THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
RIDE GUIDE
2018
www.cape-epic.com
PODIUM CONTENDERS A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN EPIC RIDER EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH NINO SCHURTER
18-25 MARCH 2018 8 DAYS | 6 5 8 K M | 1 3 5 3 0 M C L I M B I N G | U N TA M E D
THE RACE THAT MEASURES ALL The Absa Cape Epic is a physically gruelling and mentally demanding multi-stage mountain bike race. It is hosted in South Africa’s Western Cape region in some of the most beautiful natural surroundings in Africa. Every year the race follows a different route that takes riders through rugged terrain, up rocky climbs and down thrilling technical descents. It is an eight-day journey that has, over the years, become a rite of passage for mountain bikers the world over. The race attracts professional and serious amateur entrants from across the planet that participate in two-person teams. It’s a test of skill, fitness, partnership, equipment and mettle and provides a rider experience that is a benchmark for world mountain biking.
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2017 HIGHLIGHTS
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ROUTE INTRO
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ROUTE MAP
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THE STAGES
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THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
FOREWORDS
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A year to remember at the Absa Cape Epic
Something old, something new
A journey around the Western Cape
and the route in detail
WHO TO WATCH MEN
2018’s stellar field
WHO TO WATCH WOMEN New teams and new faces
CONTENTS
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RACES WITHIN THE RACE
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THE RACE FOR RED
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A DEVELOPING STORY
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EPIC FANTASY LEAGUE
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RIDER AND TEAM NAMES
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A PERFECT SEASON IN 365 DAYS
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CHARITIES
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EPIC IN NUMBERS
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A DAY IN THE LIFE
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EPIC SERIES
Top category contenders
Absa African Special Jersey
Exxaro Special Jersey
See who’s riding in 2018
Engaging with our communities
Of a rider in the race village
From dusty backcountry wilderness to pristine Alpine peaks...
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UNTAMED
Dealing with the unpredictable
RACE VILLAGE Home for eight stages
Predict the daily winners
A dream year for Absa Cape Epic Champion, Nino Schurter
All the statistics
Project Manager Ashleigh Coetzer Art Director Sureine van der Merwe Mapping Craig Beech Contributors Kevin McCallum, Chris Whitfield Production Managers Media24 Photographic Contributors Andre Willmore, Dominic Barnardt, Emma Hill, Ewald Sadie, Gary Perkin, Greg Beadle, Karin Schermbrucker, Marius Maasewerd, Mark Sampson, Nick Muzik, Sam Clark, Sophie Smith, Sven Martin, Tim Bardsley-Smith, Zoon Cronje Absa Cape Epic Tel +27 21 426 4373 info@cape-epic.com www.cape-epic.com
RIDEGUIDE ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
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VALAIS, SWITZERLAND
11-15 SEPTEMBER 2018
HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO GUARANTEE YOUR EPIC ENTRY? With the Absa Cape Epic selling out in seconds every year, entries are hard to come by. As part of the new Epic Series, the Perskindol Swiss Epic, Reef to Reef (Australia) and The Pioneer (New Zealand) give riders the opportunity to qualify for a guaranteed Absa Cape Epic slot. The Epic Series is all about finding the pure essence of mountain biking, all over the globe. Each event shows its own unique test of endurance, resolve and skill with the beauty of each region as the perfect antidote to the demands of off-road racing. Find out about Absa Cape Epic qualification guidelines at www.epic-series.com For more details, see page 75
25-30 NOVEMBER 2018
9-12 AUGUST 2018
FOREWORDS MESSAGE FROM RACE FOUNDER KEVIN VERMAAK • The Prologue is back on Table Mountain: this icon of the Western Cape and South Africa provides the perfect backdrop for the start of the 15th Absa Cape Epic as we show off our beautiful country.
• World’s first satellite-based tracking:
Each team will be tracked with a SPOT Gen3 device, which uses satellites to pinpoint their position instead of cellular. The rugged nature of the route means there are some areas with little or no coverage, and our partnership with SPOT means families will be able to track riders from start to the finish at Val de Vie via our website.
The start of the 2018 Absa Cape Epic marks the end of a very exciting and eventful 12 months for myself and my team. As usual, we’ve worked hard to continue innovating at the Absa Cape Epic and have some incredibly exciting developments. We’ve started rolling out the Epic Series – a collection of aspirational week-long Epic races around the world; we’ve acquired the Wines2Whales; and a week before the Absa Cape Epic, hosted the opening round of the UCI MTB World Cup in Stellenbosch. With the help of our parent company, IRONMAN and Wanda Sports, we have undoubtedly developed into the world’s premier mountain biking event-management company. This year at the Absa Cape Epic we will be introducing these innovations:
• The Absa African Special Jersey for
Women: with the first all-African women’s team over the line receiving prize money equal to that of the men. They will be presented with the Hannele Steyn trophy, named after the only woman to have finished every single race since 2004 – and one of the four remaining Last Lions.
