In theory, the Cape Town Cycle Tour is a breeze. (Oops, maybe we shouldn’t use any weather-adjacent words…) You arrive at the start, you hop on your bike, and you ride 109km around the Cape Peninsula – pure bicycle bliss. 

As with any good endurance event, anything can happen – and it usually does!

In practice, though, it’s never that simple. You run out of training time. You wake up late and forget your helmet. You neglect your bike, and realise the night before race day that you have two flat tyres. In an effort to fuel your body, you stuff yourself full of the wrong type of food. You get dropped from your group and start cycling alone, forlorn, wondering about the meaning of it all. 

Yes, as with any good endurance event, anything can happen – and it usually does! Luckily, we have all the tips and tricks you need to survive Cycle Tour Sunday. 

1 Train!

Revolutionary advice, we know. But instead of doing nothing all year, why not try training for once? Get a coach, or follow a programme on the GPS device of your choice. There’s bound to be some over-eager influencer on Instagram or TikTok who will give you bad advice for free. But as long as that bad advice includes “Ride your bike!”, who are we to disagree? 

2 Get into the groove

“If you’re a first-timer, I always recommend doing a few events before the Cycle Tour,” says former winner and two-time National Champion Reinardt Janse van Rensburg. “Participating in one or two races ahead of the Cycle Tour not only gives you a taste of the race experience, but also enables you to get a better seeding. 

“Ideally, you want to start in a group with riders of similar ability. Riding in a group like this helps conserve energy, and can get you a third of the way through the race before you even realise!”

3 Nothing new…

You must have heard this before, but we’ll say it again: Nothing new on race day! No new socks. No new bibs. No new girlfriends or boyfriends (unless you meet someone in the beer tent). No new shoes. No new hair wax. But especially, crucially… no new nutrition. 

“This is a big no-no,” says Janse van Rensburg. “Do not try any new mixes or bars on race day. Always test what works for you beforehand. When in doubt, stick to what you know.”

4 Be consistent

“The most important rule for an event like the Cycle Tour is consistent preparation,” says current National Champion Daniyal Matthews. “You can’t wake up in February and decide to start training then. 

“That said, if you have left it too late, don’t wait until the weekend before and then do one single long training ride. Try and ride every second day – just short rides – to get your body used to being on the bike.” 

5 Arrive early

On Cycle Tour Sunday, almost 30 000 people will be heading into the city centre. Don’t leave it too late. Get to the start with time to spare, and spend the morning soaking up the pre-ride atmosphere. 

Cape Town City Hall, now 121 years old, forms the backdrop for your morning, and it’s a sight to behold as the rising sun hits its façade. And naturally, arriving early and without stress means you start the Cycle Tour in a relaxed frame of mind. 

6 Take it easy

We’re assuming you’re here for a good time and not a fast time; but even if you do plan to go fast, don’t race out of the blocks like a Woolies shopper on his way to the Buy-One-Get-One-Free rotisserie chicken sale. 

The race starts with a gentle climb along Nelson Mandela Boulevard, and then climbs ever-so-slightly further towards the Hospital Bend descent. If you’re just a Cycle Tourist, don’t overexert yourself during the first 10km. If you’re chasing a goal time, do your best to stay in your group and feed off that energy.

7 Hang in there

“If you want to ride a PB, you have to hold onto your group,” says Janse van Rensburg. “Stick with them. The first ‘challenging’ climb comes early, at Edinburgh Drive. Do everything you can to stay with your group here, and then you’ll almost have a free ride all the way to the bottom of Smitswinkel. 

“If you get dropped, you’ll more than likely pick up another group around Misty Cliffs. Join them for as long as you can; then, from Chapman’s Peak, put in as much effort as you can to get your goal time.” 

8 Wash your bike

Do you wear dirty underpants to work? Do you wear the same socks for three days in a row? Do you serve your dinner guests red wine in used coffee cups? 

Of course not. Then why on earth would you arrive at Cycle Tour with a dirty bike? Wash it. Love it. Care for it. 

9 Eat and drink

“The most common mistake that novices or inexperienced riders make at a longer event like Cycle Tour is leaving it too late until they eat or drink something,” says Janse van Rensburg. “It’s important to keep your energy levels up and have enough fuel in the system for the ride. 

“You must have a strategy,” he adds. “Work out ahead of your ride when you need to eat, and stick to it. Start early. If you leave it too late, you’ll suffer at the end.”

10 Break it up

The total distance can seem daunting. So don’t look at the total distance if you’re easily daunted! To remain undaunted, former Grand Tour rider Ryan Gibbons says, you need to break the racing into smaller distances or portions. 

“After an hour, you might be questioning your life choices, asking yourself, ‘What am I doing here?’”

“After an hour, you might be questioning your life choices, asking yourself, ‘What am I doing here?’ That’s okay. It happens to everyone. Just ride within yourself; because the last half of the race can be relentless. 

“To survive 109km, break the distance down. Aim for Simon’s Town as your first goal, then maybe the top of Smitswinkel, and so on. Create small goals, achieve those, then move on to the next target. We all have sections of the race where we struggle – just hang in there, and you’ll find your second wind.”

12 The night before…

Nothing beats the advice given by Scar to his hyena minions as he plots the takeover of Mufasa’s kingdom: “Be prepaaaaared!” 

