I’m writing this text, looking out over the Oranje river, the border between South Africa and Namibia. We’re enjoying the last rest day before we ride the last kilometers to Capetown.
We got here in six days, leaving form Windhoek last Monday. Three of those days were on a beautiful tarmac-road with not much traffic. The landscape was very empty and level, it reminded me of Arizona, USA: in the distance there is a mountain range, train rails right next to the road, and desert as far as the eye can see. Very beautiful but also a bit boring. For the last three stages the Tour-organization prepared a very nice program: we left the tarmac in order to ride in three days over unpaved roads to Noordoewer on the Orange-river. The route went straight through the Fish River Canyon National Park, also knows as the African Grand Canyon. The last stage of 174 km, of which 128 on off-road conditions, and with a 20 km climb and a headwind on the last 40 km, generated some anxiety amongst the riders. Especially since a lot of people are in the goodbye-mood, thinking that the worst was over.
Finally everybody got at camp in time, impressed by the beautiful landscape we saw along the road. For me it was one of the most beautiful stages of the whole Tour d’Afrique.
The approaching finish-line is now the main subject of conversation. Especially the finish ceremony and reception in Capetown on may 10 is talked about a lot.
For me, the end of the Tour d’Afrique is right on time: I enjoyed every moment of it, but 4 months is very long. Helene, Guus and Lieke are in South Africa already, and are exploring Capetown and surroundings. On may 10 they will be waiting for me on the finish line, a moment I have experienced in my mind a lot of times already. Let’s go to Capetown!