Date: 09 Mar 2014
Time: 06:00 – 14:00
Venue: Cape Town
Location: Western Cape
The Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour, usually referred to as the ‘Argus’ is set to take off at the sound of the starting gun on Sunday, 09 March 2014. It will be the 37th Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle race with cyclists from all over gearing up for the largest individually timed cycling event in the world.
The starting line for the 2014 Argus is in Hertzog Boulevard at the Cape Town Civic Centre, and the route – it’s 109 km – will take riders onto the N2, down the M3 along the False Bay Coast past the entrance to the Cape of Good Hope, along the Atlantic coast, over Suikerbossie Hill and on to the Cape Town Stadium in Green Point.
This amazing South African event started in 1978 to raise awareness about the lack of bike paths in South Africa. The cycle tour, in its inaugural year, was a simple ride-in that drew hundreds of eager riders and the Mayor of Cape Town. While the organisers, Bill Mylrea and John Stegmann, were impressed with the turn-out, there’s no way they could have anticipated the event’s explosive popularity in years to come.
The fastest women’s record was set by Anke Erlank-Moore in 2007; who completed the 110-km course in 02:48:29.
The fastest average speed of 47.48-km/h was set by Wimpie van der Merwe in 1993.
Penny Krohn set the record for the highest number of consecutive wins – 25 – within an age group.
The oldest man to complete the race within the allotted time (7 hours) was Japie Malan who did the race on a single bicycle in 2010 and on a tandem in 2012. He is 92 years old.
Mary Warner is the oldest woman to complete the race within the allotted time (7 hours), in 2006; she was 80 years old at the time.
So what are you waiting for, get those Lycra shorts on and peddle the Argus or join in the celebration, participants from all over the world riding in this amazing Cape Town event.
Blog written by: Michelle Lewis, Acacia Sales/Marketing