Even a seasoned pro like Ryan Gibbons knows that a good night-before routine can make all the difference. “I always had a routine,” he says. “I wanted to stay calm on the morning of a race, which meant getting everything ready the night before. Lay all your kit out on the bed, so you know you have everything. Get your bottles ready, and leave everything in a central place for an easy departure in the morning.” 

13 The days before the night before

“Try get to go to bed early in the lead-up to Cycle Tour,” says Janse van Rensburg. “You can’t put a price on good sleep. Two to three days before the race, try to focus on carbs. And avoid fatty foods, and things like pizza – all that cheese is not your friend!”

14 It’s okay to hide

Morally, this might be a grey area – only you will know. But if you’re chasing a PB, it’s okay to let the bunch do the work for you. “If you want to go fast, you need to stick with a group,” says Daniyal Matthews. “You get the all the speed benefit without too much effort. You don’t have to set the pace; just sit in the bunch, and benefit from other people setting the pace!” 

15 Stop. Take it all in. 

The beauty of the Cape Town Cycle Tour is that you can plan all year and race your guts out, or you can do a few rides in the build-up and just hit the road for a leisurely cruise. 

You can stop anywhere and admire the view, but we recommend pausing in Scarborough or Hout Bay. Both locations are usually packed with supporters cheering on the cyclists – and with cyclists who’ve stopped for a coffee or a beer. 

16 Group tactics

If you’re a nervous rider and you don’t feel comfortable in a group, you need to keep your wits about you, says Gibbons. “In a fast bunch, you need to expect the unexpected. Rather give yourself some breathing room from the rider in front of you, instead of trying to stay right in his or her slipstream. If you’re on a descent, give yourself even more space.” 

17 For the hill of it

Of the three main climbs on the Cycle Tour route, Chapman’s Peak is the one that worries mid- to back-of-the-pack riders the most. The trick, says Gibbons, is to approach with caution. 

“Ride the climbs at your own pace, and make up time in a bunch on the flat part.”

“Don’t start too hard on Chappies,” he says. “It’s only 5km, but if you go out too hard, you’ll pay for it. Ride the climbs at your own pace, and make up time in a bunch on the flat parts – you’ll go faster with less effort.” 

18 For the chill of it

It’s absolutely essential to finish the Cycle Tour and head straight to the hospitality area. If you leave immediately, or (like those weird Ironman people) go to the airport in your cycling kit, you’ll be punished with 17 years of bad cycling luck – punctures, knee niggles, dropped chains on group rides…

Yes, finish your ride. Then sit on the grass and enjoy a beer or a cool drink, and swap stories about your day in the cycling trenches. The best part? The longer you sit there talking about your ride, the better your ride becomes with each retelling of the day’s activities. “You know, I almost had my PB, but this guy just wouldn’t move out of the way on Suikerbossie…” 

19 Cut out the cramps

For many new or intermediate riders, cramps can be a pain in the… er, legs? Making sure you take in enough nutrients is key to avoiding that sudden sniper shot. “Good nutrition keeps your effort more consistent during the day,” says Matthews. 

“If you think you’re going to be out there for four to six hours, make sure you have two big bottles. I find it easier to get my carbs in by drinking, so that’s probably something that will work for most riders. 

“I think a lot of products will give you around 40 grams of carbs per bottle, but my preference is to push to 80 or 100 grams. I find if you’re sipping consistently, it also takes the pressure off ‘clock-watching’ – constantly checking the time to see if you should eat or not.” 

20 Keep it real

If you haven’t had time to train your gut, or if you still can’t stand the thought of chugging back a warm, slimy gel 60km into the ride, then real food is always a safe bet. Matthews has a few favourites that he sticks to. 

“Making rice cakes is a good idea; there are also some good bars on the market,” he says. “An all-time classic is a jam sandwich or a honey sandwich. A banana is always a good failsafe; but take a couple of small bananas, otherwise you end up riding around all day with a huge banana sticking out of your pocket. 

“I’ve eaten Tinkies on a ride before… there are a lot of options out there!”

21 Race smart, not hard

If you plan on going hard at the Cycle Tour, it’s still a good idea to have a plan – and to stick to it. “When the gun goes off, it’s easy to get sucked into flat-out racing,” says Gibbons. 

“Have a goal or a strategy, and stick to it.”

“Try not to drop off your group in the beginning; but at the same time, don’t overdo it. Have a goal or a strategy, and stick to it. If you feel like you’re going too hard, you probably are.” 

22 Watch the weather

There are three likely weather outcomes for the Cape Town Cycle Tour: perfect, windy or hot. Rain is not unheard of, but it’s less likely than the others. 

You have to play what’s in front of you, says Gibbons. “If it’s windy, don’t go out there expecting to ride your best Cycle Tour ever. Play the conditions. Stay aware on the bike, and save your bullets for when the wind is in your favour. If it’s hot, take on more liquids, adjust your expectations; and most importantly, put on more sunscreen than you think is necessary.” 

23 Manage your e-bike emotions

“It’s human nature to get upset when someone comes flying past on a bike – and then you see it’s an e-bike…” Gibbons chuckles. “But don’t let that define your race. Accept that e-bikes are part of cycling now. Just focus on your own race.” 

24 Just enjoy it

The Cape Town Cycle Tour is iconic. Soak it up. Enjoy the day. Fill your bottles. Stop at the waterpoints. Take pictures. Talk to people. 

It’s the one day of the year when the city comes to a standstill for cyclists. Make the most of it. 

READ MORE ON: Cape Town Cycle Tour