• A comprehensive merchandise
programme: available online and at event. Make sure you get something – it will sell out very quickly.
• A time-trial in the middle of the race
for the first time since 2011: Work on purpose-built trails in Wellington started the day after the race finished last year. It will be interesting to see how this affects the podium as the racing is much more competitive and intense than seven years ago.
• Epic Series: for the first time, there will
be a global series of premium mountain bike events in which riders can qualify for the Absa Cape Epic. Next year, the Perskindol Swiss Epic will join The Pioneer in New Zealand as part of the series. This year, we welcome the first qualifiers at the race from the 2017 Pioneer. In essence, we are exporting the African-ness of the Absa Cape Epic to other stage races around the world.
Every year, one of the highest-rated aspects of our race by participants is the chance to ride in the same race as the world’s elite mountain bikers. Just think, what other sport, let alone event, allows this. At this year’s race, you’re riding alongside the world’s reigning marathon and cross-country champions, men and women, as well as the Olympic gold medallist. We will have an even greater field with the Epic World Cup in Stellenbosch for the first time again in 20 years. We’re proud to be the catalyst to bring this prestigious event back to South Africa and the Absa Cape Epic has benefitted. Stellenbosch, and the Western Cape, is truly becoming the centre of world mountain biking for the month of March every year. Once again, the women’s race will be incredibly exciting. For the first time in many years, we have the entire women’s podium returning in the same team configuration as last year. They will mix it up with the Swiss-Polish duo of Jolanda Neff and Maja Włoszczowska, a new team that, on paper at least must be favourites. Jolanda is the current elite cross-country world champion and two-time World Cup champion, while Maja is a former marathon and cross-country champion, and a two-time silver Olympic medallist.
The Dimension Data Masters category race is now almost a race between former road professionals, it’s not that the race is a road race – far from it, it’s just that many of these riders have discovered a true love of mountain biking in their retirement years, whereas their professional World Tour team contracts had perhaps prevented them from participating in mountain bike races. The men’s race was dominated by cross-country riders last year. Was this a one-off because of the nature of the 2017 course, or is it a sign of things to come? Karl Platt believes the 2018 route leans towards the teams used to the longer distances instead of the explosive power of cross-country, but we have a very large and incredibly strong representation of cross-country superstars led by no less than Nino Schurter. One of our big goals, as a team, after last year’s race, was to rock the amateur standard rider package experience. I’m confident we’ve achieved this, and I look forward to interacting with as many riders as possible in the coming event to get your feedback on the Absa Cape Epic and mountain bike stage racing in general. After riding the race in 2016, many folk have asked me when I will ride it again. The truth is, I’d love to ride it every year, but sadly, given my new role in building the global Epic Series, the Absa Cape Epic is a working week for me. But, I will be riding both the Perskindol Swiss Epic in September and The Pioneer in New Zealand. I hope to see many of you on those trails too later in the year. Thanks to all who make the Absa Cape Epic the race that it is. From my team, to our incredible sponsors, suppliers, volunteers, land owners, officials and you, the riders who travel from all around the world to celebrate this incredible week with us. Good luck, ride safe and strong. I look forward to handing you your finisher’s medal at Val de Vie.
One of our big goals, as a team, after last year’s race, was to rock the amateur standard rider package experience
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MESSAGE FROM THE UCI PRESIDENT
David Lappartient President
UCI
It’s that time of year again when mountain biking’s superstars tackle the magnificent but unforgiving Western Cape of South Africa. Participants of this year’s Absa Cape Epic can expect eight extremely challenging but immensely rewarding days in the saddle. Even the last day – traditionally an easier stage – has been made tougher this year. Congratulations once again to everyone involved in the organisation of this event, which each year provides riders with an unforgettable experience in spectacular surroundings.
The professional and competent organisers, supported by local authorities, sponsors, partners and volunteers, can only be congratulated for their ability to stage a race of this magnitude, which involves not only tracing out race routes, but also packing up and moving entire race villages on a regular basis. This year, the Absa Cape Epic will kick off one week after the opening round of the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Stellenbosch, making it a true South African mountain bike celebration. My best wishes go to everyone competing in the 2018 Absa Cape Epic.
