Cape Town Cycle Tour History 2000 - 2009
Continuing my history of the Argus...
This was the first (of four years) that the race went over Ou Kaapse Weg, because Chapman's Peak was being installed with steel nets to catch falling rocks. Ou Kaapse Weg is 7km of sheer hell, and is much worse than Chappies. As a result the race was 4km longer than before and now finished at the Green Point Common. Nevertheless, not a bad ride.
Once more over Ou Kaapse Weg. Towards the end of the race I bumped into Johnny Paarman and we rode the last few kilometers together. Here we are sharing a joke on the finish line.
A lousy year, my worst time to date, slower even than my first Argus, and my worst overall position. Mind you, it was over Ou Kaapse Weg, and the picture shows us slogging up the hill. It was my ninth year riding the trusty old Cannondale.
The last time over Ou Kaapse Weg, thank God. Not a very bad time, but still my worst ever overall position.
Back to Chapman's Peak, at last, but finishing in Green Point, making the route 4km longer than the previous Maiden's Cove finishes. Still, my time was less than two minutes better than my very first Argus and my worst ever overall position! Might have been due to breaking a spoke on Chappies and wobbling to the finish on a slightly buckled rear wheel! I have to get a new bike! The picture shows us going up Chappies.
A new bike at last! I gave my trusty old Cannondale to the Pedal Power Association for charity and bought a second-hand Cannondale, my first bike with the gear changes on the handle bars. While waiting in the starting pens I got a puncture (from a thorn!) and had to change my tube while on the move from pen to pen. Not a great way to start!
This was one of the few years where it rained lightly, but it didn't have any affect on me. A marked improvement from last year in both time and overall position (top 20%). I wore a painted protea in my helmet just for a laugh.
A new bike, and for the first time a brand new Trek costing R12 000 (my gold Cannondale had been stolen from my house in Camps Bay). It's worth mentioning that I was still at the stage where I didn't have any breakfast, just a glass of water. Crazy! This was also one of the years I didn't stop once, not even for a leak. I drank one bottle each of Energade and water, with a couple of glucose sachets. Hard core... At this stage my goal was to break 3:30, which I did here.
A perfect day for a ride, a glass of Calc-Vita for breakfast! Cycled through to the start as usual and set off at 7:25. Had a good ride but hit the wall at Suiker Bossie, no doubt due to the heavy breakfast! For three years in a row now, my times had been within four minutes of each other. Mr consistent! I lost my official certificate.
| Start Group | J |
|---|---|
| Start Time | 07:25 |
| Finish Time | 3:33:00 |
| Overall Position | 10 071 / 31231 (top 32%) |
The year of the major gale, although I look pretty happy in the picture. I had a glass of Energade for breakfast and cycled through to the start, setting off at 7:18. The wind was already howling and guys were being blown off their bikes going up Eastern Boulevard. This was the first of four years where the route detoured over Boyes Drive above Muizenberg. Taking a leak in Simonstown I got blown into a thorn bush and quite badly scratched. Coming down from the top of Suiker Bossie into Camps Bay was horrendous with the wind really thumping. Because of the wind this was my slowest ever time (and remained so until 2018).
