Argus Pick and Pay Cycle Tour, Cape Town, South Africa
Starting area for the Argus Cycle tour
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On the weekend of the tour Cape Town will be flooded with visitors for one of the country's most celebrated sporting events.
On the Sunday 35000 entrants will line up for the Argus Pick and Pay Cycle Tour.
The Argus as it is known is one of the few races in the world where every rider has his/her time recorded for the 108 gruelling kilometres it takes to complete the race.
The race which began way back in 1978 when a couple of cycling enthusiasts got together and planned what they called the Big Ride In .
They managed to get together 525 cyclists for the race which ran from Cape Town, southwards along the Peninsula's main roads through Simonstown as far as the entrance to the Cape Nature Reserve, and then, turned northwards along the Atlantic Coastline through Kommetjie, Noordhoek, over Chapman's Peak, through Hout Bay and along Victoria Road to Green Point.
In the initial race 446 of the original 525 starters managed to finish.
Over the years the numbers have grown steadily as the race has become more popular.
By 2001 the race had become so well known that there were more than 1500 foreigners competing.
In 2002 to attract professional riders a prize of R 100,000.00 was introduced for the winners.
For the last few years the organisers have been compelled to limit numbers to 35000 riders.
Many riders use the race to compete against themselves always trying to beat the previous year's time.
By doing so their rankings are improved and they get a better starting slot in the next year's race.
Cape Town weather can be very fickle and it is always good to get started as early as possible.
Around Easter there is still a lot of south east wind about and the earlier you get going the better your chances are of not having to ride into the teeth of it.
Late starters have to contend with the heat and wind at this time of the year.
As anyone can imagine a race with 35000 entries places a lot of strain on the organisers.
Traffic control becomes a major problem on the ay of the race.
There are only one or two roads leading to the southern Peninsula and they criss cross each other at various stages of the race.
Cyclists on the day of the race get first use of the roads so many people are confined to their homes until the entire race has ridden past their doorstep.
This could take up to eight hours given the staggered start and weather conditions prevailing on the day.
Most people don't mind as the race is very entertaining.
Spectators leave home early in the morning with their picnic baskets and make for their favourite spot along the route.
There they set up their deck chairs and enjoy their picnic lunches and cheer on everybody that comes riding past.
Of course the media had a field day with an event like this.
This cameraman is waiting at the finish for you.
All over the Peninsula they have TV cameras stationed to catch the action as it goes by.
Anybody wearing a strange outfit or having a beer on the side of the road is interviewed and will appear on national television at some stage.
It's also a time for some of the big names in TV to get out on the road and meet some of their fans.
All in all the second Sunday in March is a fun day for everybody concerned .
Not only does the day bring in thousands of visitors to Cape Town at the end of our summer season, it is also a huge boost to the economy of Cape Town.
If you love cycling, and would love a tour of the Cape Peninsula in the presence of 35000 like minded people book your seat early for next year's race.
The tour route explained.
The Argus Cycle Tour starts off in Hertzog Boulevard in Cape Town where all 35000 entrants in the race congregate .
Entrants are given starting positions when they get their final race numbers a few days before the start of the race and are shown where to congregate in their starting groups.
Hertzog Boulevard is a double carriage way with two roads on either side of a grass island.
The wind funnel under the Civic Centre shortly after the start
Riders line up on both roads with Group A on one road and Group B on the other and so on down the alphabet.
By staggering the start each group has an open road ahead of them at the start while the next group to start moves up to the starting line behind the group who have just left.
Shortly after the start riders get their first taste of some of the hills to be encountered along the route.
The start of the climb up Eastern Boulevard
The first climb is up eastern boulevard to Hospital Bend near Groote Schuur Hospital where the fun really starts.
The road which is five lanes wide at this stage drops down a steep hill and at the bottom goes in three different directions with riders having to take the two right hand lanes to Muizenberg.
This sudden narrowing has caught many an unsuspecting rider out over the years.
From Hospital Hill the course is reasonably flat except for the short hill past UCT and the two kilometre long Wynberg hill.
The end of the Blue Route just before turning left down to the
Main Road through Muizenberg
From the top of the Wynberg Hill the route past Muizenberg, Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek and into Simonstown is reasonably level.
The route through Simonstown
If there is no wind you are able to conserve some energy for the long hills that are to come.
Once you leave Simonstown there is a long uphill ride all the way to Smitswinkels Bay and the entrance to the Cape Nature Reserve.
Smitswinkel bay the most southerly point of the race
Reaching the turnoff to the Nature Reserve means that you have completed half of the race.
It also means that if the south easter is blowing that you have the wind to assist you on the return journey to Cape Town.
The roads of the southern Peninsula are narrow and take you through some of the fynbos areas of Cape Town.
The roads on this part of the course are reaonably flat.
When you reach the little village of Scarborough you get to the first really spectacular scenery of the Cape.
The rocky Scarborough coastline seen by the riders on the
northerly leg of the race
The lovely blue sea and the snow white beaches near Misty Cliffs will take your mind off your aching legs and saddle sores.
A couple of kilometres north of Scarborough the course turns inland through a valley which takes you to Ocean View .
This is a deviation to the original route which took you along the mountain road with its spectacular views of Slangkop Lighthouse and Kommetjie before turning east along Kommetjie road towards Fish Hoek.
At Ocean View you meet up with Kommetjie Road and follow it through Sunnydale until the four way traffic lights near Sun Valley.
Turn left at these traffic lights and at the bottom of the short hill turn left towards Noordhoek.
Once you reach Noordhoek and start the climb up Chapman's Peak with it's sheer cliffs above and below you, its spectacular scenery, you will find the race heavy going on your tired legs.
The Chapman's Peak Tunnel which riders have to pedal through
on their way to Hout Bay
After Hout Bay the long climb up the Suikerbossie hill is the real killer.
Make that hill and you are home free.
Once over the top at Suikerbossie you have a downhill run past Llandudno, Camps Bay, Clifton, Sea Point to the finish at Green Point Stadium.
The finish with TV cameramen waiting for you to arrive
It's a great race to ride in, but a word of warning.
If you are not reasonably fit, do not take part.
The course is strenuous and over the years a number of people have died from overdoing it.
Parts of the course are extremely dangerous especially along the mountainside on Chapman's Peak.
One small mishap here could send you over the cliffs to land on the rocks far below.
Not a good way to end your race as one entrant found out last year.
Luckily he survived to tell the tale.
The Argus race is a spectacle not to be missed.
If you are not riding this year start planning now for next March's race.
See you all here then.
Geoff Fairman
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