Cape Town Cycle Tour facts for kids
| Cape Town Cycle Tour logo.svg | |
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Date | Second Sunday in March |
| Region | Cape Town, South Africa |
| Discipline | Road race |
| Type | One-day |
| Organiser | Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust |
| History | |
| First edition | 1978 |
| Editions | 45 (as of 2023) |
| First winner |
 Lawrence Whittaker (RSA) |
| Most wins |
Willie Engelbrecht (RSA) (5 wins) |
| Most recent |
Chris Jooste (RSA) |
The Cape Town Cycle Tour, once known as the Cape Argus Cycle Tour, is a super popular bike race held every year in Cape Town, South Africa. It's usually about 109 kilometres long. This race is so special that it was the first event outside Europe to be part of the Union Cycliste Internationale's Golden Bike Series, which is like a hall of fame for top cycling events!
South Africa is home to some of the biggest sports events in the world. The Cape Town Cycle Tour is the world's largest bike race where each rider's time is officially recorded. Imagine this: as many as 35,000 cyclists take part! Other huge South African events include the Comrades Marathon (a massive running race) and the Midmar Mile (the world's biggest open water swim).
The Cycle Tour usually happens on the second Sunday of March. Many famous people have ridden in it, like cycling legends Miguel Indurain and Jan Ulrich, and even actor Matt Damon.
Contents
The Race Route
The race usually follows a beautiful 109-kilometre loop. It starts in Cape Town at the Grand Parade. Riders then cycle along the coast, passing through places like Muizenberg and Simon's Town.
A big part of the route crosses the Cape Peninsula. Cyclists then head north along the Atlantic coast. They go through scenic spots like Scarborough, Kommetjie, and Noordhoek. One of the most famous parts is riding along Chapman's Peak, which has amazing ocean views!
After that, they cycle through Hout Bay and over a hill called Suikerbossie. The race finishes near the Cape Town Stadium in Green Point.
Amazing Records
Cyclists in the Cape Town Cycle Tour have set some incredible records!
Fastest Times
- Men: The fastest time for the 109 km course is 2 hours, 27 minutes, and 29 seconds. This record was set by Robbie Hunter in 2008.
- Women: The fastest time for women is 2 hours, 44 minutes, and 4 seconds. Renee Scott set this record way back in 1991.
Other Cool Records
- Most Wins: Penny Krohn holds the record for the most wins in her age group. She won 25 times in a row!
- Quickest Ever: In 1993, Wimpie van der Merwe finished the 105 km course in just 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 40 seconds. He did this on a special, very fast bike called a "fully faired recumbent."
- Oldest Cyclists:
* The oldest man to finish the race was Japie Malan. He was 92 years old in 2012 when he completed it on a tandem bike! * The oldest woman to finish was Mary Warner. She was 80 years old when she completed the tour in 2006.
History of the Cycle Tour
The Cape Town Cycle Tour started in 1978. Two people, Bill Mylrea and John Stegmann, organised an event called the "Big Ride-In." They wanted to show how important it was to have special paths for bikes in South Africa. Hundreds of cyclists joined, even the Mayor of Cape Town!
The first race was won by Lawrence Whittaker in September 1978. It was meant to be longer, but they couldn't get permission to cycle through the Cape Point Nature Reserve. So, the route was shortened. A local newspaper, the Cape Argus, agreed to sponsor the event and let it use their name, which is why it was called the Cape Argus Cycle Tour for many years.
Today, the Cycle Tour is part of a whole week of cycling events. These include:
- The Tricycle Tour for very young kids (under 6).
- The Junior Cycle Tour for kids aged 6 to 12.
- A Mountain Bike Challenge for off-road cyclists.
Race Changes and Cancellations
Sometimes, the race route has to change, or the race even gets stopped or cancelled. This usually happens because of extreme weather or other safety concerns.
- Route Changes: Between 2000 and 2003, the race had to use a different route because Chapman's Peak Drive was closed.
- Stopped Races:
* In 2002, the race was stopped because it was super hot, reaching 42 degrees Celsius! * In 2009, strong winds (gusts up to 100 km/h!) blew cyclists off their bikes, so the race was stopped.
- Shortened Race: In 2015, the route was made much shorter (only 47 km). This was because of a big fire that closed parts of the usual route.
- Cancelled Race: The 2017 race was completely cancelled on the day it was supposed to happen. This was due to very strong winds (over 100 km/h) and fires along the route. Safety is always the most important thing!
See also
- 94.7 Cycle Challenge
