South Africa's Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour, the world's largest individually timed cycle race – and the first event outside Europe to be included in the International Cycling Union's Golden Bike Series – sees over 35,000 cyclists tackling a 109km route around Cape Town that is as spectacular as it is gruelling.

Traditionally staged on the second Sunday of March, the country's biggest one-day sporting event is fast becoming a major international drawcard – foreign entries topped 2,000 in 2006 – and increasingly a boon for business and tourism in the Western Cape. This year the race takes place on Sunday 14 March.

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