The Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour is 109 kilometres long and winds through some of the most scenic territory on the planet. But don’t let the pleasant surroundings fool you - this is a gruelling race that demands good conditioning and a determination to ride hard.
This is the first race outside of Europe to be included in the International Cycling Union’s Golden Bike Series and as a result attracts over 2 000 foreign entries.
The event combines both serious and fun aspects. While the top cyclists receive seedings and compete for line honours, there is just as much scope for purely recreational cyclists who are up for the challenge. You can even request to ride in the same group as your family and friends.
Life Cycle Expo
The race isn’t the only thing involving bicycles happening in Cape Town around this time. Running in the days prior to the race is the Life Cycle Expo, the country’s largest exhibition of all things related to cycling, and the health and fitness aspects thereof.
In addition to the adult event, there is a Junior event for 6- to 12-year-olds. All participants are rewarded with goodie bags. For even younger kids there is a Tricycle Tour. To accommodate cyclists with a taste for extreme sports, and who prefer more of an off-road experience, there is the Cape Argus Mountain Bike 
Challenge. All of these events take place in the 2 weeks prior to the main event.
The Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour is one of South Africa’s premier sporting tourism attractions. Along with Lifecycle Week it shows off the very best that South Africa has to offer the local and international cycling and sporting communities.
Get Your Entry in FAST
The 2009 Cape Argus Cycle Tour is all set to take place on Sunday March 8 and entries are now open on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. According to the organisers, 10 000 entries for the 2009 event were received within the first 24 hours, so cyclists are advised to move fast to register for the race. All registration details can be found on the Cycle Tour website, along with lots of supporting information.
© Photograghs are courtesy and copyright of Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour
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