KEY figures from the tourism industry will be under starters orders on Sunday at the world's largest cycle race of its kind - the annual Cape Argus/Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour.
Led by chief executive officer Rick Taylor, the Cape Metroplitan Tourism team includes Cape Town Tourism boss Sheryl Ozinsky, Minister for Environmental Affairs and Tourism Mohammed Valli Moosa, cricketer Gogga Adams, Argus tourism writer Murray Williams, Minister of Defence Patrick 'Terror' Lekota, Backpackers Association of SA chief Dale Greyland, Holiday Inn Waterfront and Cullinan Hotel general manager Barry von Collier, provincial administration tourism director Carol Nhlumayo, David Wilson Poe of Dolphin Beach Hotel and Business Against Crime boss John Penberthy.
The challenge is on between Gauteng-based teams Drifters Adventours and Wilderness safaris. Well-known industry members Andy Dott, Nigel Dott, Greg Butt and Sharyn Harris will be accompanied by 10 other Drifters employees. Competing in the Wilderness team are Collin Bell, Andy Payne, Russel Friedman, Ginger Hill, Heather Wilson and Mike Myers.
Representing Fortes King Hotels in the race are Kevin King and Japie Swanepoel. Also from the Cape, cyclists from the Vineyard Hotel are Elaine Crawford, Daniel Botha and David Walters.
The CMT team's brief is to promote the region's tourist draws, including raising the profile of its 'Secret Season' campaign to draw winter crowds, not to take home winners medals.
The race has attracted a record 35 000 cyclists this year despite controversy surrounding a detour to avoid rocks falling along the popular tourist route at Chapman's Peak Drive which remains closed until mid-May while repairs are carried out.
Many entrants will sport T-shirts emblazoned with "I Cycled the Detour to Save Chapman's Peak".
An Argus spokesperson said on Thursday co-organisers Rotary Club's telephone lines are continuously engaged as thousands of entrants called to complain of a lack of information, no cycle packs and the race's website crashing. "It's chaos. Even we can't get through," she said.
Taylor said up to two thirds of riders were from up country or abroad, including some 1 600 from overseas.
This has boosted occupancy rates at local hotels and guest houses, added millions of rands to tourism coffers and created dozens of jobs as entrants arrive to practise and get in shape up to two weeks before the race, or plan to take a well-earned post-race holiday in SA.
Overseas entrants include Americans, Britons, Germans, Australians and some from African countries.
The weather forecast, according to Cape Town International Airport, is a cold front clearing for sunny skies, with temperatures up to 25 C cooled down later by a moderate south-easterly reaching 30km/h.
(Simon Farrell)
