Capital Punishment 2012

[top_oz_bloke]

From their web site:

The live results were not to be unfortunately with some timing issues experienced on the day. We are terribly sorry for this but are working through them now. There has been some random category issues from the system. We would rather get this all right before we post the results so please bear with us. We hope to have them up in the next couple of days.

The highlight for me was coming up to the Sparrow Hill tunnel just as the elite peleton was charging out on their way back to Kowen. A bit of a rare event for me to actually see some of the real racing.

The lowlight, someone (a rider) who appeared to be blowing up at a marshall on the bike path trek over to Stromlo. I was a little ahead so I can only hope I was mistaken....

 

[pharmaboy]

From their web site:



The highlight for me was coming up to the Sparrow Hill tunnel just as the elite peleton was charging out on their way back to Kowen. A bit of a rare event for me to actually see some of the real racing.

The lowlight, someone who appeared to be blowing up at a marshall on the bike path trek over to Stromlo. I was a little ahead so I can only hope I was mistaken....

LOL -same - it was only after coming out of sparrow, that i realised how far ahead those guys were!! so close yet so far.

As to the bike paths, we had a bloke in a ute chuck a complete spaz with f's and c's galore over a red light - i had no idea, i was just trying to suck the wheel in front and wasnt looking. (6 seconds of his life obviously cut him real deep)

 

[pinkbike]

I thought the course and general running of the event were fantastic, the improvement with the new course changes made so much difference... those paddocks out the back of the airport were definitely not missed. I thought i was flying and smashed last year's time, however seems that the course was in general a lot quicker so maybe the improvement wasn't all me :-( ah well still put out my fastest 100km event yet.

Highlights:
- swooping bermy corners near the end of Kowen
- coming down the full stromlo descent without the tour of the boon docks at the end
- the weather
- happy marshals, pretty good marshalling
- I'm sure the feed stations were awesome, but i didn't use them

Lows
Results, I understand result timing can be an issue but seriously so many events use online timing ... not just mtb events but huge huge events like city to surf and fun runs with thousands and thousands of people, if they can make it work then why can't AROC? I know there's an untimed section but the HIghland Fling had two untimed sections and real time online results which worked a treat. Even Dirtworks, where they don't even have phone reception, they print out regular result updates as riders finish. I guess it depends on why you enter, for some people it's about riding the tracks and making the distance rather than racing... but for me I entered to race. I pay my entry money for the sole purpose of having accurate timing and the chance to race against others. It also really sucked for 50km riders who had to hang around for 5-6 hours just in case they had made the podium. I really hope they can fix whatever problem it is, but I am pretty sure that at least one podium was incorrect at presentations which makes me a little worried... anyway hopefully it is all rectified and the rightful category winners and podiums are acknowledged, but incorrect podium presentations are not cool!

I would also like AROC to really clarify the whole outside assistance thing, I mean, there's an untimed section where you can visit the shops etc and many people had support in that section from family etc. Which is all cool but it wasn't 100% clear what was kosher and what wasn't. Also if assistance and shopping is allowed, why not just have a feed station in the untimed section and then everyone can use it to refuel rather than just those with local support. It's not a big issue really but I know last year one of the top females got disqualified from the Otway for taking a camelbak from outside assistance, so it's good to be clear on these things.

Overall a great event, but for the results issue is a real downer

 

[crash bandicoot]

It also really sucked for 50km riders who had to hang around for 5-6 hours just in case they had made the podium. I really hope they can fix whatever problem it is, but I am pretty sure that at least one podium was incorrect at presentations which makes me a little worried... anyway hopefully it is all rectified and the rightful category winners and podiums are acknowledged, but incorrect podium presentations are not cool!

yes, one presentation was way out, first place in vet mens 50km was awarded to a rider who dnfed, he had advised the timing crew that he had pulled out. also, super vets men 50km, 1st place awarded no mention of second or third places, i'm sure that the other 80 or so competitors in this class didn't all get lost and dnf.

 

[top_oz_bloke]

I would also like AROC to really clarify the whole outside assistance thing, I mean, there's an untimed section where you can visit the shops etc and many people had support in that section from family etc. Which is all cool but it wasn't 100% clear what was kosher and what wasn't. Also if assistance and shopping is allowed, why not just have a feed station in the untimed section and then everyone can use it to refuel rather than just those with local support. It's not a big issue really but I know last year one of the top females got disqualified from the Otway for taking a camelbak from outside assistance, so it's good to be clear on these things.

Just wondering what sort of things you think weren't clear? The brief reads to me that anything is allowed other than getting a lift.

I'm not a local but had the luxury of having my wife meet me in there. If I was travelling solo I would have done what quite a few others did and stashed some gear by the side of the road.

I agree on putting a feed station in there.

IMO the best setup is a gear drop such as the Fling.