MESSAGE FROM THE WESTERN CAPE PREMIER It is my pleasure to welcome all participants in the 2018 Absa Cape Epic to our province.
Helen Zille Western Cape Premier
WESTERN CAPE
We consider it a privilege to have the Western Cape hosting this event, one of the largest of its kind in the world, as it encourages us in our efforts to position the province as a desirable destination for sports tourism. The Absa Cape Epic has also become known for raising money for charity and social development. And we are grateful to the organisers, sponsors and participants for their
contribution to community upliftment in the region. We believe that sport can play a crucial and life-transforming role in young people’s lives, and the example of the cyclists also provides role models for our youth. The display of sportsmanship in the eight-day race, combined with the surrounds of the natural scenery, are a legacy we want to build and share with visitors who come from other parts of South Africa and around the world. We wish you all the best for the challenge ahead.
MESSAGE FROM THE CAPE TOWN MAYOR
Patricia de Lille Executive Mayor
CITY OF CAPE TOWN
Each year, I am excited to welcome mountain bike enthusiasts from across South Africa and the world to our incredible city and mountain slopes.
Transformation Plan’s vision to leverage partnerships for progress, and positioning Cape Town as a forward-looking, innovative and globally competitive city.
The City of Cape Town is a proud supporter of the Absa Cape Epic, one of the world’s biggest sport attractions, to the city. Events like these have cemented Cape Town as the Events Capital of Africa.
I would like to wish the organisers well for the 2018 Absa Cape Epic and to send good luck to all the riders. May you have a great ride and take time to enjoy the many offerings in our beautiful Cape Town and the Western Cape.
The Absa Cape Epic provides enormous benefit to our local economy, sharing the City’s Organisational Development and
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MESSAGE FROM ABSA Welcome to the 2018 Absa Cape Epic, Absa’s 13th year as headline sponsor of this, the world’s premier mountain bike stage race.
David Wingfield Head of Marketing Barclays Africa
As you look to challenge yourself during these eight days, determination and perseverance will be required, and along with our key partners we trust this journey will enable you to conquer this event as one. We are aware of the prolonged spells that riders spend away from their families in preparing for the Absa Cape Epic. As you take on the mountainous terrain, no matter how insurmountable the odds seem, draw on the best wishes, energy and pride of your loved ones
to carry you over the line and help you achieve your ambitions for this year’s race. It takes a very special type of person to complete the Absa Cape Epic. A person with passion, resilience, skill, excellence and sheer determination. A person that respects their craft and rides this race with integrity and excellence. Our values as the headline sponsor of the Absa Cape Epic mirror the qualities you display, and that is why this is a great partnership. We will be at Val De Vie, cheering you on over the finish line on Sunday, 25 March 2018 as we all Conquer as One.
MESSAGE FROM DIMENSION DATA They say the road to victory is never easy. And covering 658km of rough terrain with 13 530m of climbing, the Absa Cape Epic is anything but easy.
Albi van Zyl Sales and Marketing Executive
Having again partnered with the Absa Cape Epic as official technology partner to the event, Dimension Data is once again ready to connect the world to the Absa Cape Epic and you, the riders and spectators, to your loved ones back home. Our high-tech connectivity solutions are there to ensure that everyone involved in the Epic is able to perform at their best, even across the most remote territories. Whether it’s a doctor needing to access a rider’s medical records, a journalist needing to
broadcast the race to the world, or a rider simply wanting to Skype their family, our role is to provide the best support possible to the teams toughing it out in one of the greatest gauntlets of world cycling. We are also able to support another important partnership in the form of Qhubeka, our global CSI initiative, which Dimension Data will actively be promoting during the course of the event. And as you and your teams prepare to embark on this incredible journey, we’d like to wish you the very best of luck. #toughteamsdo Enjoy the ride.
MESSAGE FROM EXXARO It’s been six years since Exxaro came on board as a headline sponsor and development partner to the Absa Cape Epic. What a ride it has been!
Mxolisi Mgojo CEO
We’ve watched the sweat pour, the tears flow, and the smiles broaden – and we’ve been humbled by the teamwork and sheer willpower that has kept the riders moving. This grit motivated us to start the Exxaro MTB Academy as we recognised that by introducing mountain biking into disadvantaged communities, our young people could be encouraged to challenge
themselves and see the possibilities that arise from perseverance and determination. A recent success story is Rozalia Kubyana, one of the female Exxaro MTB Academy riders, who was selected to represent South Africa at the UCI World Championships in Cairns, Australia in 2017. As a company, we are proud to be powering this kind of possibility. I wish our Exxaro teams, and every other participant, strong legs, healthy lungs and an iron-will to do your best. Our green is right there beside you.
