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Cape Argus, Sunday 8 March 2009
Subtitle: "For above me and around me the wild wind is roaring"
The official website (http://www.cycletour.co.za/) says it all: "You have survived the 2009 tour of storms".
For details of the tour, see, for example: http://www.themercury.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4879210
This was Peter's hardest ride yet - the temperature was lower than feared (29 degrees), but the gusting headwind made staying on the bike difficult and progress painfully slow. Just in case this wasn't enough, the organisers had included an extra climb this year.
However, it was great to go across Chapman's Peak - this had been closed for some time, but was opened just for the race day. Views were as spectacular as ever (sorry, no pics as the bike didn't have anywhere to stow a banana, let alone a camera). Descent was tricky with violent cross winds.
Fortunately the finishing time was extended and Peter scraped in with just 9 minutes to spare. What he didn't know was that the tour had been stopped soon as he passed the top of Suikerbossie because the final descent was too dangerous.
Don't be put off! Join Peter's team for next year (14 March 2010).
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