 

[frensham]

Just wondering what sort of things you think weren't clear? The brief reads to me that anything is allowed other than getting a lift.
I'm not a local but had the luxury of having my wife meet me in there. If I was travelling solo I would have done what quite a few others did and stashed some gear by the side of the road.
I agree on putting a feed station in there.
IMO the best setup is a gear drop such as the Fling.

The feed station is ok where it is in my opinion. This is what I do. I visit the (Majura) feed station. I fill up my pockets/pack with buns, bananas etc. I ride (at race pace) the short distance to the untimed section and then ride casually/slow and eat the food whilst cruising. I spend about 30 secs at the feed station in total and have over 40 minutes to refuel. Simple.

 

[pharmaboy]

I'm not a local but had the luxury of having my wife meet me in there. If I was travelling solo I would have done what quite a few others did and stashed some gear by the side of the road.

Was there really that need? It was only 30 odd kays from the end, and went straight past an IGA, coffee shop, bottlo, bike shop and pizza bar - what more could a mountain biker need? Google maps discovered that little gem in 5 minutes of race prep - (cant remember which search term i started with ;D )

 

[Nellie]

I had heaps of fun doing the 50km and appreciate all the effort AROC and the many, many marshalls/volunteers put into the event.

I was in the 50-60% group and the conga line through Majura was really slow, painfully slow, but things got much better after that. The descent of Stromlo was loads of fun!

One disappointment for me was the finish of the 100km event. The top 3 (maybe 4?) elites went across the finish line without the officials noticing and hence no call was made over the mic to let the crowd know that the finishers were approaching. The top guys didn’t even get a cheer as they finished as no one knew they were there :grumpy:

 

[pinkbike]

Just wondering what sort of things you think weren't clear? The brief reads to me that anything is allowed other than getting a lift.

I'm not a local but had the luxury of having my wife meet me in there. If I was travelling solo I would have done what quite a few others did and stashed some gear by the side of the road.

I agree on putting a feed station in there.

IMO the best setup is a gear drop such as the Fling.

Yeah but then the brief said this

"Outside assistance is allowed at Feed Station 2 at Mount Majura Vineyard. Spectators or rider support are welcome to come to Mount Majura Vineyard to watch the action or provide assistance to riders. This will be a great point for spectators and there will be a coffee van and wine tasting available."

Like I said, I just didn't think it was that clear... not saying ppl who got outside assistance did anything wrong as the brief also suggested a stop at the shops!

The feed station is ok where it is in my opinion. This is what I do. I visit the (Majura) feed station. I fill up my pockets/pack with buns, bananas etc. I ride (at race pace) the short distance to the untimed section and then ride casually/slow and eat the food whilst cruising. I spend about 30 secs at the feed station in total and have over 40 minutes to refuel. Simple.

Yeah last year I lost a place by all of 62 seconds, so while feed station stops might only take 30 seconds this year I decided not to stop for anything except in the untimed section. Sorry to the rider at 61km who got the probably unwanted info of how I was hanging out for a pee in the untimed section.

yes, one presentation was way out, first place in vet mens 50km was awarded to a rider who dnfed, he had advised the timing crew that he had pulled out. also, super vets men 50km, 1st place awarded no mention of second or third places, i'm sure that the other 80 or so competitors in this class didn't all get lost and dnf.

Crap I had no idea it was that stuffed up! I'm pretty sure womens vets in the 100km was wrong as I finished close to one rider (within 10 minutes considering possible differences in the untimed section) but she didn't podium while another rider I know who came in much much later than us was given a podium place... not my category but that's the issue, it's hard to know which are wrong unless you know the riders, start waves, finish times etc. DNF on the podium is a good one tho :very_drunk:

 

[top_oz_bloke]

Was there really that need? It was only 30 odd kays from the end, and went straight past an IGA, coffee shop, bottlo, bike shop and pizza bar - what more could a mountain biker need? Google maps discovered that little gem in 5 minutes of race prep - (cant remember which search term i started with ;D )

Was there really the need? Probably not, but not knowing what to expect I decided to take advantage of the opportunity. She was only going to be sitting around waiting at Stromlo anyway.

 

[top_oz_bloke]

Yeah but then the brief said this

If you read the 'Event Rules' section of the brief it says outside assistance is ok throughout the non timed section. Including shops, houses, bike stores.

 

[pinkbike]

If you read the 'Event Rules' section of the brief it says outside assistance is ok throughout the non timed section. Including shops, houses, bike stores.

ah ok I was trying to find rules but after that many updates and briefings they have somehow eluded me oh well... if it was in the there somewhere then it's my fault for not knowing.

someone should set up a rent-a-support bunny service for next year, you'd make squillions ;-)

 

[bt100]

If you read the 'Event Rules' section of the brief it says outside assistance is ok throughout the non timed section. Including shops, houses, bike stores.

It sure does and I did my water stop in the untimed section. This was my first CP and it's actually a bit weird having such a long untimed section.

 

[I_like_bikes]

Thought the race was a big improvement over the last couple of years. When compared to the other 100km races, AROC do the feed stations and the marshalls very well. If you're in trouble help is never far away. Lack of paddocks was very much appreciated!

