The Stanford 100 took place last weekend. Founded by Jeremy Crowder, it’s one of two gravel events shaped by a man who never planned to be in the business at all. Agency guru by day, event organiser by night. Jeremy Crowder fell into the world of cycling events because of… his wife.

“Yes, you can blame her for making me an event organiser,” he says. “About five years ago, I was looking through some photos; and I couldn’t tell what event they were from, because they all looked the same. 

“I started moaning about the sameness of everything, and my wife said, ‘I don’t care about it. But if you care so much, then just start your own event!’ It immediately got me thinking.”

The following weekend, Crowder was in his car on a journey of discovery. He drove to the South Africa-Namibia border at Vioolsdrif, taking as many gravel detours as he could, including the famous 207km-long R355 – the longest uninterrupted dirt road in South Africa. 

“I realised then that events could be done differently – you don’t have to sleep on a sports field, you don’t have to eat hostel food, you don’t have to be in a cheap tent…” 

“I eventually stopped at Tankwa Tented Camp, and spent some time exploring the area. I realised then that events could be done differently – you don’t have to sleep on a sports field, you don’t have to eat hostel food, you don’t have to be in a cheap tent…” 

With inspiration – and sand – ringing in his ears, Crowder eventually conceptualised the Tanqua Kuru Bicycle Race, a two-day gravel ‘immersion’ in the harsh, desolate, delirium-inducing Tankwa Karoo National Park. There’s a long-day version and a short-day version, segment racing, fires blazing, sunset gins, farmhouse brekkies, a Kief Kafè, wacky Tankwa art, and – most importantly – the chance to ride in a truly mind-bending environment. 

“Tanqua is like nothing else,” Crowder says. “It’s the most unique bike race in the world. My mom said so – so it must be true.” 

I take my coffee… with me onto the Sea Point Promenade in the morning, for a 30-minute walk and a digital detox before I hit the office.

I’d love to go for a ride… in the Karoo, with my friends, exploring new routes that were not mappable beforehand. The Karoo makes up a large portion of this country. It’s so wild, so free; a place where you feel like there are no rules. The people are wholesome, and the landscapes are like nothing else.

The secret to happiness is… exploring the outdoors. It’s clichéd, but we have such a short time on this planet. To spend that time in a manufactured space makes no sense. Life is about getting outside, getting dirty, finding things and breathing fresh air. 

My greatest exhilaration… comes from ripping a sketchy corner downhill, with a bunch of hooligan mates all with white-line fever. They can smell the beer, but they need to get down the hill fast. It’s a bit silly, a bit reckless, a bit unruly… but that’s exhilaration for me. 

My biggest fear… is dying with no stories. It’s the only fear I have. So many people are trapped and don’t know how to experience life. That’s why I view it as my responsibility, with my two small events, to show people what you can create or do with some time and effort. 

A moment of pure clarity… came at this year’s Tanqua, when I was watching strangers – after 130km of riding – share a beer, have a laugh, and have a swim together in a farm dam. It was bitterly cold; some rubbish music was playing on the car stereo. But it was a moment. 

And then I saw them connect on social media a week later. That’s what it’s all about. Making those connections. 

When I wake up… I go straight to my moka pot, which I prepared the night before, ready to do my first training session of the day at 5am. 

I rage against… a lack of originality. Again, life is short. There’s no time to be boring. In other words, I don’t have a black K-Way jacket. 

I wish… people would put in a little bit more effort, particularly at the big, established cycling events. You have the name, you have the people, you have the infrastructure… Just put in a little more effort or a little more creativity, and you can turn your event around. Make it memorable. 

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