Police members cycle to Cape Town for Cycle Tour
He finished the Cape Town Cycle Tour in less than five hours.
Two dedicated police officers did not travel by air to participate in the Cape Town Cycle Tour – they cycled.
They completed more or less 180km per day for more than a week, and finally completed their 2 000km journey on 11 March, a day before the start of the Cape Town Cycle Tour, formerly known as the Cape Argus.
Photo: Submitted.
“It was a very special experience for us,” said Lieutenant Colonel Mike Henning, a member of the Krugersdorp Police Station and a devout cyclist.
“We got up at 5am every morning, packed our little bus, made coffee and ate some rusks before getting on our bicycles. Every day we visited a school along the route to give them a message of hope as part of the Matla A Bana – Xtreme for Kids Cycle Tour, an anti-child-rape initiative. We wanted to let them know it’s okay to talk about things that make them feel uncomfortable. This made the tour worth the effort.”
Photo: Submitted.
The cyclists sometimes had breakfast at the side of the road before they continued cycling in the blazing sun, strong wind and sometimes pouring rain.
“We were spoiled all the way. However, each afternoon when we got to the place where we would spend the night, we had to wash our clothes, make dinner, plan for the next day, and then eat, sleep, repeat.”
Photo: Submitted.
Although this was challenging for the entire team they managed to overcome all obstacles and triumph in the end.
“Our butts were so sore, and our legs were so tired, but we were all so hyped by the experience that we just couldn’t give up,” Mike said.
A day after spending 10 days on the open road, they tackled the 109km of the Cape Town Cycle Tour. It was Mike’s 21st time competing in the Cycle Tour.
“The dynamics of the race were absolutely perfect. After last year’s disappointment because the race had to be cancelled due to high winds blowing on parts of the route, it was so refreshing getting up on the day of the race and going to the starting point. We had no hiccups and our team worked well together. With the charity ride done and dusted, and finishing the Cape Town Cycle Tour in 4 hours and 27 minutes, this was truly a special and proud moment for me as a cyclist.”
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