Cyclists to campaign for 1.5m berth

THREE cycling friends scheduled to leave Durban early today should be super-fit when they arrive in Cape Town for the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour in two weeks.

And if all goes according to plan, people between the two cities will be more aware of the lobby for a law to ensure motorists give cyclists a 1.5m berth on the country’s roads. This is in line with one of the main goals of the Burry Stander Foundation, for which they will collect signatures for a petition on the way.

Stander was killed in a collision with a taxi while on a training ride in Port Shepstone on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast on January 3.

“Cyclists and motorists need to respect one another,” said Alf Kippen, one of the riders.

Added Steve Kristy: “It’s wrong for us to cycle two abreast, but it would not be necessary if cars had respect for cyclists. Both parties are to blame.”

Nozzles will spray clouds of water out of the side of their back-up vehicle en route.

The third cyclist, Dave Bufton, said he hoped their ride would prompt others to set out on similar expeditions.

The trio will head inland from Port Shepstone towards Kokstad, then tackle the mountain roads towards Elliot and Queenstown, before crossing the Karoo from Cradock to Oudtshoorn. From there it’s on to Bredasdorp, before they head for Cape Town.

They hope cyclists they meet along the way will join them, and they plan to give talks at schools, arranging the events spontaneously rather than sticking to any strict programme.

Once their Cape Town trip is done, they’ll start planning their next pedalling adventure to Lake Kariba.

“I originally come from Zimbabwe and I just love the country,” Bufton remarked.

This year’s Cycle Tour will be Bufton’s sixth, Kippen’s 10th, and Kristy’s first.

All three are Sani-to-Sea and Amashova veterans. They have also done many social rides together in the Drakensberg and the Midlands.

Readers can follow their journey on Facebook at DBN2CAPE Tour, and on Twitter @dbn2cape.