Share

Fires shorten Cycle Tour

Cape Town - The 2015 Cape Town Cycle Tour, scheduled to take place on Sunday, has been shortened from 109km to a 47km circular route due to the fires raging on the South Peninsula, it was announced on Wednesday.

For the Cycle Tour to be able to safely cater for the 35 000 anticipated participants, the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust need to start placing infrastructure on the ground by Thursday morning.

For this to happen, a decision on the route was made on Wednesday.

The decision we have made is unanimous and has not been taken lightly.

It has involved extensive discussion and collaboration by all stakeholders including the Provincial Government of the Western Cape, Enteleni and their consulting engineers in respect of Chapman’s Peak, City of Cape town Events Office, City of Cape Town Disaster Management Services, Provincial Emergency Medical Services and Cape Town Traffic in respect of Ou Kaapse Weg, MyCiti, Mediclinic and our Presenting Rights sponsors.

Having carefully assessed all available information, it has become clear that the safety of cyclists cannot be guaranteed on Chapman’s Peak and this rules out using this famous landmark for the 2015 event.

This is largely as a result of the extensive fire which has destroyed vegetation responsible for retaining the mountainside above Chapman’s Peak.

Furthermore, the heat has caused rocks to expand making them unstable and in some instances rock falls have occurred.

With Chapman’s Peak ruled out, the detour option of Ou Kaapse Weg returning to Cape Town via the M3 was considered.

A number of key issues needed to be taken into account including access and egress to the South Peninsula by Emergency Services vehicles and local residents who are still under threat of fires raging in the area.

The soot and ash covering both sides of the road on Ou Kaapse Weg present a considerable health risk to participants and this would be exacerbated by the likelihood of wind.

The idea of an out and back route via Main Road to Cape Point and back is impractical for an event of this size as road widths in certain areas between Fishhoek and Muizenberg narrow down to a width of four metres.

The Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust understands that many visitors have travelled from far afield to participate in this iconic international bucket list cycling event and are also keenly aware of the need to reduce the impact the event will have on traffic and other emergency services that are desperately needed elsewhere in the South Peninsula.

With this in mind, they have taken a bold decision and will be staging a vastly shortened version of our beloved Cape Town Cycle Tour in solidarity and support for those affected by the tragic fires burning on the mountains around Cape Town.

The route will be a 47km circular route from its normal start at the Civic Centre to the end of the M3 and back the same way to a slightly altered finish in Green Point.

The unfortunate set of circumstances is unprecedented in 38 years of the Cape Town Cycle Tour.

On Sunday cyclists won’t see pristine scenery as they make their way down the shortened route.

They should see the smouldering landscape as a source of inspiration and pride because it represents the heroism of the men and women who have - very literally - put their bodies in the line of fire.

The ride remains a celebration of Cape Town and this wonderful Peninsula on the southern tip of Africa.

The Cape Town Cycle Tour will go on because, as the fighting spirit of the people of Cape Town has demonstrated, nothing can take it away from us – not even fire.

The shortened route for the 2015 Cape Town Cycle Tour (Twitter)


We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1145 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1327 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2027 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE