MORE than 30000 cyclists will reach the pinnacle of the South African cycling season when they take part in the Cape Town Cycle Tour this Sunday, 9 March 2025.

Since 1978, the Cape Town Cycle Tour has taken cyclists of all ages on a plus 100km journey around the Cape Peninsula.

This iconic event is a highlight of Cape Town and the Western Cape’s sporting calendar, attracting participants from across the country and around the world.

According to the WCG, major sporting events such as the Cape Town Cycle Tour bring many benefits to the province as international and domestic cyclists are expected to boost the already thriving tourism sector, which is critical to creating jobs. 

MEC of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Ricardo Mackenzie, who will also be taking part, said: “We welcome all cyclists, and I am excited to see more and more people taking up cycling and living active and healthy lifestyles. Please be safe during the tour. All the best to the riders and the organisers. I look forward to seeing you out on the road.”

This year, in a world first, the Cape Town Cycle Tour will be inviting between 1 500 and 2000 of this year’s entrants to a free melanoma screening, conducted by dermatologists at the Cape Town Cycle Tour Lifecycle Expo.  

“In 2024, the cycling community lost a dear friend, Tim Brink, to cancer. His battle began with a melanoma, which was only diagnosed after it had spread to surrounding areas. Tim was a celebrated journalist and accomplished cyclist, and this initiative, which we hope to extend in coming years, is a celebration of a great man, and a potentially life-saving intervention for event participants,” Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust Director, David Bellairs said.

Presented by Clicks, and with the support of Eucerin, La Roche- Posay, Bioderma, Dermalogica, Cipla and ISDIN, the melanoma screening will take place at the event’s Expo venue. All entrants will be invited, via email, to fill in a questionnaire which will indicate the most AT-RISK participants best suited to the screening.

Cyclists are particularly at risk of developing skin cancer due to a combination of factors related to prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV).

Several Cape Town roads will be closed on Saturday and Sunday. Visit https://www.capetowncycletour.com/ for more information on road closures. (Sources: SAnews.gov.za, capetowncycletour.com)