The route for Monday 16 February 2026
No guides today on this completely optional and time permitting DIY individual test ride. The route is my favourite out and back ride through Stellenbosch to the Jonkershoek gate and back. Along the way you will see Lanzerac and the Post Card café, both of which have featured on or as finish venues for Bolandcycletours and Toursdeboland before. This short stint is less than 20km in distance from the hotel and back and serves so you can test your kit and see if your rental bike fits or whether your own bike survived the airlines.
Need help with your bike setup, before or after the test ride? We may have our Lorenzo at the Villa Grande hotel in Stellenbosch, with his toolbox, inbetween hotel transfers – in case you need some help setting up your bike. Please whatsapp us to book in advance – it helps with our timeline.
Additional accommodation for day 1
By now we’ve filled Villa Grande and those who are already in Stellenbosch will stay in their same rooms and venues as before. Today we add additional rooms at Just Joey Lodge around the corner, on the banks of the Eersterivier, mainly for guests arriving on this Monday 16th Feb 2026. All three properties are in close proximity: Just Joey is just 350 meters from Die Laan 2, which is just 250 meters from Villa Grande. The latter is also where we will host our first happy hour and meet and greet. See you there!
Just Joey in Stellenbosch
The guest house is named after the extraordinary beautiful Just Joey rose. This friendly charming guest house is tastefully decorated, in keeping with the romantic feel of Stellenbosch and the nostalgia of the Cape Winelands. Each dawn is greeted with the sound of birdsong and the babbling of the Eerste River as it winds it way along the oak-lined banks. A truly unique and peaceful setting. Just Joey is the perfect getaway for young and old, and offers true South African hospitality to holiday makers and business executives!
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Compulsory for day 1: Our very 1st happy hour, at Villa Grande
The most important order of the day is to meet each other and share share what will happen over the next 3 weeks. The last riders arrive around midday with the airport shuttle. Join us from 4pm and start at 16.30 at Villa Grande, for the following, in no specific order:
- Welcome drinks
- Signatures and missing info
- Goodie bags and jerseys
- Rider before photos
- Cathy – welcome
- Nico – day-by-day
- Carinus – routes and safety
- Mark – victualling and off the bike
- John – photos and social media
- 17.30 depart on foot for dinner
Dinner at 6pm at Hussar Grill in Dorp street
Hussar Grill Stellenbosch is one of my favourite local date night restaurants and tonight we get to share it with all of you. After the welcome happy hour at Villa Grande above we stroll over to Hussar Grill (about 600 meters or to the restaurant in Plein street). And back again afterwards. There will also be a Maties varsity cup rugby match (the season opener) on at 16.45 at Coetzenburg, so expect the town to be busy later on.
Above/left is the set menu. Dinner is already paid for – and everyone settles their own drinks – preferably individually if the restaurant allows it, which they usually do. Alternatively we can pick up the tab and riders reimburse us according to the honesty system – we have a card machine, QR codes, online payments.
3 Comments
Top tip for jersey presentation for next year – iso having everyone pick from a chart in advance and then find odd sizes, rather have all jersey sizes there, let all riders fit all day long, and then they pick the size they like best and have it printed for collection a week or two later.
Notes from happy hour – whatsapp split groups for INFO vs PICS and banter – reminder photo packages – and volunteers for daily weather and scribble/writeup
Tomorrow morning – bikebags aflaai en stock oplaai by NC