Cape Town Cycle Tour (109km)
The Cape Town Cycle Tour is no ordinary Sunday spin. At 109km, with iconic climbs and often unpredictable winds, your nutrition plan can make or break your day. The goal is simple: steady energy, no stomach drama, and enough fuel to finish strong.
Keep it natural and easy to digest.
Your body works hard out there. The last thing it needs is to fight through heavy, overly processed fuel. Focus on natural, simple carbohydrates that your stomach can handle under effort. Think along the lines of RACEFOOD FarBars, bananas, or other real-food options that provide sustained energy release without the sugar spike-and-crash cycle.
Foods built around real ingredients tend to sit better in the gut, especially over longer distances like this. If your stomach is happy, your legs usually are too.
Start early, not when you’re empty.
A common mistake is waiting until you feel hungry. By then, you’re already behind. Aim to start fueling within the first 30–45 minutes and then continue consistently... roughly every 30–40 minutes depending on your pace and experience.
Small and steady beats big and occasional. Your body can only absorb so much at once.
Plan around the course.
Riders will have the opportunity to top up with FarBars and FastBars at the RACEFOOD nutrition aid stations at:
- Cape Point (54km mark)
- Hout Bay (98km mark)
These are well positioned, but don’t rely on them as your only fuel. Carry enough nutrition to comfortably reach each point, and treat the stations as a bonus top-up rather than your primary plan.
Train your gut before race day
This is the big one... and too many riders ignore it.
Whatever you plan to eat on race day, use it in training first. Your body adapts to the fuels you regularly use. Trying something new at 70km into the Cycle Tour is a gamble you don’t want to take.
Practice your timing, your quantities, and your product choices on your longer rides. Dial it in now so race day is simply execution.
Final word.
The Cycle Tour rewards riders who respect the distance. Keep your nutrition natural, easy to digest, and well practiced. Get this right, and you give yourself the best possible chance of enjoying one of the world’s great rides all the way to the finish.
About Ray:
Ray has cycled many thousands of kilometres on solo tours, and has completed non-stop endurance challenges including a 57,5hrs spin and several 25hrs rides. He has ridden the Cycle Tour twice, including once on a BMX.
