WAR ON WHEELS
Bicycling South Africa|July/August 2024
IF YOU GO FOR A RIDE IN CAPE TOWN AT THE WRONG TIME, YOU COULD FIND YOURSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF A CYCLING GANG WAR, WHERE THE WEAPONS OF CHOICE ARE STRAVA RECORDS AND SALTY COMMENTS ON INSTAGRAM. THIS IS THE TALE OF THREE RIVAL ROADIE CREWS AND A REMINDER THAT CYCLING IS A SPORT BEST TAKEN WITH A SENSE OF HUMOUR.
DAVID MOSELEY
WAR ON WHEELS

THE WORLD OF SPORT IS LITTERED WITH FIERCE RIVALRIES. These duels between mighty powers of similar ability heighten the drama for fans. Think Australia and England at each other's throats during the Ashes.

Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic going shot for shot on the tennis court (or Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras, a few generations ago). Real Madrid and Barcelona taking turns to dominate Spanish football. South Africa versus New Zealand in rugby; Scotland versus England, too.

If we want to be overly dramatic, Tonya Harding versus Nancy Kerrigan is always worth a mention - though most sporting rivalries don't end in someone being hired to break the knee of an opponent. But name a sport, and you'll be able to pick out the biggest, wildest, most dramatic rivalry.

In the world of cycling, you'd think it would be Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard locking horns for global supremacy - and in the context of the Tour de France, you'd be 100% correct. Mathieu van der Poel vs Wout van Aert in the one-day races would surely also classify as a worthy modern rivalry.

But the real battle - the down-and-dirty scrap, the bare-knuckle brawl for bicycling's crown of best and brightest - actually takes place a lot closer to home, on the pothole-free streets of Cape Town's plush, posh Atlantic Seaboard, between middle-aged men with aspirations of glory and a penchant for slinging mud on social media...

THE ROAD WARRIORS

For those not familiar with Cape Town, or Cape Town's cycling scene, one of the most popular cycling routes in the city is the Sea Point to Chapman's Peak (or Noordhoek) out-and-back along the Atlantic Seaboard. If you've ridden the Cape Town Cycle Tour, it's essentially the final 25km section of that event.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BICYCLING SOUTH AFRICAView all
GEAR FOR THE AGES
Bicycling South Africa

GEAR FOR THE AGES

Some bicycle components, tools and accessories - by design, luck or a bit of both - become icons of performance, reliability and permanence in cycling.

time-read
3 mins  |
July/August 2024
A RACE LIKE NO OTHER
Bicycling South Africa

A RACE LIKE NO OTHER

IN KENYA'S MAASAI MARA, KNOWN MORE FOR SAFARIS THAN CYCLING, THE MIGRATION GRAVEL RACE CHALLENGES RIDERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD THE WORLD WHILE FORGING A FUTURE FOR BIKE RACING IN AFRICA.

time-read
10+ mins  |
July/August 2024
WAR ON WHEELS
Bicycling South Africa

WAR ON WHEELS

IF YOU GO FOR A RIDE IN CAPE TOWN AT THE WRONG TIME, YOU COULD FIND YOURSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF A CYCLING GANG WAR, WHERE THE WEAPONS OF CHOICE ARE STRAVA RECORDS AND SALTY COMMENTS ON INSTAGRAM. THIS IS THE TALE OF THREE RIVAL ROADIE CREWS AND A REMINDER THAT CYCLING IS A SPORT BEST TAKEN WITH A SENSE OF HUMOUR.

time-read
7 mins  |
July/August 2024
GET TOUR DE FRANCE FAST IN FOUR WEEKS
Bicycling South Africa

GET TOUR DE FRANCE FAST IN FOUR WEEKS

HAVE YOU GOT TOUR FEVER? If you have a good fitness base, let the pros inspire you to take your riding to the next level.

time-read
4 mins  |
July/August 2024
THE SECRET TO MAKING A COMEBACK? JUST START
Bicycling South Africa

THE SECRET TO MAKING A COMEBACK? JUST START

\"THIS IS WHAT DECONDITIONING LOOKS LIKE,\" I said out loud to no one, as I looked at the heart-rate reading on my phone and gasped for breath. \"This shouldn't be so hard.\"

time-read
3 mins  |
July/August 2024
DEAR MARK CAVENDISH
Bicycling South Africa

DEAR MARK CAVENDISH

WHEN I FIRST STARTED FOLLOWING professional road cycling around 2014, you were at the top of your game.

time-read
3 mins  |
July/August 2024
HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR POWER-TOWEIGHT RATIO
Bicycling South Africa

HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR POWER-TOWEIGHT RATIO

POWER-TO-WEIGHT RATIO IS one of the most telling metrics in cycling - and thanks to indoor trainers, many more cyclists are now familiar with it. Right now it's never been easier to calculate your power-to-weight ratio and use it to improve your performance.

time-read
5 mins  |
July/August 2024
EASY RIDER
Bicycling South Africa

EASY RIDER

A FEW YEARS AGO, my wife and I along with her parents, brother and his wife-cycled down the Danube River in Europe.

time-read
2 mins  |
July/August 2024
LEADING THE WAY - RYAN GIBBONS, 29, SA PRO RIDER, MULTIPLE SA & AFRICAN ROAD CHAMP
Bicycling South Africa

LEADING THE WAY - RYAN GIBBONS, 29, SA PRO RIDER, MULTIPLE SA & AFRICAN ROAD CHAMP

AFTER JOINING LIDLTREK from UAE Team Emirates, South African national champ Ryan Gibbons aims to be the best lead-out man he can be - while also helping his new team in their quest to climb the World Tour rankings.

time-read
7 mins  |
July/August 2024
6 WAYS TO BEAT THE HEAT THIS SUMMER
Bicycling South Africa

6 WAYS TO BEAT THE HEAT THIS SUMMER

TOP TIPS TO KEEP YOU COOLER AND RIDING STRONGER... NO MATTER WHAT THE TEMPERATURE.

time-read
3 mins  |
January / February 2024