In South Africa we run very large races. Of note is the ARGUS Cycle Tour in Cape Town and the Radio Highveld 94.7 Cycle Classic. The ARGUS had 35000 entries this year and roughly 32000 finished. It is 108 Km long and winds through the picturesque Cape penisula. (visit http://www.cycletour.co.za/ for more info). The 94.7 race had 25 000 starters. Other races of between 1500 and 10 000 competitors are regularly run.

Cyclists here are seeded by competing in "qualifying races" and a National Seeding Register is also kept in place. (I am seeded roughly 8200 ot of 85 000 registered cyclists) The ARGUS starts at 06h00 and the seeded bunches depart reougly five minutes apart. The last cyclists leave after 10h00!!!!! We have total road closure for the day along the route and the organising is a mammoth task.

We have done two cycletours so far. In the first ARGUS in 2002 re two tandem categories namely elite tandems and social tandems. A small part of the elite tandems compete with the elite or A groups and log a very respectfull time. The rest are sacttered along the way. In 2003 they seeded us with the "half" bikes. The tandem community were very indignant about starting with the "unwashed" crowds. The result was that we finished the race in the "W" start group and never did we have to duck for fast bundles passing us.

Our regular weekend Gauteng North Cycling Federation races pull between 400 and 1500 people for the race abd races are held over varying distances of normally 100; 30-50 and 10 km. One very important factor is that races are run in two main categories being Elite and Funrides. The elites are teams that race in very much the same way as the one day classics foloowd by the bunches seeded to rtoughly the same speed.

I have waffled enough. Tandems and "half" bikes can race competitively in synargy and we have proved it here in South AFrica.

Keep those wheels spinning!!!!!

Big H