The Amazing Adventures of an Average Actuarial Cyclist

Take 35,000 cyclists from all over the world, throw in just about the most spectacular route you can do on a bicycle, and you get the Cape Argus Cycle Tour. There is just no other cycle race (mtb or road) that comes close to the vibe and experience of the Argus Cycle Tour. I started in the more "serious" end of the field, seeded in Group C where riders can expect to finish the 110km race in at least 3h30, and weather permitting, have a fighting chance to break the "mythical" Sub-3 barrier. I knew a Sub-3 was probably going to be a bridge too far on the day, and was aiming for a somewhat "unsexy" but more realistic finishing time of about 3h15. The start is something to behold. 1000's of nervous & exciting riders gathered in the City Centre. Lights everywhere, loud music pumping, TV cameras, celebrities, its hard to find the words to describe the vibe! Group C - 2 minutes before start Starting at 6h24 the groups were set off at 2 minut...

The Argus MTB Challenge  takes place on the first weekend of March at Boschendal near Franschoek. About 2,500 riders take part in the 3 different distances hosted on the Sunday.  A large portion of the participants are not regular mtb'ers, so the route is "dumbed" down a bit, consisting mostly of tame farm roads and jeep track with one biggish climb as well as a nice section of single track mixed in near the end to make things more interesting.  Not wanting to "hurt" myself on a 75km route a week before the "real" Argus, I chickened out and entered the 52km version. The race was important for me because I crashed  out the 2012 version after an altercation with a donga (so a small matter of of  unfinished business!). Also this was probably going to be my last mtb race on the trusty old warhorse before upgrading to a 29er, so some extra motivation to give the Silverback a worthy send-off. 100's of excited riders ahead of the start of t...