Tourdeboland schedule 2025
Where are we staying and what are we doing during the Tourdeboland 2025? Full schedule below. And I can’t wait to get started. See you soon. And did you note that the dates neatly coincides with the days on tour? Day 1 is the 1st of March, Day 2 is the 2nd of March, until the CTCT on the 9th March and we part as friends on the 10th March. Enjoy!
1st March — Welcome to the Mother City
Arrival in Cape Town on Saturday 1st March 2025
Welcome to the Mother City. Transfers to the hotel. Unpack and unwind and get ready for a blissful week on the bicycle in which you will enjoy the sights and sounds of the Best of the Boland. Those of us who are already on tour (the 3-week #Bolandcycletour that started on 17 February) will also join our #Tourdeboland and stay over at the hotel in CPT.
Accommodation for the night is as convenient as possible, right here in the V&A Waterfront at the City Lodge. Do some last-minute shopping, hop on the Big Red Bus, grab cycling spares from Max at Cycling Friends or Willie at John o Connor cycles (a Premium cycling store for a Premium bicycle tour) in Mouille Point, or download your GPX files and get ready for tomorrow.
Dinner is for your own accord, and breakfast the next morning is included at the hotel. PS, tour jersey presentation is at the Damhuis (see below), so start day 1 in your own kit.
2nd March — Table Mountain views
35 flat coastal kms from the Waterfront to Melkbos on Sunday 2nd March 2025
Short stint up Bloubergstrand and stop for the iconic Table Mountain photo. After careful consideration and a route recce by our safety officer Carinus, we decided to change the start venue to the very hotel at which many of our international participants are staying. How convenient is that. So, we start from the City Lodge at the Waterfront and hop onto the N1 for a short while, in convoy, with a lead and follow vehicle, until we head north on the bicycle lane up the coast. This is our bike check day as we settle the nerves and get to know one another.
Accommodation view is the Lodge at the Atlantic Beach Golf course where we all stay together for the evening. There might even be time for a short round of golf in the afternoon, for those who fell up to hitting a few balls.
Dinner is early at the Damhuis beach restaurant, close-by, on the beach. And during this first group dinner we will do the jersey presentation (while we learn about ghosts in the historic building) so we can take a group photo before the start to Riebeek the next morning, all dressed in our fresh new Tourdeboland jerseys. Breakfast the next morning is included and at the Lodge, before we set off.
3rd March — Olive country
80kms and 850 meters from Melkbosstrand to Riebeek West on Monday 3rd March 2025
This is where the ‘local-is-lekker’ participants joins us. We appreciate that not everyone flies in from abroad or pays in USD or EUR or GBP, hence the local-is-lekker options for our loyal local supporters who join in the fun ever so often. PS, can the local-is-lekker participants joins us before? Off course, provided that you make your own way to CPT and book your own accommodation for the Sunday evening (ie last night).
Our route takes us via Malmesbury to Riebeek as described in rider update number 1, before we can cycle down from Riebeek Wes to Riebeek Kasteel for a spot of olive tasting at the family farm of local rugby world cup winner and world player of the year, PSDT’s family farm Kloovenburg.
Accommodation is at one of my favourite hotels, Riebeek Valley Hotel, with friendly staff and which feels like home, in its own quirky way. They will also serve dinner that evening and breakfast the next morning, before we make our way towards Tulbagh.
4th March — Step back into time
100kms and 1100 meters from Riebeek West to Tulbagh on Tuesday 4th March 2025
The cycling starts with a fast stint from Riebeek Wes to Kasteel and down to the Hermon padstal before we hop on the main road to Wellington and TURN at the Old Tannery, with a potential stop at COLE eatery not long after. Over the iconic Bainskloof pass, from Wellington’s side, as we look down on where the fire was raging in the valley close to Doolhof last week. Waterpoint after we cross the rover and then through Wolseley to finish in Tulbagh’s historical main road where we step back into time.
Accommodation is at the historical buildings along the roads of Tulbagh and all under the umbrella of the Cape Dutch Quarters, where our friendly host Jayson will also offer a historical town walk guided tour and explanation of the establishment and the town of Tulbagh. Both dinner and breakfast the next morning will also be catered for on-site.
