Off Road. Mainly on dirt tracks, with plenty of sections of singletrack, some short climbs and fast descents. Limited vehicle support while riding. 6 days riding, average 40km/day, 95% off road.
Cape town - The Mother City. Today we will send some time getting to know the rest of the group and setting up our bikes. This will also be an opportunity to see some sights in Cape Town before we start with some serious ground breaking kilometres the following day. This afternoon we will visit The Castle and the District Six Museum. B
We transfer you to Table Mountain where prior to us leaving you can catch the Cable Car to the top of one of the worlds most recognizable land marks. Why not try your hand at one of the highest abseils in the world with magnificent views stretching across the peninsulas bay. Afterward we make our way down the slopes on mountain paths and short sections of tar.B.D
Transferring to to the Tokai Forest we disembark into one of the most beautiful forests in the area teaming with trails for us to let rip on. This day is dedicated to the forest and in the event of us all finishing early we will freshen up and make our way to some wine farms.B.L
Driving toward Stellenbosch we head toward the Jonkershoek area to try our hand at some of the graded routes available there. Not for the timid this promises to be rewarding and challenging. After we have freshened up we make our way to one of the widest range of international beers in Africa...Great.B
The day is dedicated to awesome fynbos trails and crisp clean air, travelling along mountain trails is why we do this sport and this day is packed with scenery and a few challenging areas. Tonight we head toward Hermanus and the Whale Watching Capital of the world. ( In Season )B
Todays relatively easy trails are perfect for stopping off and whale watching from the shoreline. The sea spray cools us as the heat of the day starts to climb. We will end the cycling portion of the day in Kleinmond where our vehicle will pick us up and transfer us to Gansbaai.B.L
Today is a early morning for those wanting to do the shark cage diving in Gansbaai. Do not be concerned if diving is not your thing you can still see these beautiful creatures from a viewing deck on the boat without getting your feet wet. A awesome and rare opportunity to come face to face with these misunderstood creatures.B.D
Transfer to Cape of Good Hope, ride the Point Trail through one of the most diverse selections of flora in the world.Keep your eyes open for the Bontebok population and the rare Blue Duiker. Tonight we paint the town red as the cycling part of our get together comes to an end.B
Free morning for optional Robben Island visit or relax on the beach; end Cape Town.B
Cost: : R5 200.00
Bike hire in South Africa - Trek 4500 with front suspension - R1 155.00, paid on booking.
Min. 6, max. 12 people
TRIP TOTAL : 769 km.
We suggest our clients to arrive the day before to relax and get over any possible jet lag prior to our departure .Today is dedicated to getting bicycles fine tuned and familiarising ourselves with our cycling companions. We will all be based in the Paarl Valley the only sane option as a base for the duration of our experience. In the afternoon we will go on a gentle cycle to familiarise ourselves with the area and the road conditions.B.D
A total of approximately 40 km will be completed today and is rated as easy. The area covered will be in the Paarl area.
After a hearty breakfast, we start out on our first real cycling day. The route has one tough climb up Hell's Hoogte, with the rest of the route undulating. After lunch we visit some of the wine estates in the non-traditional wine region of Durbanville. A late afternoon spinning session of 45 minutes at one of the local gyms completes our exertion for the day. Dinner this evening will be accompanied by true South African fine wines.
A total of 80 km will be completed today and is rated as hard. We will also visit Pniel / Kylemore, Stellenbosch and include Wine Farms Meerendal and another two.
We travel via the support vehicle to Kuils River, where our days ride will start. The route is mainly flat, with some undulations. After freshening up in Paarl, we travel to Stellenbosch in the support vehicle. We visit some wine estates, hard to pick due to the abundance of award winning vineyards.We visit the Stellenbosch Village Museum. We end our day with the Van Rijn Cellar Tour.
A total of approx 70km will be overed today with a rating of easy to moderate. En Route we will visit Kuils River and Stellenbosch.Also in todays activities will be cella tours, historic buildings and more.
