Giant with 1000 Eyes

Sunday we rode the 2012 Cape Argus Cycle Tour. This 110km bicycle race is the largest timed cycling event in the whole world. This year, over 34,500 people participated and we were all treated to one of the best weather years in a decade.

The event is so big, that they assign you groups at the start and you have to line up inside your “chute” to start at a designated time. As foreigners, we were all assigned group “Y” to start at 7:34am. The pros go off at 6:15am or something and there are many other groups in front of us. We estimated that there were about 1,000 starters in our group, so you get the idea of the scale of this event.

We arrived downtown Cape Town with the assistance of Superstar Tony and his van and trailer. That’s not actually his name, but he’s a superstar to us. He picked us up early at  Hampshire House and transported us and our bikes all the way to the start in the center of Cape Town. This saved us from riding an extra 20km in the dark to get there on time.

When we got to the start, I was amazed at the number of people I saw riding around. It was a sea of people everywhere you looked once you got to the start area. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised as they said they cut off entries at 40,000 people. It’s just that I’ve never seen so many riders in one place at one time.

We loaded up in the pen to stage with our group and everyone was very excited. I found that I was really looking forward to the ride. Sam and I had decided that we were not there to race, so we were just going to stick together and enjoy the day. That turned out to be an awesome plan. Teenie and Randall agreed to the same plan, so the 4 of us rode together for the entire day.

One of the best features of the Cape Argus is the scenery. We were treated to some amazing views of Table Mountain right out of the start gates. The city totally embraces the ride and they allow the organizers to shut down the roads for the entire course. This was fantastic as we rarely get a chance to ride an event where you get the whole road. It made things much easier and safer as well. It was quite interesting riding our bikes down the middle of the south bound lanes of the same highway we’ve been driving on since we got here.

Emily showed her climbing prowess early and left Sam, Randall, Teenie and me on the first substantial climb of the day. She was feeling great and wanted to put in a fast effort. We never saw her again. Wayne, Duane and Van took their time on the first hills and settled in to their own pace for the day.

The number of riders was truly amazing. I thought it would thin out a lot and there would be stretches of open road later in the day. Not so. There was never a time when you couldn’t observe cyclists for as far as you could see. We spent a lot of time passing people and getting passed by hammerheads from the groups that started behind us.

Roughly 20km into the ride we came across our cheering section on one of the bigger climbs. Sam’s parents Dave and Sandy, her brother Richard and his girlfriend Tammy, Valerie, Melinda and several others were all sitting on the sidewalk just out behind her parent’s house. They saw us coming and gave us a great welcoming. We stopped and had a chat before getting back underway with the task at hand.

The number of spectators on the side of the road was amazing. There were people all along the route cheering and partying and having a grand time. Some were dressed in costumes, several had signs and a few were wearing less than we were. It was really awesome to see all the people cheering us on. That is one of the best parts of the entire ride. Awesome fan support all day.

Speaking of support, the aid stations were probably the most amazing I’ve ever seen. From a logistics standpoint, these guys have this ride dialed. There were lots of water stations along the route. Every one of them offered water, coke or powerade. They also had portajohns, medical stations and physiotherapists that would massage tired legs. The support was first class. I was super disappointed that they didn’t have cookies at the rest stops, because I always like to eat the cookies on cookie rides. They call this thing a race, but let’s be honest…its one huge cookie ride…but without the cookies.

After narrowly escaping a collision with some crazy, out of control Malawian riders, we made it to the east coast of the peninsula and headed for the Cape of Good Hope. The ride goes by the park entrance but not out to the actual point. Not to worry, as we had toured that on our first day in Cape Town.

We continued on past the half way point to what I consider to be the most beautiful part of the ride. The highway along the western coast up to Chapman’s Peak has to be one of the most beautiful roads I’ve ever ridden on…anywhere. It is a steady climb along a twisty road carved right out of the cliff-side up to an amazing lookout. Since we had been stopping all day to take photos and enjoy the scenery, Teenie, Randal, Sam and I stopped at Chapman’s Peak to look out over Hout Bay. It was beautiful and well worth the time and effort.

By the time we got to Chappies, (as Chapman’s Peak is affectionately called by the locals) it was getting very hot. So hot in fact that I would find out later that the organizers stopped the ride when the temperature reached 45 degrees celcius, that’s about 104 degrees F. I feel terrible for anyone that was not allowed to complete the ride, because it was absolutely beautiful the entire way back to downtown Cape Town.

One of the last beach areas we rode through is rumored to be one of the most expensive places to live in Cape Town. The houses are built right on the cliff-side and they extend vertically up the faces like a wall of windows and balconies. There is a local ordinance that prevents anyone from building anything that obstructs the view from the coastal road, so the view is fantastic along the entire stretch. This zone is also known to be one of the least windy places in the area, but you wouldn’t know that from the saddle of a bicycle. The trees give up the truth when you see them growing inland at a 45 degree angle. Even in the richest areas, there were hundreds of fans and supporters lining the ride route.

When we saw the 5km to go sign we started to think about the end, and Sam picked it up a little just like she always does when she can see the barn. We rolled under a Powerade archway and we both thought we were finished. I started to compliment Sam on a great ride when I noticed that there was another banner up the road about 500m. That would turn out to be the real finish line. Amazingly, my right leg cramped up terribly right there at 500m to go. We had ridden all day very strongly and had a fantastic time, and my leg decided that it was finished before I was. I had to coast and soft pedal through the Cape Argus Archway, only to stop and stretch 100m past the finish line.

Overall it was an amazing ride and we all had a great time. After lots of discussion I realize that everyone is just as impressed with the experience as I am. We found out later that Argus is a Greek giant with 1,000 eyes. I think that’s an awesome name for something. I also know that it could have stood for a giant with 1,000 smiles. We’re still smiling about the whole thing.