Cycle Tour | WhaleTales Blog by Chris von Ulmenstein

For the first time in many years, it would appear that fewer out-of-town cyclists will be participating in the 35th Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour, if the accommodation bookings in Camps Bay are a benchmark. Relative to past years, when the Cycle Tour weekend was fully booked weeks in advance, this coming weekend is well but not yet fully booked. Fewer of the bookings already taken for the weekend are related to the Cycle Tour, compared to previous years.

The 35000 participant 110 km Cycle Tour next Sunday is the largest individually timed cycle race in the world. Fewer than 10 % of the cyclists are from overseas. It is organised by the Pedal Power Association and the Rotary Club of Claremont, and monies raised from the entry fees are shared with community upliftment and cycling development projects, R3 million having been raised in 2011. It is estimated that the Cycle Tour will contribute at least R500 million to the economy of the Western Cape, based on 2011 information.

Running alongside the Lifecycle Week, which consists of an Expo related to cycling and also is the Cycle Tour registration venue, are two further cycle events. This weekend the 208 km Columbia Grape Escape is taking place over three days, from the Durbanville Racecourse to the Boland Agricultural High School on Friday, from the school to Diemersfontein in Wellington yesterday, and from Diemersfontein to Boschendal today. It is the second time that the Grape Escape has been organised. In addition, the 11th Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay MTB Challenge is being held at Boschendal. Yesterday it challenged novice and casual mountain bike riders, and today it is more experienced riders who have chosen to ride 32, 52, or 65 km. Some of the cyclists participating in one of these ancillary races are also riding the Cycle Tour next week, such as our Whale Cottage Franschhoek guest Anton Mellet.

Concern for the environment is a characteristic of the Cycle Tour, with clean-up crews at every refreshment station, and waste sorted thereafter. Last year 98% of the waste was recycled, say the organisers. Recycled products are used where possible, such as cardboard bins, bin liners, and cups. Airspace above the Cycle Tour route is restricted to helicopters with permission, to reduce potential harm to any animals affected by the noise. The MyCiTi shuttle bus service will be free of charge between the Thibault Square and Stadium stations, and will run from 6h00 to 18h00 on Sunday. The Table View MyCiTi service will commence an hour earlier than normal, at 5h40, on Sunday. Trains can also be used to get to the start, running to normal Sunday schedules. Cyclists are encouraged by the organisers to use public transport on Sunday.

A number of major roads in the city and Cape Peninsula will be closed for most of the day, including Hertzog Boulevard, Heerengracht, De Waal Drive, Nelson Mandela Boulevard (eastward), M3 (southbound), M4 between Muizenberg along the coastal road, Chapman’s Peak, Victoria Road from Hout Bay to Bantry Bay, and Beach Road from Sea Point to the Stadium.

The Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour is the ultimate New Year’s resolution for many Capetonians and South Africans. The cycle race is an excellent means of showing off our beautiful city, with its backdrop of Table Mountain, the Twelve Apostles, Chapman’s Peak, Table Bay, False Bay, and the Atlantic Seaboard. We encourage motorists and cyclists to drive and ride safely in the week ahead.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage

Today’s annual Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour race, with 35000 cyclists, is a welcome three-day income injection for the Cape Town hospitality industry, which has been under severe strain this summer season. The economy of the Cape is expected to benefit by R500 million, an increase in R10 million relative to last year, estimates Cape Town Routes Unlimited CEO Calvyn Gilfellan, reports the Weekend Argus.

The President of the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce, Michael Bagraim, has described the Cycle Tour as a “second Christmas”, with so many hotels and guest houses booked for the weekend, to accommodate out of town cyclists and their families. Mr Bagraim clearly is not in the hospitality industry, being a labour lawyer, in that the Christmas days are never good for the accommodation business – what he meant to say, I am sure, that it is a second New Year, when Cape Town is at its fullest.

Italian-style restaurants serving pasta and pizza have been particularly popular this weekend, as cyclists carbo-loaded for the 110 km race, which includes challenging hills such as Suikerbossie in Hout Bay.

Gilfellan also stated that the Cycle Tour does not only benefit Cape Town but its outlying areas too, including the Winelands. We contest this, as we have not seen any spill-over into Franschhoek. However, there have been been allied cycle races over the past two weekends, and this may have had a small benefit. However most cyclists appear to have been accommodated in tented accommodation.

VIP cyclists to participate include Josie Borain, Makhaya Ntini, Robbie Fleck and Bob Skinstad. The Argus report quotes the Western Cape Department of Tourism spokesperson Tammy White as saying that “more than 100000 international people had flocked to the city for the cycle festival”. This figure is contested, as there are only 2500 overseas cyclists from 52 countries participating, according to the Cape Times. Due to a lack of accommodation in suburbs such as Camps Bay and the Atlantic Seaboard in general, foreigners have been unable to book to stay in Cape Town over this weekend. About 10000 bicycles were efficiently handled by Cape Town International airport on Friday.

Bagraim said that the Cycle Tour, with its large number of participants and supporters, was bigger for Cape Town than the World Cup was last year. For brand participants, the Cycle Tour is big – 65000 litres of Coca Cola, 82500 litres of Powerade, and 100000 litres of water, with 100 tons of ice, will be available to the cyclists. This is the 34th Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour, the first in 1978 attracting 525 riders. The Giro del Capo, which has fallen on the Saturday before the Cycle Tour for a number of years, was cancelled this year due to lack of sponsorship. This year 1200 cyclists are raising funds for charity through their participation.

David Bellairs, the CEO of the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust, the organisers of the Cycle Tour, hailed the city’s new dedicated cycle lanes as a ‘sweet victory’ for cyclists, who have to train in dangerous conditions, and every year have been involved in accidents. One of the first cycling lanes to have been installed is the West Coast one, out to Table View. Others to follow include Athlone, Gatesville, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Nyanga, Philippi, Strand, Brackenfell, Kuils River, Eerste River, and along the Liesbeeck Parkway. About 300 km of cycle lanes have been developed in Cape Town to date. Four types of cycle lanes have been developed, some in public open spaces, others are dedicated, and some are shared with motorists. Bellairs is confident that the new cycle lanes will lead to an increased interest in cycling, and will therefore result in a greater number of entries for future Cycle Tour races.

We wish Team Cargo Carriers, who bought out Whale Cottage Camps Bay for this weekend, the best of luck for the Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour today.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage