Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
New cycle tour route to shelter riders from wind
Preferential entry for 2017 participants
NEXT year the Cape Town Cycle Tour, the world’s largest timed cycle race, celebrates its 40th anniversary and one of the event’s legends has given changes to the 2018 race route the thumbs-up.
Neil Bramwell, 80, has taken part in every single race since the start in 1978.
He is pleased with the news that the start line for the 35 000 cyclists will be moved from the Civic Centre on Hertzog Boulevard to Castle Street, the road that runs between the Castle and the Grand Parade.
The race will be held on March 11.
This year’s tour was cancelled after fierce winds wreaked havoc at the start.
“It takes us back to the original first two Argus tours, which started between the Castle and the station. A small group, everyone just rode off together,” recalled Bramwell.
“The second year (in 1979) we also started there and there was a bit of drama, when someone got an asbestos pipe to use as a cannon to signal the start and the thing exploded into hundreds of bits.”
Cycle tour director David Bellairs said moving the start had been a carefully researched decision.
“After the issues we had with wind at this year’s start, we immediately reviewed and reassessed our options for 2018. We needed to be responsive to this year’s challenges and looked to mitigate the wind risk. We realise that there are very few areas in Cape Town that are immune to the Cape Doctor, but believe with this move that at least participants will not again be subjected to the sort of wind vortices created by the tunnels at the base of the Civic Centre.”
The feeling of disappointment from this year’s cancellation is still very real for Bramwell, who’d spent a lot of training time in the saddle.
“I’d trained quite well, doing 400km a month for four months, which is a good mileage for me.”
Next year’s race will still follow the usual route around the peninsula to the finish in Green Point, which organisers are also planning to rework and improve.
JP Smith, City of Cape Town mayoral committee member for safety and security, as well as social services, said: “The tour brings a huge amount of prestige to Cape Town.
“It is one of the most valuable events on our calendar. We will stop at nothing to make it a success. Hopefully the wind will play along.”
And there’s good news for those riders affected by the cancellation of this year’s race.
Bellairs confirmed that every rider who registered for this year’s tour by collecting their race pack at the Cape Town Cycle Tour Expo would get preferential entry before the opening of general entries.
Entry fees for these riders will remain fixed at this year’s rates. General and international entry applications to next year’s Cape Town Cycle Tour will open on September 20. More detailed information will be available from the end of this month.
Bramwell said he wanted to ride next year, but was feeling cautious.
“I feel a bit apprehensive. As I get older I am losing certain faculties. You know, the old muscular strength goes, the mind goes, but I’ll just keep giving it a go until I can’t do it anymore.”