MESSAGE FROM VIRGIN ACTIVE
Ross Faragher-Thomas Managing Director
The Absa Cape Epic is an extraordinary event made special by the spectacular and challenging route, and by the people involved - the people who organise it, the people who take part in it and the people who support it all along the way.
to our world-class stationery bike technology and Ride classes to meet that demand. Many more of our members are setting themselves, and achieving, big fitness goals, and they don’t come any bigger than pairing up for the Absa Cape Epic.
This is Virgin Active’s second year as a headline sponsor and official health club partner of the race and we’re delighted to be part of it once again. Cycling is growing all the time as a key feature of our members’ fitness regimes and we continue to add
I wish all the riders the very best for your preparation and participation and I’ll be keeping a special eye out for the teams racing for the Virgin Active Mixed category leader’s jersey, and on our members who won entries through the Virgin Active Epic Battle.
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A YEAR TO REMEMBER SCHURTER, STIRNEMANN WIN 2017 ABSA CAPE EPIC Crowds at Val de Vie Estate in Paarl had lined up to watch Olympic champion Nino Schurter and partner Matthias Stirnemann claim their maiden Absa Cape Epic crown.
THE LAST LIONS MAKE IT THROUGH EVENT NUMBER 14
STENERHAG’S SPECIAL MOMENT
Hannele Steyn, Mike Nixon, John Gale and Craig Beech have done it again. All four finished the 2017 Absa Cape Epic and remain as the only Last Lions – the very select group of people who have finished every event since the first in 2004.
A year after having heart surgery Jennie Stenerhag wept as she and Esther Süss won the Absa Cape Epic Women’s category.
5 896 TENTS DONATED TO DISASTER RELIEF The Absa Cape Epic and event sponsor Absa donated 5 896 of the two-man tents used in the race to disaster relief efforts in the Western Cape.
DIEPSLOOT TRAINING WITH THE BEST IN THE WORLD 2017 Exxaro Special Jersey winners William Mokgopo and Phillimon Sebona are changed men. The Diepsloot MTB Academy riders returned from an eight-day stay at the elite Bakala Academy in Leuven, Belgium – part of their prize for winning the race for the Exxaro special jersey – and would happily go back tomorrow.
ABSA CAPE EPIC TAKES ‘CUTTING EDGE’ TROPHY The Absa Cape Epic’s breakthrough live race coverage has won it the prestigious Cutting Edge Award at the annual Discovery Sport Industry Awards.
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IRONMAN FOUNDATION JOIN AS OFFICIAL CHARITY The Absa Cape Epic announced the addition of The IRONMAN Foundation® to its Official Charity Programme.
GRAND FINALE TO STAY AT VAL DE VIE The acclaimed Val de Vie Estate proved to be a popular and successful host for the final stage finish of this year’s race. Now the Estate has joined the Untamed African MTB race’s sponsor family and will be the Grand Finale venue for at least the next five years.
53 COUNTRIES IN THE 2018 ABSA CAPE EPIC They’ll be bringing their bikes to the 2018 Absa Cape Epic from Bermuda, Latvia, Thailand, Uruguay, China and many more. 53 Nations will be represented among the many riders on the Absa Cape Epic start line on 18 March 2018.
HANNELE STEYN TROPHY REVEALED The first all-African team home in the Women’s category to be presented with the Hannele Steyn Trophy at the Grand Finale at Val de Vie.
EXXARO BACK FOR ANOTHER FIVE YEARS
CELEBRITY TEAM TO RAISE FUNDS FOR CHARITY
Exxaro’s partnership with the Absa Cape Epic – which has significantly boosted the development aspect of the race – has been extended for another five years.
The 2018 the race boasts one of the most competitive charity pairings yet, in the form of Douglas Ryder and Jan Scannell (Jan Braai), riding for Dimension Data to raise funds and awareness for Qhubeka.
ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 ROUTE REVEALED From the majestic slopes of Table Mountain to the magnificence of the Grand Finale at Val de Vie Estate with a manic time trial in between – the Absa Cape Epic 2018 route has been created to be balanced and bold.
LETSHEGO ZULU TO RIDE IN MEMORY OF LATE HUSBAND
NEW OFFICIAL TRACKING PARTNER
Letshego Zulu to ride in memory of her late husband, Gugu Zulu, with Gugu’s 2016 Absa Cape Epic partner Maurice Mdolo.
