The Cape Town Cycle Tour route, printed
The 2026 course, 110.8 km, from Cape Town, South Africa.
- Styles
- 19 colourwaysto choose from
- 300 DPIsharp at every size
- Price
- From £24.95delivered free
- Paper
- 240 gsmsmooth fine-art paper
The 2026 course is already drawn on the map, with the distance beneath it. Add your name and your finishing time, choose a style, and preview the finished artwork before you buy. Prices from £24.95, and delivery is free.
A loop of the Cape Peninsula from the Grand Parade to Green Point, over Smitswinkel, Chapman's Peak and Suikerbossie, with the south-easter deciding how hard the day will be.
The ride leaves the Grand Parade beside the Castle in the early morning and climbs at once on Nelson Mandela Boulevard, swooping round Hospital Bend and past the University of Cape Town below Devil's Peak. Edinburgh Drive over Wynberg Hill is the first proper ramp. After it the road drops to False Bay for a fast run through Muizenberg, Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek and Simon's Town, and beyond the naval town the long drag up to Smitswinkel brings riders to the entrance of the Cape Point reserve, close to halfway.
From there the route crosses to the Atlantic side past Scarborough and Misty Cliffs, where the ocean views are the widest of the day, then heads back past Kommetjie into what is often a stiff south-easter. Chapman's Peak comes at around 80 kilometres in two parts: Little Chappies, short and steep, then a longer and steadier climb on a road cut into the cliffs high above the sea. A quick descent into Hout Bay leads to Suikerbossie, the last real effort, before the run home through Bakoven, Camps Bay, Clifton and Sea Point to Helen Suzman Boulevard.
The tour began in 1978 as a protest ride by a few cyclists who wanted the city to build safer routes for bikes, and it has grown into the world's largest individually timed cycle race. The 48th edition, on 8 March 2026, drew about 29,000 riders, and Ryan Gibbons won the elite men's race in a sprint at Green Point. The wind still has the final say: in 2017 high winds forced the organisers to cancel the event. On the map the loop is a single circuit of the peninsula, with False Bay on one side and the Atlantic on the other.
Questions
Where are the hardest climbs on the Cape Town Cycle Tour?
Chapman's Peak at around 80 kilometres and Suikerbossie after the descent into Hout Bay. Edinburgh Drive early on and the long drag to Smitswinkel are the other tests.
Has the wind ever stopped the ride?
Yes. In 2017 the organisers cancelled the event because of high winds. In most years the south-easter makes itself felt as a headwind on the stretch back towards Fish Hoek before Chapman's Peak.
Can I add my finishing time?
Yes. The title and the line beneath it are yours to write, so your name, your finishing time and your club all fit. The 2026 course and its distance are drawn for you, and you see the finished artwork before you buy.
Is this an official Cape Town Cycle Tour print?
No. Maps & Son is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the organisers of the Cape Town Cycle Tour; the name says which course is mapped. The course is drawn from a route file we use with permission.
Can I change the map?
Yes. The designer opens with the course drawn and the map framed around it. Move the map if you like, choose from 19 styles, and preview the finished artwork before you buy.
How much does a race route print cost?
Prints start at £24.95, printed on 240 gsm smooth fine-art paper, with delivery included to the UK and 25 other countries. Sold as A4, A3, A2 or A1 prints, unframed, at standard sizes so a ready-made frame will fit.
Other courses
Maps & Son is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the organisers of the Cape Town Cycle Tour. The course is drawn from a route file we use with permission. For the race itself, see the organisers' website.