The largest, timed cycling event in the world, the Cape Town Cycle Tour, returns to our city for its 38th year. On the morning of Sunday, 6 March, 35 000 riders will cycle the 109 km route through the Mother City’s spectacular vistas.
In 2015, the route was drastically shortened due to the impact of massive fires, but this year, the full course is back in full swing.
Entries for the 2016 event are closed but if you are registered to ride, no doubt you have been preparing for a long time, from training to planning your route to the start.
#CycleTour2016 fever is starting, have you spotted these around @CityofCT? pic.twitter.com/nxyhpTACUq
— Cape Town Cycle Tour (@CTCycleTour) February 20, 2016
The official race day is Sunday 6 March, but road closures will commence on Saturday 5 March. The closures are set to kick off in Green Point at 12 noon, followed by more throughout the day and at midnight or early on the morning of race day. These closures will stay put until Sunday 6 March at various times. Signs will point out which roads will be closed, but be warned, getting in and put of the city will require detours, particularly if you usually use Hospital Bend (M3, N2). Take note of the full list of road closures, here. The Cape Town Cycle Tour is appealing to all residents in Muizenberg, St James, Kalk Bay, Clifton, Bantry Bay and Sea Point (including Victoria and Beach Road) to not park along the Main Road. It’s in your best interest to use alternative side roads or designated parking areas.
Road closures on Sun 6 March for @CTCycleTour will impact our services. Here are details… pic.twitter.com/5FBFeIk0VF — MyCiTi Bus (@MyCiTiBus) February 26, 2016
MyCiTi is providing a free shuttle service for the Cape Town Cycle Tour on Sunday 6 March. You will need a MyCiti card to be able to make use of the free shuttle. The shuttle will be operating between Thibault Square and Stadium stations. Buses will depart every 10 minutes, with the first bus leaving Thibault Square Station at 6 am and the last bus departing Stadium station at 6 pm. From 2 to 6 pm, the shuttle will extend to run between Civic Centre and Stadium stations. Click here for the MyCiti routes that will be disrupted . There will also be notices up in MyCiti stations and you can Tweet MyCiti on Twitter for assistance.
@corne06946803 Here you go Corne, but we would recommend viewing it on https://t.co/wu77HzaBvi pic.twitter.com/MGhwiZePlb
— Cape Town Cycle Tour (@CTCycleTour) February 11, 2016
Metrorail is welcoming cyclists and visitors for this international event. You can purchase your cyclist tickets for R47 at the Metrorail exhibition stand at the Cape Town Cycle Tour Expo at Cape Town Stadium between 3 and 5 March 2016. To plan your journey effectively, carefully review the list of trains here that are running on Sunday 6 March 2016. The first two carriages of these trains will be reserved for cyclists’ forward or return journeys. For any further queries, please contact the Transport Information Centre on 0800 65 64 63 or visit the Go Metro app.
The world cycling community’s eyes will be on Cape Town this weekend. If we all show support and practice tolerance for this one weekend of the year, the Cape Town Cycle Tour is sure to be another success.
Photography courtesy Cape Town Cycle Tour social media