ABSA CAPE EPIC GETS A REFRESHING NEW PARTNER Riders will now be able to enjoy aQuellé’s range of natural spring water and delicious flavoured drinks at the 2018 race.
ROAD STARS AIM TO BECOME MTB HEROES AT THE ABSA CAPE EPIC Two icons from the road, Erik Dekker and Jurgen Van den Broek, make the transition to the mountain.
UCI WORLD CHAMPIONS HIT SOUTH AFRICAN SHORES The 2018 opening UCI MTB World Cup will be held at the Coetzenburg course in Stellenbosch, and will consist of four events, the men’s and women’s elite and under-23 categories.
Sattelites to look after riders in 2018 Absa Cape Epic along the route thanks to SPOT, the new Official Tracking Partner of Africa’s Untamed Mountain Bike Race.
PERSKINDOL SWISS EPIC BECOMES NEWEST QUALIFIER From the Alps to the Western Cape: the 2018 Perkindol Swiss Epic six-day mountain bike stage race will offer athletes a chance to qualify for the Absa Cape Epic.
CAPE EPIC ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF WINES2WHALES Cape Epic acquires what is now one of the largest 3-day mountain bike stage races in the world.
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658KM | 13 530M CLIMBING
2018 ROUTE
From the majestic slopes of Table Mountain to the magnificence of the Grand Finale at Val de Vie Estate with a manic time trial in between – the 2018 Absa Cape Epic route has been created to be balanced and bold.
The total distance of 658km with 13 530m of climbing will include four consecutive days of 100km, a final stage that is far from an easy roll to the line and a race of truth with a Stage 5 time trial that could shake up the race amongst the elites.
From the Prologue on the iconic Table Mountain, where it was last held in 2015, the 2018 Absa Cape Epic will visit Robertson, Worcester and Wellington, and finish at the Val de Vie Estate in the Paarl-Franschoek Valley.
The last Absa Cape Epic to feature a time trial was in 2011. Riders will face a 39km time trial in Wellington which makes up Stage 5, the majority of which will be on the Welvanpas trails and will have 1 430m of climbing. It has been reintroduced this year to change things up mid-race, giving the leading teams an opportunity to attack rivals. Usually, if a team had managed to secure a decent lead by this stage they would simply mark their rivals’ attacks, but that is not possible on a time trial.
Riders will spend three nights in Robertson for the first three stages, with a transition stage to Worcester, where they will stay for one night before settling down in Wellington until heading to Val de Vie, which will be the home for the Grand Finale for the next five years.
8 DAYS
13 530M CLIMBING
658KM
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The route team has come up with a very balanced ride, with days that will suit the strong climbers and others that will play into the hands of the skilled technical riders. Some days will favour riders able to grind it out for hours on end, but those with more explosive power will also be eyeing stages where they could strike. In a break with tradition, the final stage of the race will not be the easy day it has been in the past, taking riders from Wellington to Val de Vie over a testing 70km with 2 000m of climbing that will make riders earn that precious medal. The Absa Cape Epic will once again feature the Land Rover Technical Terrain sections on each of the eight days, testing and also enjoyable sections of the route will have riders wanting to ride them again and again.
ABSA CAPE EPIC
CAPABILITY OF EPIC PROPORTIONS.
