I am presenting my Tour of Good Hope in South Africa!
The tour has something for every type of rider. There are some pure sprint stages as well as hill and medium mountains and a dirtroad stage. The GC will heavyly depend on the ITT and the mountain finish on Sani Pass. If the gaps on Sani are not too big it could be a classic with ITT in the mix as well.
The whole tour is featuring coastlines and vineyards in the beginning, desert and grasland as well as the durban promanade in the middle up to the high mountains of the drakensberg and the highlands in the end.
Stage 1: Around Cape Town - 136km / 1270m Elevation
It starts with a hilly stage around Cape Town. It will be sure too hard for pure sprinters and provide some decent possibilities to attack. Especially the Chapmans Peak and Signal Hill will cause some separation, but most likely no big gaps. From the top of Signal Hill it is 9km downhill and flat to the downtown finish.
Climbs:
Red Hill - Cat 3 - 4 6 4 6 4
Wolfkop - Cat 3 - 2 5 9 6 5
Chapman's Peak - Cat 3 - 13
Suikerbossie - Cat 3 - 8 3
Signal Hill - Cat 3 - 4 5 5 7
All day we will have a fantastic view on the infamous Table Mountain and going along the beatiful coast of the Cape.
Stage 2: Cape Town - Paarl - 168km / 1450m Elevation
On the second day we start in Cape Town again before heading into the mountains north of the city. Crossing Brainskloofs Pass first and Du Tooitskloof Pass in the final. With a downhill only finish from the top to Paarl it might favor the GC favorites. But the Pass is not very steep and it might get difficult go get rid of some sprinters with good legs and better climbing skills.
Climbs:
Brainskloof Pass - Cat 1 - 3 3 2 5 6 1 3 8 2 6 2 3 2
Du Toitskloof Pass - Cat 1 - 2 1 6 5 7 4 6 6
Stage 3: Franschoek - Montagu - 177km / 1400m Elevation
On the 3rd stage it is all about vineyards. First the peloton climbs up to Helhoogte and to Franschoek Pass before a long run-in to the finish in Montagu. It is slightly uphill but might an thing for the sprinters if the speed in the beginning is not too high. The start of the stage will surely bring up some of the guys who want to fight for the mountain jersey and it could be a difficult stage for the early group. It might be one of the most beautiful stages of the tour as teh pelOton rides through valleys and vineyards all day
Climbs:
Helshoogte - Cat 3 - 3 7 5 4 6
Franschoek Pass - Cat 1 - 3 6 7 7 6 9 6
Stage 4: Riversdale - George - 209km / 1740m Elevation
You probably cant win the tour today, but you can lose it. It is tough, long day with various sections of dirtroads. After crossing George the first time an additional loop with short hills and more dirtroad sections will be a tough challenge for everyone fighting for GC or the stage. It could be a classic, a classic sprinter or an early break depending on how the stage is ridden. For sure it will open gaps and great racing.
Climbs:
Kleinberg - Cat 3 1* 4** 4
Die Heuwel - Cat 3 - 2 6* 5* 3* 2
Victoria Heights - Cat 3 - 1 8 5 2
Stage 5: Plettenberg Bay - Humansdorp - 155km / 1060m Elevation
The stage has some nasty climbs in the beginning with a long flat section on the plateau. It is pretty likely the sprinters dont want to miss the chance today, but there are chances for the early break or even a late attack as well.
Climbs:
Landshoogte - Cat 3 - 4 4 5 8
Grootkloof Hill - Cat 3 - 7 6 8 2
Coldstream - Cat 3 - 4 5 6 3
Stage 6: Jeffrys Bay - Gqerbha - 179km - 1220m Elevation
This stage might offer the biggest chances for a mass sprint. No hill is difficult enough to create a real separation. Nevertheless it is a beatiful stage with an additional loop via Addo passing some of the biggist elephant parks.
Climbs:
Woodridge - Cat 3 - 3 5 7 2
Motherwell Hill - Cat 3 - 1 4 5 3
Stage 7: Gqerbha - Makhanda - 112km - 1460m Elevation
Stage 7 offers a possibility for late attacks and even some turnarounds in the GC. The Makhanda Hill is not very long and not very steep but it is enough to destry the chances of a mass sprint and opens up for chaos.
Climbs:
Schotia Hill - Cat 3 - 2 5 5 5
Kwantu Reserve - Cat 3 - 3 8 6
Makhanda Hill - Cat 3 - 3 2 3 4 8 7 3
Stage 8: Alfreds Port - KuGompo City (East London) - 151km / 1390m Elevation
The stage is once again a chance for the sprinters before we had into the GC fight after the restday. It is pretty much straight forward along the coast. A small loop in the end could make it chaotic but it is not difficult enough to create a real separation anywhere.
Climbs:
Xhesi - Cat 3 - 2 6 1 5 4 4
Transport and Restday in Durban
Stage 9: ITT in Durban - 29km / 120m Elevation
The final week starts with one of most important stages in an impressive scenery. The ITT starts just in front of the Durban Marine World an passes the infamous promenade before heading to Carrington Height and the Finish in the cits center. Today will be important for all GC favorites and ITT specialists.
Stage 10: Durban - Pietermaritzburg (Town Hill) - 187km / 4510m Elevation
Stage 10 heads to the Town Hill over Pietermaritzburg. This will be a chance for everyone who lost time on the ITT to gain it back. It is the first of 2 intense stages. After some tough up and down after the start the pelOton climbs up to Forest Hill - a climb with 4km and 10% gradient. The route continues via the super steep Nagle Dam climb with 3km and 13% of average gradient. In the final the riders have to climb the Town Hill of Pietermaritzburg twice - the first continues a loop back down to the city while the second time the final km is nearly flat to the top of the Town Hill.
Climbs:
Beverly Hill - Cat 3 - 3 3 9 6
Ntuzuma - Cat 2 - 6 7 7 6 4
Forest Hill - Cat 1 - 5 5 2 7 11 12 8
Nagle Dam - Cat 1 - 3 10 15 13
Town Hill - Cat 1 - 7 7 6 8 4 6 8 6
Stage 11: Edendale - Sani Pass - 154km / 3860m Elevation
Stage 11 will be the decisive queen stage of the tour. The route passes 2 mountains before heading into the final climb up to Sani Pass just before the border to Lesoths. The first part of the climb is on a narrow paved road before it continues on gravel to the top. The final is steep and rough and the whole stage will be a challenge. This will form the final GC.
Climbs:
Kwamyandu - Cat 3 - 6 5 3 9 4
Xosheyakhe - Cat 2 - 8 5 6 5 3 5 5 3 -3 2 1 3 7 5
Sani Pass - Cat HC - 3 5 4 8 2 0 2 3 4 6 8 8 12* 11* 9* 14* 14* 13
Stage 12: uMnabithi - Newcastle - 140km / 1070m Elevation
The stage follows the high plateau of south africa to the north all day. After a relaxed start in to the stage the climb up to Dundee Hill, the IS in Dundee and the following climb up to Schroeders Hope will open up the day. The final passes a short but sharp climb up to Killbarchan which might cost the sprinters all chances. The final kms are all slightly uphill but not enough to create gaps, just hard enough to battle it out between sprinters, escapers and hill sprinters.
Climbs:
Dundee Hill - Cat 3 - 3 2 5 4 6 5
Schroeders Hope - Cat 3 - 2 2 6 3
Killbarchan - IS - 6
Stage 14: Pretoria - Johannesburg - 108km / 1400m Elevation
The final stage from Pretoria to Johannesburg ends in a circuit with an uphill finish to Zoo Lake. The circuit is done 4 times while the first finish passage is the last KOM and each following an IS. The end will be a fight between the good classics and climbers, when there is no earlier attack.
Climbs - Zoo Lake Hill - Cat 3/IS - 6 (also final km)
Caribbean Basin Tour 
