Route Description
The circular route the PPA Double Century currently takes is the 8th version the event has used, and will be traversed for the 14th time in 2020. It offers the best balance between route toughness, accommodation options, overall beauty and quiet roads. It starts in Swellendam and visits Suurbraak and Tradouw Pass, Op de Tradouw, Montagu and Ashton, while side-swiping Barrydale, Robertson and Bonnievale before heading back to Swellendam. Riders will experience a mix of dairy farmland, canola fields, mountain passes, a hint of the Karoo, vineyards, river-crossings, historical towns and plenty of picture-postcard moments as they pedal their way round this special corner of the Western Cape.
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Route Description
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- Start in Swellendam
- Exit the town via Swellengrebel Road and turn left onto the N2
- Left towards Suurbraak
- Left onto the R324 up Tradouw Pass towards Barrydale
- 32km Refreshment Station at the top of Tradouw Pass (32km into the ride). This station will have Coca Cola and Water
- Left onto the R62
- Over Op De Tradouw to Montagu on the R62
- 65km Refreshment Station at Op De Tradouw. You will need to go slightly off the route and into the Tradouw Fruit Packing Facility if you would like to stop here for Coca Cola and water
- There will be a neutral zone between Montagu and the Ashton team support zone. Each team’s time will be paused for up to one hour allowing cyclists to cycle along Cogmanskloof, which is currently under construction, and meet up with their team support vehicles in Zandvliet Road, Ashton. Cyclists may not exceed 30km/hour in this stretch. Not adhering to this rule will lead to a time penalty for the team.
- 115km into the ride, you will find your support vehicle at the team support zone in Ashton. Please ensure that your support vehicle carries all your team’s nutrition and drinks. Water will not be available.
- Left onto the R60 towards Robertson (Team support vehicles will be allowed to support the team from this point onwards).
- Left at the Robertson circle towards Bonnievale.
- 145 km Before reaching Bonnievale, turn right onto the R317 (Stormsvlei Road) over Rooibrug towards Bonnievale Cellars. There is a Refreshment Station here with Coca Cola and water.
- 160km The second Team Support Zone starts 2.7km before Bonnievale Cellars. Your race time will not be paused. This is the only other point on route that the support vehicle is allowed to feed the team. Please ensure that your support vehicle carries all your team’s nutrition and drinks. Water will not be available at this point.
- At the T-junction, turn right towards the N2
- Turn left to head towards Drew (Team support vehicles will be allowed to support the team from this point onwards.)
- 176km The Drew Refreshment Station is the final stop of the race and will provide cyclists with Coca Cola and water. Please fill up with liquids here as it can get quite hot on race day and the last 26km to the finish is pretty brutal.
- Turn right onto the R60 and continue towards Swellendam over the Three Witches, a testing triplet of longer-than-they-look-with-tired-legs climbs that bring you into Swellendam.
- Support vehicles will continue on the R60 and turn left into Voortrekker road into Swellendam.
- Cyclists will turn left into Van Eeden Street towards the finish line, which is at the crest of a final 500m climb, just to remind you that finishing the PPA Double Century is a proper achievement.
- The Finish You have just completed the 2020 PPA Double Century! Thank you participating and safe travels home!
All six official stops on the route have limited toilet facilities available.
NOTE: Support vehicles are now allowed from the Ashton team support zone and may support their team up until the Van Eeden Street turn off from the R60. Support vehicles will continue at this point to turn left at Voortrekker Street. No support vehicle is allowed to follow the team to the Finish Line. Failure to adhere to this could lead to the disqualification of the team.
Elevation
Approximately 2 100m of climbing.
