Bicycling South Africa – MarchApril 2026 – Bicycling South Africa

“Good nutrition keeps your effort more consistent during the day,” says Matthews. “If you think you’re going to be out there for four to six hours, make sure you have two big bottles. I find it easier to get my carbs in by drinking, so that’s probably something that will work for most riders.

“I think a lot of products will give you around 40 grams of carbs per bottle, but my preference is to push to 80 or 100 grams. I find if you’re sipping consistently, it also takes the pressure off ‘clock-watching’ – constantly checking the time to see if you should eat or not.”  If you haven’t had time to train your gut, or if you still can’t stand the thought of chugging back a warm, slimy gel 60km into the ride, then real food is always a safe bet.

Matthews has a few favourites that he sticks to. “Making rice cakes is a good idea; there are also some good bars on the market,” he says. “An all-time classic is a jam sandwich or a honey sandwich. A banana is always a good failsafe; but take a couple of small bananas, otherwise you end up riding around all day with a huge banana sticking out of your pocket. “I’ve eaten Tinkies on a ride before…

there are a lot of options out there!”  If you plan on going hard at the Cycle Tour, it’s still a good idea to have a plan – and to stick to it. “When the gun goes off, it’s easy to get sucked into flat-out racing,” says Gibbons. “Try not to drop off your group in the beginning; but at the same time, don’t overdo it. Have a goal or a strategy, and stick to it. If you feel like you’re going too hard, you probably are.”

 There are three likely weather outcomes for the Cape Town Cycle Tour: perfect, windy or hot.

“Our eff orts were not valued the same.” The Dawn of SA Women’s Cycling P.60 TAKE POLE POSITION Born from a love of racing. Built for the streets. The Corolla Cross GR-Sport is inspired by Gazoo Racing and it’s Filled with Thrills. Feel the exhilaration through the exterior design with a newly-designed, geometric grille, 18” alloy wheels, and exclusive GR badging.

The interior is equally as racy with red seat belts, aluminium sports pedals and red stitching throughout the cabin. It’s not all about flash with the Corolla Cross GR-Sport though, as this SUV is also equipped with a range of high-end tech and comfort features including a newly-designed touchscreen infotainment system, a rear door kick sensor and reclining back seats, so you can sit back and relax even when you’re turning heads.

W W W . B I C Y C L I N G . C O . Z A / M A R C H – A P R I L 2 0 2 6 / V O L U M E 2 2 / I S S U E 0 2 Image: CTCT 24 NICOLA FREITAS Coffee with the doc. 30 DAVID TINKER Meet the Capetonian behind Intervals.icu – the pros’ new favourite training tool. 34 RAD RIDES Looking for a proper challenge?

Put RASA and Desert Dash on your calendar. 56 CAPE EPIC Expert wisdom you need to succeed. 60 PIONEERS Cathy Carstens on the dawn of women’s cycling in SA. 66 GARDEN ROUTE GIRO Lock in for the latest (and greatest?) new gravel stage race. 72 ITALY! How cycling’s holy land is reinventing itself. 82 THE TEST ZONE How does Wheeltop EDS hold up against wireless options from SRAM and Shimano? Plus, upgrades for everyone! COVER PHOTO Max Sullivan / Cabal I S S U E 2 | 2 0 2 6 0 3 CYCLE TOUR SPECIALP.40 copyright © 2025 quickbrownfox (pty) ltd.

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