The Cape Town Cycle Tour trophy isn’t “just a trophy.” It’s a handcrafted piece of design history — built from emotion, legacy, and obsessive attention to detail.

In this episode of the Active Hobo, we sit down with **Michelé** (PR + events, 19 years at Carol Boyes) and **Madi** (Head of Product, 20 years in design) to unpack the story behind some of South Africa’s most iconic event trophies — including the Cape Town Cycle Tour and Cape Town Double Century (DC) trophies.

You’ll hear how the Cycle Tour trophy started with a simple brief — Cape Town’s natural beauty and Table Mountain — and turned into a layered, laser-cut stainless-steel artwork that’s remained iconic since 2013. We also get into how design teams translate a “wish list” into a final object, why small details matter more than people think, and why the process can take 12–18 months from concept to reveal.

Then we go deeper into the DC trophy — the climbs, the teamwork, the farms on the route — and the meaning hidden in the layers. Finally, we touch the powerful Carol Boyes Legacy Trophy, created to honour Carol’s spirit and awarded to a team that embodied courage and purpose beyond performance.

If you love cycling, design, or South African stories that deserve more spotlight — this one will change how you see trophies forever.

Subscribe for more story-driven conversations where the real meaning is in the details.

—

0:00 Intro: Stories matter + trophies behind the scenes

0:22 Meet Madi & Michelé (Carol Boyes)

4:52 Why Cycle Tour needed a new trophy

6:41 The brief: Cape Town beauty + Table Mountain

11:47 From sketches to laser-cut stainless steel layers

13:05 Timeline: why it can take 12–18 months

15:53 Build challenges + finishing details

29:22 DC & the Carol Boyes team connection

38:22 DC trophy story: farms, climbs & route symbolism

39:08 DC trophy story: teamwork + “little men” details

53:33 Cape Town Marathon trophy mention

56:03 The Carol Boyes Legacy Trophy explained

59:34 The moment it clicked: the tandem/blind teammate story

1:01:24 Closing: what legacy really means