The 2018 Absa Cape Epic promises to be as challenging as ever. We can’t wait. With our history as race and route partner for this incredible event, the Discovery brings even more capability and versatility to the experience. The vehicle’s lineage and DNA are without question. Its all-terrain capability, 900mm wading ability and features like Terrain Response 2 ensure the Discovery is always ready to get out there and tackle whatever comes over the horizon. And with an impressive 3.500kg towing capability, it takes towing to a whole new level. So after tackling close to 700km of untamed splendour, let’s take it Above and Beyond. landrover.co.za
658KM | 13 530M CLIMBING
PROLOGUE
STAGE 1
STAGE 2
STAGE 3
Cape Town
Robertson Robertson
Robertson Robertson
KM 20 DISTANCE
110 KM DISTANCE
M 600 CLIMBING
1900 M CLIMBING
| ROUTE MAP
STAGE 4
STAGE 5
STAGE 6
STAGE 7
Robertson Worcester
Worcester Wellington
Wellington Wellington
Wellington Wellington
Wellington Val de Vie
110 KM DISTANCE
122 KM DISTANCE
111 KM DISTANCE
39 KM DISTANCE
76 KM DISTANCE
70 KM DISTANCE
2000 M CLIMBING
1800 M CLIMBING
1800 M CLIMBING
1430 M CLIMBING
2000 M CLIMBING
2000 M CLIMBING
REGISTRATION DATE: 17 March 2018 VENUE: University of Cape Town TIME: 09:00 to 13:00 Registration day promises to be a hive of activity and a fun day out for the whole family. Plan to stay a while and enjoy the atmosphere in the Castle Free Chill Zone, grab a quick bite from one of the many food vendors, or shop at the official Epic Logo Store where you can stock up on Absa Cape Epic branded merchandise, all while your kids enjoy everything that the Virgin Active Club-V Kids Zone has to offer! ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
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THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
CAPE TOWN TABLE MOUNTAIN
LAST VISITED
TIMES VISITED
2015
3
Cape Town, South Africa’s Mother City, provides a glorious welcome to one of the most spectacular regions of Africa. Sitting at the foot of the iconic Table Mountain with a heritage spanning over 300 years, Cape Town attracts tourists from around the world with its unique mix – part fishing village, part metropolis and giant adventure playground. The city is a sought-after destination for its beautiful mountain and sea landscapes, spectacular, pristine beaches, architecture, cuisine, music and lifestyle. It boasts the top five national attractions in South Africa: Table Mountain, a world heritage site; the V&A Waterfront, a unique shopping and holiday experience on a scenic working harbour; Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned; the Cape Town wine routes; and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, internationally acclaimed as one of the great gardens of the world.
CHRIS WHITFIELD’S SNAPSHOT
4 TIME FINISHER: Chris Whitfield
Iconic doesn’t begin to describe this world-famous chunk of rock in the heart of Cape Town. And increasingly its slopes are becoming a place for mountain bikers to play, with lots of trails and an ever-growing amount of singletrack. And just down the hill are countless numbers of coffee shops and pubs and beaches and, well, whatever takes your fancy. Enjoy one of the world’s great natural playgrounds.
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CAPE TOWN | SUNDAY 18 MARCH
THE MOUNTAIN START LOCATION
DISTANCE
University Of Cape Town 20km
RATING
FINISH LOCATION
CLIMBING University Of Cape Town 600m
TECHNICAL TERRAIN
800m
600m
Dead Man’s Tree Plum Pudding
400m
Quarry 200m
0
5
10 Short and oh-so-very sharp. From the imposing buildings of the University of Cape Town, riders will be sent up the most unforgiving climbs of one of the Seven New Wonders of the World.
RACE DIRECTOR: Kati Csak
RACE TIP: If you are not in it to win it take it easy.
WATCH LIVE /capeepic
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THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
Some may be left wondering about their legs after the first climb that has been given a name we dare not print in public, just 100m long with sections ramping up to unforgiving, steep gradients. Table Mountain has one last punch for the riders, up to Dead Man’s Tree, before they find the masses of spectators who will cheer them on as they head on the loop back to the finish. One last challenge awaits, the eye-wateringly quick descent of Plum Pudding, the Land Rover Technical Terrain section of the day.
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20
| PROLOGUE
B
C
A
RACE PREDICTION FOR THE PROS The high-revving, red-line, flat-out rush of the Prologue leans towards the explosive power of World Champion Nino Schurter and Matthias Stirnemann of Scott-Sram, but the lure of the glory of winning on the iconic Table Mountain is strong. Cannondale Factory Racing’s Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini were popular winners last year when they blew away the rest of the field in the Prologue, winning by over a minute to lay down a marker and show their win in the Grand Finale in 2016 was no one-off. Jaroslav Kulhavy and the young American, Howard Grotts (Investec Songo Specialized ) make up a formidable team. Three-time winner Annika Langvad won on Table Mountain with Ariane Lüthi in 2015 by three-and-a-half minutes. The Dane returns with young American, Kate Courtney, regarded as mountain biking’s next superstar and the Investec Songo Specialized 2 pair could excel up to Dead Man’s Tree and the white-knuckle descent of Plum Pudding. Cross country World Champion Jolanda Neff and Team Kross partner Maja Włoszczowska will be looking to make a statement of their own in their debut Absa Cape Epic. Robyn de Groot won the Prologue in 2017 and 2016, and finished second in 2015. She will be looking to give South Africans a reason to cheer on the first day with returning partner, Sabine Spitz.