Todays route is the most demanding up until now and we will be travelling toward the Strand on a return journey. After our return we will head into Fairview for a sample of some truly superb cheeses complimented only by the fine wines in the region. Following this we will do a Bo-Kaap tour.
Today we will cover 120km and graded as hard.We will pass through Stellenbosch, Somerset West, Strand, Klapmuts and back to Paarl.
Today we take it really easy, as the Argus is only two days away. We cycle towards Malmesbury, turning right towards Riebeek Kasteel just before we enter Malmesbury. We visit one or two cellars while we cycle. On returing to Paarl, we freshen up and then drive to Cape Town in the support vehicle. We do a tour of the Castle, the oldest building in South Africa. After a short tour through the legendary District Six and a visit to the District Six Museum.
Today we will cover 80 km.
As we don't want to exhaust ourselves the day before the Argus, we take today real easy. We drive leisurely through Paarl and visit numerous historical buildings, Afrikaans Language Monument. Arbotreum. After freshening up, we leave Paarl in the support vehicle. We drive the complete route of the Argus to give guests a feel for what lies ahead. Finally we go and watch the Hill Climb, the final stage of the Giro. The atmosphere at the final stage reminds one a little of a mountain stage at the Tour de France. We return to Paarl early, as Sunday will surely be a long day on the road.
Today we will cover 40 km rated as easy.
This is the big day! We leave Paarl at 04:30, to ensure that we are in our starting shutes in time. Today there is no support vehicle, as it is not allowed. The complete route is closed for traffic and there is enough emergency personnel en route, so don't worry. We meet at the end of the race and spend some time in the carnival tent, soaking up the atmosphere of this great race and all that is involved. A gentle massage at the end of the day will relieve those aching muscles!
Congratulations you have covered 109km of a difficulty rating of 5...Welcome to The Argus!!!
We cycle to Franschhoek. En route we stop at the Drakenstein Prison, where former president Nelson Mandela was released from. We visit some of the oldest wine farms in our land, established by the French Huguenots since 1688. The intriguing story about these pioneers are told at the Huguenot Monument and the museum. En route back to Paarl we visit the historical farm of Boschendal.
Today we will cover 80km. Easy.
We end our training camp with a real thriller. We start in Paarl and travel via Bain's Kloof pass (Cat 2 climb) to Worcester. From Worcester we return to Paarl via the Du Toitskloof pass, another Cat 2 climb. As with any other day, guests can decide if they want to ride the whole route by bicycle or in the comfort of the support vehicle. At the end of the day we hand back the bicycles and spend our last night reflecting on the past eight days. Although our tour ends here, we will gladly transport you the next morning to either the Cape Town International Airport or to any other hotel in the Cape Peninsula area.
Today we cover 150km with a 5 difficulty.
Please contact our consultants for a quote or group rate
This annual training camp consists of 9 nights and 8 days (7 - 15 March 2006). Difficulty: 5
The deposit is R900,00 and for single supplements you need to add a further R900.
The following are included in the above tour price:
Entry into the Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour , the biggest timed cycling event in the world.
Nine nights accommodation and breakfast in charming country hotels or B&B's.
Support vehicle that caters for your every need during each day's trip.
The use of our 24-speed aluminium hybrid bicycles. We also rent road bikes, which is more suitable for this training camp. The rental of the road bikes is not included in the tour price.
Maps with background on noteworthy sights and plenty of options to try along the way.
All transportation from Cape Town International Airport to final accommodation and back to Cape Town International Airport at the end of the tour.
All baggage transport.
Your tour guide will review the various route options for the day at breakfast each morning.
What's included:
All meals except where indicated*.
Transport for the duration of the tour.
All accommodation fees.
Entrance into National Parks.
Qualified guides.
Optional Activities: ( These prices are all approximate as they are independant operators. )
Abseil off Table Mountain - ZAR 500.00
Quadbiking (2 hours) - ZAR 500.00
Sandboarding Lie-down - ZAR 250 - 300
Standup - ZAR 300-350
Tandem Skydive - ZAR 1500.00
Horse riding - ZAR 300.00
Microlighting - ZAR 600.00
Paragliding - ZAR 450.00