5th March — The magical day
From Tulbagh to Slanghoek on Wednesday 5th March 2025
The magical day where you can choose your own route, from 50-200kms, and create your own water points/stops as you please. And join us at Goudini spa afterwards. Who is going to do the full 200kms today? The shortest way from start to finish is through Slanghoek valley to Goudini Spa. The longest way is from Tulbagh to Ceres via Mitchell’s pass, and then via Prince Alfred Hamlet up Gydo pass, to return via Ceres and then cross Bainskloof pass from to long side towards Wellington and back, finishing down Slanghoek valley road to the Spa. And cycle all the way up to the top of the resort.
Accommodation is at Goudini spa and the Slanghoek villas are 3-bedroom and 2-bathroom type units in which we typically sleep 4 people, ie 2 in the twin rooms and 1 each in the remaining two rooms. Each with its own deck, views of the vineyards below, and near each other. There is a spa on-site.
Dinner is a local treat, Spitbraai on the deck. And breakfast the next morning is self-catering style coffee, muesli, granola, yogurt, fresh fruit and more, before we start cycling, earlier than usual, because there is a long day ahead.
6th March — French Traditions
100km & 1050 meters from Goudini to Franschhoek on Thursday 6th March 2025
We start early and cycle safely together until we pass Aan-de-Doorns and then the speedsters can run amock until the first waterpoint at the cycling-friendly Stettyn family vineyards cellar down the road. Don’t have your wine tasting just yet as we are still on the bicycle, up the hill to Villiersdorp, then along Theewaterskloof dam and over the long side of Franschhoek pass to reveal the valley below. Finish at the French Huguenots Memorial Museum.
Accommodation is at the LAB (nope, not a laboratory, but a Labradoodle) and sure to be a treat next to the pool and those who wish to indulge in the wines of the valley can hop on the optional wine tram (be sure to book in advance) or do a highly-rated group excursion with Mark to a wine farm (maybe 2), close-by.
Dinner reservation is at The French Connection bistro; and breakfast the next morning is enjoyed at the accommodation venue, before we start the final day. Time flies when you are having fun!
7th March — Scattered ground
50km and 850-ish meters from Franschhoek to Stellenbosch on Friday 7th March 2025
Our last day starts with a bang. Up the Franschhoek pass to the lookout point to fill your water bottle with the freshest possible mountain water and look down on the scattered ground of the valley and the vineyards below. Then cycle down that same pass and onto the silky-smooth tar that passes through Boschendal and Banhoek, Pniel to go up Helshoogte pass and along the tree-filled lanes to finish at the Jonkershoek gate. Free down (well, relatively) to Lanzerac where we have a final treat together before departing in our own separate ways. Local riders do their own thing, while international riders are transported to CPT as below. See you at the Cycle Tour!
8th March — Day in the Mother City
Well-deserved rest day to explore CPT at leisure on Saturday 8th March 2025
Full circle to Cape Town. Accommodation for our international riders are back where it al started a week ago, right here at the City Lodge in the V&A Waterfront next to the Cape Town Harbour. This time you can relax or explore the city, or hop over to the CTCT expo around the corner at the Cape Town Stadium to take part in the cycling expo. Or stay far from the madding crowd and hop over to Robben Island, up the Cable Car to the 100m+ top of Table Mountain, hike Lion’s Head or do one of the many other touristy things in and around Cape Town.
9th March — Cycle tour Sunday
109km and 1370 meters during Cape Town Cycle Tour on Sunday 9th March 2025
Cape Town Cycle Tour time. Did you know that South Africa hosts some of the largest, by the number of entrants, sporting events in the world with three being the largest of their type. The Cape Town Cycle Tour, with as many as 35,000 cyclists taking part, is the world’s largest individually timed cycle race. The other two are the world’s largest ultra-marathon running event, the Comrades Marathon, and the world’s largest open water swim, the Midmar Mile.
10th March — Ten out of ten
Airport transfers, Goodbye! on Monday 10th March 2025
Au revoir. All good things come to an end. Thanks for being part of this edition of the Tourdeboland, which was ten years in the making. Safe travels back home, depart as friends, share your pictures, tell the world, do come back again, and bring a friend. The biggest compliment you can give us is to tell someone else. Thanks for being part of the journey. See you next year!
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