Cape Town - “Everyone wants to win the Cape Town Cycle Tour.” So says two-time reigning champion Nolan Hoffman who hopes to make it a hat-trick this year.
The 30-year-old professional athlete, from Groendal in Franschhoek, cites continuous intense cycling as the best physical preparation for this weekend’s 109km race.
“It’s also about that extra little bit of preparation that I do that prepares me mentally for the race,” he said.
“When you know as an athlete that you have done the training, it provides you with the assurance you need.
“It also helps you to bite the bullet and push through when times are tough.”
This preparation has come in the form of the Bestmed Tour of Good Hope, a gruelling five-day road race in Paarl consisting of a 522km run that includes a 6 168m ascent. “You can only do so much in training. I will use this opportunity as a training race to prepare for the Cycle Tour.
“It’s a very good race as it can be seen as the ‘dress rehearsal’ before the race on Sunday. It’s the same intensity and everyone who will be competing is also cycling in this race,” he said.
On the Cycle Tour and being the reigning champ, Hoffman said he doesn’t like to consult record books and titles, adding it adds “unnecessary pressure” in the months leading up to the big day.
“The Cycle Tour is already such a massive event, covered by local and international media. In March, Cape Town becomes obsessed with cycling. I try to stay focused on my training.”
Hoffman said the Cycle Tour has always been “the monkey on his back”.
Hoffman, who the Cycle Tour in 2014 and last year, started cycling at 16 and his first Cycle Tour was in 2002, two years before he started cycling professionally.
“My first Cycle Tour was horrible. I started in a group that had a lot of cyclists in it, due to bad seeding.
“I was 16 and impatient and just wanted to race. Suikerbossie and Chapman’s Peak was full of riders. I was so frustrated,” he said.
After skipping a few years and cycling in other road and track events, Hoffman decided to give the Cycle Tour another chance, placing second behind Steffen Radochla.
In 2013, Hoffman jetted off to Colombia to compete and train in anticipation of the Track Championships.
“While I was in Colombia, we did body conditioning and barely any road training. I had speed on my side. As I crossed over Suikerbossie, I knew I would win.”.
The athlete relies on what he calls “silent confidence”.
“Anything can happen on the road, so I enter the race with modest expectations. It has seemed to work for me,” he added.
On how he got into cycling, Hoffman said:
“I don’t think you choose it, cycling chooses you. It’s a lifestyle.”
Cape Argus