.

 

[SlowUnsteady]

I'll chip in and mention that I think the new entry process is a great idea and is only a problem for people who decide to start riding the day the entries open.. Once you have any major race under your belt you're qualified and then don't have to worry about the entry process.

The other method is just to joing the Western Province PPA, looks like they get preference?

One gripe is that Absa credit card holders get preference.. Where on earth do they come with that junk!

 

[DarrylZ]

Hey Guys
From my side i believe you have to do the argus even if it is only once, iv'e done it nine times the last being in 97' and vowed then already never to do it again. For me personally its just become a commercial nightmare of an event, and everything around it is a pain the entry system, the collecting of numbers, getting to the start shoots,
Been in the army and done the queing thing,
Good luck to those first timers and enjoy, just be very alert.

 

[gdiza]

SlowUnsteady, concerning the absa thing, probably because ABSA will have a big cycling team next year or will have a major contribution towards the argus and because of that, they'd obviously say... let our ABSA users get preference as part of the deal/agreement.

DarrylZ, any major event is a commercial nightmare! look at cycling, the events have banners all over teh show, the cyclists are covered in marketting material etc etc.
Just ignore it i think and enjoy the event let the businesses advertising worry about the marketting side of things but also be thankful to them for probably being part of the argus "running again" and "again"

image if no one did marketting, i doubt there'd be a argus let alone a tour de france.

 

[SlowUnsteady]

Mmm, still think its pathetic that one should be discriminated upon in cycling because of choice of credit card... Imagine if someone said "Sorry, you can't enter this race because you don't drive a ford".. Sheesh!

As to commercialisation, no worries with all that, it adds to the atmosphere.. Only problem is having 35 000 cyclists... I can remember my first 94.7 (never done argus), no seeding so I had to start with the plebs and it was a nightmare getting through all the cyclists, guy I ended up cycling with came off hard when some idiot simply turned right when they saw the drinks table..

 

[DarrylZ]

cycling with came off hard when some idiot simply turned right when they saw the drinks table.. [/QUOTE]

Maybe i did'nt make myself all that clear, the marketing and commercial side of it is a given we need that for the sport.
But like some other riders i spent years working my way through the ranks to finally arrive in a C bunch (of which i was very proud being on a mtb) and then maintaining a good enough time to stay there only the year after to receive a G bunch start (because of an admin c... up) and get taken out by a first timer.

My mates keep nagging me to do my 10th, but just weird have no inclination.
Im older and wiser now and enjoy my riding for what it is. Maybe one day.

 

[Goosebeak]

DarrylZ, I have to say I understand how you feel - I too have had my fill of 'hurry up & wait'

Something else that bothers myself and a lot of my fellow riders is this lottery-type system - all it really means is that the organisers will be raking in lots of loot from the unsuccessful applicants, who will have nothing but a depleted bank-balance to show for the effort.

And some of the other conditions are just plain STUPID! What about the one that says that people living in isolated areas (or from overseas) will be given preference? Or if more than x members of a household enter, the remainder will get preference?

Whilst I am currently off the bike with a broken hip, I completed 5 races in the 3 months preceding my fall, and finished around halfway down (or is that up? )the field every time. My physiotherapist (who has done the Argus 7 times now and is a regular competitive cyclist) has stated that, due to the new entry format, they can kiss her money goodbye. And I don't blame her. Her Argus trip pumps conservatively around R20,000-00 into the local economy every time...

She is not the only regular Argus-rider I've heard that from, either.

 

[Lazy legs]

The commercialization of an event like this is what keeps it comming back year after year, especially now that the organisers have to fork out big bucks for full road closures, police, etc. That said it still doesn't justify Absa card holders preference, luckily I have one but I don't see them as involved as someone like Powerade, Energade, Coke & Pick & Pay, unless they are going to start this year.
WP PPA are the organisers and their members must get some advantage from being a member, problem is that you don't have to live in Western Province to join them, lots of people join them to get an earlier start time (I did it as well with my first Argus.), must do wonders for their member figures.
DZ... go for your tenth, I'm gonna keep going as long as possible, 3 down and plenty more to come!

 

[Lazy legs]

DarrylZ, I have to say I understand how you feel - I too have had my fill of 'hurry up & wait'

Something else that bothers myself and a lot of my fellow riders is this lottery-type system - all it really means is that the organisers will be raking in lots of loot from the unsuccessful applicants, who will have nothing but a depleted bank-balance to show for the effort.

And some of the other conditions are just plain STUPID! What about the one that says that people living in isolated areas (or from overseas) will be given preference? Or if more than x members of a household enter, the remainder will get preference?

Whilst I am currently off the bike with a broken hip, I completed 5 races in the 3 months preceding my fall, and finished around halfway down (or is that up? )the field every time. My physiotherapist (who has done the Argus 7 times now and is a regular competitive cyclist) has stated that, due to the new entry format, they can kiss her money goodbye. And I don't blame her. Her Argus trip pumps conservatively around R20,000-00 into the local economy every time...

She is not the only regular Argus-rider I've heard that from, either.

I agree with you on the lottery-type entries. What's the use they try and get a system in place to get people to meet certain criteria and then they go and throw all the names of the people who failed into a hat and draw some lucky failure to past the test.

 

[SlowUnsteady]

I can understand why a complete novice would complain about the new entry procedure, but for someone who has been cycling for a while surely it makes things much easier? No sitting by the computer trying to get in in the 48 hour window.. What if you're on holiday? And as long as you have any one of the qualifying races under your belt you get in easily... This ensures that maybe the benefit of argus get spread to other events as people try to qualify.

I agree that all the other criteria seem pretty strange though..

Unfortunately I can't believe they could have built a good enough website to handle the hits it would have taken this year, you would probably have found the whole entry procedure would have had a less than 24 hr window.

 

[Lazy legs]

Unfortunately I can't believe they could have built a good enough website to handle the hits it would have taken this year, you would probably have found the whole entry procedure would have had a less than 24 hr window.

With your username you should be able to give them a site that will meet their requirements.