WHERE TO WATCH A | UCT XC TRACK
B | DEADMAN’S TREE
C | NEWLANDS FOREST
START TIMES FIRST
LAST
DISTANCE
START VANTAGE A VANTAGE B VANTAGE C
6:40 6:46 7:09 7:23
12:10 12:15 12:40 12:52
0km 2km 11.6km 19km
UCI WOMEN UCI MEN FINISH
10:39 11:46 13:15
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THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
ROBERTSON LAST VISITED
TIMES VISITED
2014
2
Situated in the shadow of the imposing Langeberg Mountains on the Breede River, Robertson is the western gateway to Route 62, the meandering journey through the Western Cape and a tourists’ favourite. Robertson is one of the most attractive of the Cape Winelands towns, with 150-year-old Victorian buildings, Jacaranda-lined streets and breath-taking gardens. The area is best known for its world-class wine with the Robertson Valley forming part of the longest wine route in the world. It boasts over 50 cellars, co-operatives and private estates, whose wines have won international awards. Visitors to Robertson can indulge in lazy river cruises to mountain hikes, elegant wining-and-dining and outdoor picnics and visits to rich historical sites such as the Pink Church, built in 1859.
CHRIS WHITFIELD’S SNAPSHOT Sensible people go to Robertson for three things mainly: the wine, the wine and the wine. But, like just about everywhere in the Western Cape, mountain biking has been embraced by the people of the area. A consequence is lots of new trails springing up all around the town. The riding is rugged and you need to be on your toes, but afterwards you’ll get to enjoy the friendly embrace of the locals. And enjoy their wine.
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ROBERTSON | MONDAY 19 MARCH
NOWHERE TO HIDE START LOCATION
DISTANCE 110km
FINISH LOCATION
CLIMBING 1 900m
Arabella Wine Estate
Arabella Wine Estate
RATING
WATER POINTS 1. Steenboksvlakte Farm (hydro)* 32km 45km 2. McGregor Main Road 62km 3. Farm Yard 89km 4. Koeningsrivier Road *hydro: not a full service water point
TECHNICAL TERRAIN
800m
Skuilkrans Skid and Bones
600m
Takkap
Con’s Singletrack
400m
200m
0
20
RACE DIRECTOR: Kati Csak
RACE TIP: Energise yourself with the vibrant Langeberg Hospitality at Water Point 2, passing through the quaint town of McGregor, to get ready for the first real test of your climbing legs.
WATCH LIVE /capeepic
40
60
Stage 1 is never easy at the Absa Cape Epic, although this first day will welcome riders with a hard smile that will become a grimace of effort and endurance. A roll around district and farm roads to start is followed by some sharp kickers and the rock ’n roll descent on the rocky, rutted descent of Con’s Singletrack. Takkap Climb comes into play just before halfway and will be the biggest challenge of the day, brutally steep and rocky. Hey, this is Robertson. Everything is rocky in Robertson. The Land Rover Technical Terrain of Skid and Bones Descent is remote, neglected dual track where line choice has never been more important. The “Hidden Cliff” of Skuilkrans is part of a 14km uphill slog before some small reprieve and a few testing climbs through the Elandskloof Reserve.
22
THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
80
100
110
| STAGE 1
A
RACE PREDICTION FOR THE PROS Riders will be watching each other carefully on this first day around Robertson, which begins with some leg-stretching on district roads before testing technical skills on the rugged descent of Con’s Singletrack and strength on the climb of Takkap. It is likely the first attacks will come here, with Annika Langvad and Kate Courtney (Investec Songo Specialized 2) perhaps putting in an effort to see who is up for the fight. South Africa’s Robyn de Groot and her German partner Sabine Spitz (Ascendis Health) may just beat them to the punch and put in an attack of their own, setting themselves up for the long, gruelling 14km climb that follows and includes the Skuilkrans before the rush into Robertson. The men will be wary of each other on this first day, which could play into the hands of one of the outsiders. Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini of Cannondale Factory Racing held off Jaroslav Kulhavy and Christoph Sauser for their second win of the 2017 race to give them an unlikely hat-trick of wins if you include the 2016 Grand Finale victory. Nicola Rohrbach and Daniel Geismayr (Centurion Vaude) will be in the mix if the bunch splits up on the way to the finish in Robertson.
