This Sunday, spectators who get up early might just catch a glimpse of Lance Armstrong, star of the annual three-week Tour de France, who will be riding in our annual 110 km Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour. And if not, there are plenty of other celebrities to attract spectators and motivate the 34 999 riders who will be sweating the race out, including Gabriella Sabatini, Hugo Porta, Francois Pienaar, Bob Skinstad and Makhaya Ntini, all of whom may be also riding.

Although the City of Cape has always supported the Cycle Tour by providing services and logistics, this year it is a fully-fledged partner with what’s known in branding circles as the ‘Presenting Rights’. Hence the Tour’s new logo (see above) – and Cape Town’s even higher profile as a city able to host spectacular sports events.

“As a result of this partnership we have developed an outstanding relationship with the city across all departments,” says David Bellairs, Co-Director at the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust. “The City provides traffic services for the duration of the Lifecycle Week, as well as services from Disaster Management, the Events Office and Sports and Recreation, and much more,” says Bellairs. In addition, the City provides venues such as Green Point common and its surrounding facilities, City Parks works around the clock to prepare the fields, and Roads and Transport works all hours to prepare and repair the route.

Every year, around 150 people clear the 65 cubic metres of rubbish generated by the Cycle Tour’s riders and its supporters within 36 hours, in order to comply with the Cycle Tour’s Environmental Management Plan (EMP). And as two-thirds of the route runs through a National Park and World Heritage Site, the EMP also looks at every other environmental impact the Tour could have – from noise pollution, helicopter flight paths, fire risks, traffic management and structural safety on route, to ensuring that everybody working on the cycle route is properly briefed.

In 2001, almost ten years ago, an independent study was conducted into the economic impact of the Cycle Tour. And already then, the direct economic benefit to Cape Town was estimated at R125,2 million. According to the survey, cyclists spent R16,5 million on accommodation, R26,2 million on air travel, R13,5 million on eating out, R11,3 million in supermarkets, R12,6 million on cycle spares and R5,2 million on entertainment.

Regrettably though, although Cape Town’s Executive Mayor gets to assist and fire the gun for the start of the event, neither the City, nor the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust, nor any of the participating celebrities are able to do anything about the weather on the day …

For more information visit http://www.cycletour.co.za  
To download details of road closures, click here.

Dates to diarise:

5-12 March: Cape Argus Pick n Pay Tricycle & Junior Tour Registration
9–12 March: Pick n Pay Cape Argus Giro del Capo
11-13 March: Cape Argus Lifecycle Expo & Cycle Tour Registration
13 March: Cape Argus Pick n Pay Tricycle & Junior Tours
14 March: RACE DAY, SUNDAY! Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour