In a nutshell, almost certainly not.

Still, that hasn’t stopped the man known as ‘Mr Cycle Tour’ from casting his mind back to 2017.

David Bellairs, the event organiser, can recall the day that he was reduced to tears in great detail, with the race called off at the last minute, as 35 000 cyclists waited at the starting line.

The wind was pumping at around 100 km/h, with riders being blown backwards, and organisers were forced to make a very difficult decision.

You may recall the winds from that day, but if your memory isn’t what it used to be, here’s what the start line looked like:

Not for me, thanks. Imagine trying to navigate Chappies in conditions like that?

Bellairs opened up to TimesLIVE about how things unfolded that day, and what the weather has in store this time around:

“I’m not an overly emotional person, and that day was the only time in my 20 years with the cycle tour that I cried,” Bellairs, 56, said this week.

So far, it looks like Sunday’s event will not provide a repeat performance. Depending on which weather forecast you look at, the south-easter will range from a “strong breeze” to 51km/h.

But Bellairs knows it’s the gusts that could seal the event’s fate. If they become dangerous on Chapman’s Peak Drive, for example, cyclists may be stopped from embarking on the cliffside climb.

People’s safety comes first, which is why organisers are keeping an eye on conditions.

Let’s check in with Seth’s weather app of choice, WeatherPro, and see the predicted wind speeds for Sunday:

Some decent wind speeds there, but certainly nowhere near the 100 km/h winds that ended the hopes of cyclists two years back.

Bellairs will be going live on the Tour’s Facebook page at 2PM to address concerns and answer questions, for those who want more info.

Back to Bellairs, pictured below, recounting that day back in 2017:

“With the wind speeds as they were, disaster management officials wanted to avoid 35,000 people gathering near the start, so delaying the start further was not an option.

“There were buildings with construction scaffolding on them around the start and it was a potentially hazardous situation. We also could not send people to the finish venue as the wind speeds made the marquee tents unsafe too, so we had to evacuate the caterers and support services personnel from there…

“After the decision was made I was relieved, but also very emotional. I know so many riders save for years to make the trip to Cape Town for the cycle tour. But it was the right decision.

“Seeing the video of one particularly recognisable rider leopard-crawling to the side of the road and being helped in behind a concrete pillar, to hide from the wind, showcased just how difficult the conditions were.”

Thankfully, it looks almost certain that winds won’t interfere with this year’s Tour getting up and running, although I do feel for the riders who must battle those conditions.

Now is probably a good time to remind you that there will be road closures, both tomorrow and on Sunday, so plan accordingly.

Here’s hoping we see the race’s number one fan out in full force again, too.

[source:timeslive]