Only real gripe was that I thought the signage in a few places was a bit poor. Seems to be a bit of a recurring issue over the editions of this race. I was lucky enough to not be in a conga line for a lot of the race, and when you're flying down a fire trail at 30-40kmh it's hard to tell exactly where the entry to the singletrack is when the sign is right on it, and you can only see the direction it's pointing pretty close to it. An arrow or two before hand on bits like that would have been appreciated so you would know what side of the track you're turning off onto as I overshot 3 entry points. Signage in Majura was also a bit confusing with what looked like old event arrows still in place, but I managed to keep on track through that bit.

Lack of results is obviously very disappointing, but i'm sure they're working hard to rectify it, seeing how it's part of a series. Just hope the elites overall was done right with the untimed section. Remember last year line honours didn't actually win the race..... Personally I reckon the best timing is the Otway. So good to be able to compare your climb and descent times with the best.

I do think it was tough on the 50km competitors who'd podiumed, but didn't know, to hang around for 5-6 hours just in case they'd won something or placed in their category. In cases like that, where there is such a wait involved, I don't think the gear should be thrown to the wolves it should be delivered to the person who put the hard work in but couldn't be there.

 

[pharmaboy]

For outside assistance in the untimed section - this would have taken the cake...

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=ca...d=14ou7gKuw_tfYaxRwIeE6A&cbp=12,74.71,,1,2.49

Signposting - yes i took a couple of wrong turns - but can you imagine having to walk 100km of track with streamers, arrows and crosses - holy hell! really really fantastic race.

Though given the amount of trail available at stromlo, i reckon the 50's and the 100's should be split - the fast 100's mixing with the slow 50's was really a recipe for many crashes -

 

[Delmar]

Yeah last year I lost a place by all of 62 seconds, so while feed station stops might only take 30 seconds this year I decided not to stop for anything except in the untimed section. Sorry to the rider at 61km who got the probably unwanted info of how I was hanging out for a pee in the untimed section.
:

Ha! That was me! No worries at all mate. As I said at the time, I know that feeling all too well. Every bump excruciating...

 

[jarv]

Hey Crash Bandicoot.How did you know about the 1st place dnf in the vets 50.This interests me because i got 3rd.I hope my results were correct.I thought i had a good ride when i arrived a the finish at about 9.20 and there wasnt many riders.The untimed section must of made it hard to work out the results.

 

[crash bandicoot]

Hey Crash Bandicoot.How did you know about the 1st place dnf in the vets 50.This interests me because i got 3rd.I hope my results were correct.I thought i had a good ride when i arrived a the finish at about 9.20 and there wasnt many riders.The untimed section must of made it hard to work out the results.

The rider who was awarded 1st is a riding buddy of mine.

 

[Antsonline]

Though given the amount of trail available at stromlo, i reckon the 50's and the 100's should be split - the fast 100's mixing with the slow 50's was really a recipe for many crashes -

This really does need to be looked at. For the elite field to race for 95km together, responding to attacks, making moves, riding tactically, to then have the positions decided by (potentially) someone unable to get out of the way fast enough is just really disappointing. I know the slower 50km riders I passed were mostly doign their very best to get out of the way, but sometimes I think that the incredible speed and 'vigour' of the front of the race really takes them by surprise and scares them.
It doesnt work for them (the 50km riders) to have their final km's ruined by having to pull over, and it certainly doesnt work for the 100km elite riders to have months of training done onyl to have a result dependent on whether the get through a gap that isnt really there....

It was a much better course this year, the race was great. The timing issues are incredible from a professional events firm. I just dont get why its so hard for them, yet so easy for other organisations - mtb, running, triathlon etc etc.
I have grave fears for the quality and accuracy of the results, especially given that the front 20 places of the race will only be spread across something like 15mins (rough guess).


On a seperate point - how good is the XCM series this year? Three cheers for Theo and Arayna for getting it up again. Its pushed the interest levels up, and also the standard of riding. Its been a huge boost. Shaun and Jenny are killing it at the front, but I know of little 'mini-battles' going on all the way down the field for overall series honours...great for racing and MTB in Aus.

 

[Rida]

incorrect podium presentations are not cool!

I'm pretty sure womens vets in the 100km was wrong

Yep, def agree that incorrect podiums are very uncool!

For those incorrectly called to the podium it was initially very confusing (How the f#$K did I get on the podium? Did the other people in my category dnf? Did they get disqualified? Did they swap to the elite category to get more series points?) and later very embarrassing. I imagine it was also very confussing not to mention extremely annoying for the actual podium winners.

The podium presentations for the womens vet category was incorrect. Hopefully though the correct results will eventually be posted, series points correctly awarded and additional prizes sent out to those that should have got them on the day.

Problem could have been easily solved by displaying print outs of the preliminary 'results' so they could be questioned and corrected before the presentations.