Ride-only or Full-support
You can choose how you want to Tour with us. If you wish to arrange your own accommodation, join us as a self-catered rider (just R5k for the week) and still benefit from everything while on the bike. Better yet, as with most of our riders, select a fully-catered package (R14k pp for sharing and R17.5k pp for single rooms). Then your job is simple – just ride & relax. Let us worry about what to eat and where to sleep and how your luggage gets to your next room.
Different speed groups
We all ride at a different pace. So the whole Tour will have a few different groups, depending on how you feel – say fast / medium / relaxed. We’ll suss out each other on the road. And you can switch between groups as you please. Remember, no prizes for being first.
Ride captains for each group
You will have one or more ride captains for each group. They stop you when a reason appears. They ask you to ride to the left. They ride on the front of your group. And on the back, ensuring that the stragglers stay in the group, or not, depending on the straggler’s choice, while keeping them safe and on the right course.
Lead & Sweep Vehicles
Safety First. Because we should all come back in one piece. The lead vehicles will warn oncoming traffic and ensure the routes are marked (where necessary) and deploy water points ahead. There may be roaming vehicles, including motor cycles, in between the different groups.
Marked routes
*Digitally, off course. All routes are available a year in advance and ready for download to gps devices prior to the ride. Check out the route maps for each stage. Remember the golden rule: unless you are instructed to turn, just keep on riding. We keep it simple.
Medical Team & Ambulance
Yes, we do have an ambulance en route as well. The medical team will be mobile throughout the route, all day long. They may also function as a sweep vehicle from time to time. Kindly obey the instructions and rulings of our medical personnel at all times.
MySOS on your phone
Kindly carry a mobile phone with sufficient data and/or voice credit active. We will register all riders for the MySOS app, which will be available for download prior to the ride, on both Apple & Android. This service is handy when you don’t know where you are or who to call when you have a medical or other emergency.
Distances are just-right
You are here for a challenge. Make no mistake, some days will be long (like the 142km queen stage for 2020), but at the same time very rewarding. We’ll ensure a good balance between work and play. And you will grow stronger as we continue. The average daily distance is 110kms.
Improve your skills
You are not here just to ride and drink wine. You will also learn something. We have professionals on hand to show you some tricks and ensure that you leave as a more efficient rider (unless you are so efficient that you teach our experts a thing or two).
Brilliant scenery & friendly atmosphere
Don’t just look at the wheel in front of you – take in the sights and sounds around you. Winelands. Mountains. Plantations. Vineyards. Sunrise. Sunsets. From dawn till dusk, you will be enchanted by the magic of the Boland.
Airport transfers
Airport transfers are included in some of the accommodation packages, and can be arranged separately if required. Don’t hesitate to contact us for same. We take care of the nitty gritty so you can come and enjoy the week.
Accommodation
There will be no camping. We make exclusive use of B&B’s, resorts and guest houses. We seriously soak up the Boland hospitality! You can choose whether you want to share with a partner or not – sharing rates are generally around 20% cheaper than single rates.
Bag drops
Let us take care of everything behind the scenes. While you cycle we transport your luggage to the following venue, ready and waiting upon your arrival. Kindly leave the kitchen sink at home and only bring the necessary 🙂
Goodie bags
We all like to receiving a little something. Your goodie bag is something different. Not just random samples, but things you could actually use and enjoy. Look forward to this.
Tour jerseys
Specify your jersey size during the entry process. Size charts are available to assist you. We all want to look the same on the first and last days’ ride and on the group photo’s. Riding in unity as one big branded group on the road creates quite an impression. Thanks to Racepace.
Massages
Massages will be available after the middle stages and can be booked separately, in advance. We want you to be in peak condition for each day’s riding. And after (or during) a 142km stage, this becomes ever more valuable.
Breakfast stops & water points
We start riding early, so grab a coffee and banana to get you going – but save yourself for the first water point. This is something worth riding to and it acts as our main breakfast stop. Thereafter you are fueled to see you through to the finish line. There will be more fixed (and roaming) water points all the way to the finish line.
Post-ride & dinners
Join us for a beer and a light snack at the finish line. Think boereworsrolle and similar. Shower, nap, recover, go for a massage or pester your mates till it is time for dinner. Share in the tastes of South Africa – braai, potjie, koeksusters, moerkoffie, biltong and such. Dinners will be early enough to afford you plenty of rest before the next day. If you booked one of the fully-catered packages then dinner is on us, while beverages for your own account – because cyclists do know how to drink.
Personalized Training plans
Should you feel the need to get in shape for the tour, kindly contact us to discuss a personalised training plan. No charge. We want to ensure you get the maximum benefit from riding with us.