WHERE TO WATCH A | MCGREGOR MAIN ROAD 33km from Arabella Wine Estate
MEN
FIRST
START 7:00 SPECTATOR A 8:48 FINISH 11:24
WOMEN
FIRST
START 7:10 SPECTATOR A 09:21 FINISH 12:31
LAST
DISTANCE
8:05 11:41 16:53
0km 45km 110km
LAST
DISTANCE
8:05 11:41 16:53
0km 45km 110km
Predicted times only
ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
23
ROBERTSON | TUESDAY 20 MARCH
AGAINST THE ROPES START LOCATION
Arabella Wine Estate
FINISH LOCATION
Arabella Wine Estate
DISTANCE 110km
RATING
WATER POINTS 1. Kranskop Wines 31.5km 2. Rifle Range 59km 3. Vrolijkheid (hydro)* 73km 4. Van Loveren Valley 88km *hydro: not a full service water point
CLIMBING 2 000m
TECHNICAL TERRAIN
800m
600m
Bosvark
Suckerpunch
One-Two-Three
400m
Balboa
Counterpunch
200m
0
20
RACE DIRECTOR: Kati Csak
RACE TIP: The playtime is in the second half – that’s if you reserved some energy and the temperatures don’t soar into the high 30s.
WATCH LIVE /capeepic
40
60
This will be like a 10-round world championship boxing match, with a series of climbs that will throw jabs and uppercuts at the riders all day. Learn the names of these bumps, because you will remember them well. The Balboa, One-Two-Three Combo, Suckerpunch Climb and, when you think it is all over, the Counter Punch Climb. There will be some fun with the 10km Land Rover Technical Terrain of the day - it’s the Bosvark singletrack swoop after 82km, which for many will be the highlight of the day – a singletrack like no other. When you think you’ll be freewheeling down, the trail snakes upward and every inch is hard earned. Keep something in reserve for the last 40km.
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THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
80
100
110
| STAGE 2
A
RACE PREDICTION FOR THE PROS This will be a day of non-stop action, with attack following attack. Nino Schurter and Matthias Stirnemann of Scott-Sram will revel in the short, sharp aggression of this day, with Schurter’s ability to power away on climbs perhaps being the deciding factor. Alban Lakata and Kristian Hynek (Canyon Topeak) may take a fancy to this stage, while Karl Platt and Urs Huber (BULLS) will ensure they remain in touch with the leaders to stay in a favourable position for later in the race. Team Kross’s Jolanda Neff and Maja Włoszczowska could find this stage to their liking as they begin to find their stage legs, but the racing may be close, which could allow for South Africa’s Mariske Strauss and her English partner Annie Last of Silverback-BH Pro to grab a win or a spot on the podium. With a World Cup cross country victory to her name in 2017, Last has shown the ability to roll with the punches on a day of climbing.
WHERE TO WATCH A | KRANSKOP WINES 6km from Arabella Wine Estate
MEN
FIRST
START 7:00 SPECTATOR A 8:15 FINISH 11:24
WOMEN
FIRST
START 7:10 SPECTATOR A 8:42 FINISH 12:31
LAST
DISTANCE
8:05 10:36 16:53
0km 31.5km 110km
LAST
DISTANCE
8:05 10:36 16:53
0km 31.5km 110km
Predicted times only
ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
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26
THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
WORCESTER LAST VISITED
TIMES VISITED
2015
3
Worcester is renowned for its Boland hospitality and is the central point of the Cape Winelands District – the focal point and economic hub of the Breede Valley. The beautiful town, established in 1819 has retained its gabled buildings and broad streets. It lies at the foot of the Brandwacht and Langeberg Mountains, and its temperate climate and relaxed country atmosphere have made it a popular stop for tourists. Worcester offers a wide variety of activities throughout the year. The 154-hectare Karoo Botanical Desert Garden, with its unique succulent plant species and hiking trails, is a unique attraction, while the 11 award-winning wine cellars and three world class olive estates on the Worcester Wine & Olive Route are not to be missed. The Worcester Museum at Kleinplasie portrays pioneer agricultural life, and the Hugo Naudé Art Museum and Jean Welz Art Gallery are popular attractions.
CHRIS WHITFIELD’S SNAPSHOT Try and forget for a moment that you are slap bang in the heart of the Cape Winelands district. There’s amazing riding around here, with the locals having carved out an impressive amount of trails in recent years. Then there are museums and olive farms. But don’t forget you are in the heart of the Cape Winelands District, and give the Worcester Wine & Olive Route a spin.
ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
27
WORCESTER | WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH
THE LONGEST DAY START LOCATION
Arabella Wine Estate
DISTANCE 122km
FINISH LOCATION HTS Drostdy
CLIMBING 1 800m
800m
WATER POINTS
RATING
1. Wolfkloof (hydro)* 29km 2. Rooiberg Cellars 43km 3. Saggy Stone 69km 4. Nuy on The Hill 92km *hydro: not a full service water point
TECHNICAL TERRAIN
MEN’S & WOMEN’S HOTSPOT
Penn Hill
600m
Choose Your Own Adventure
Pieter’s Express Porcupine Trap
400m
200m
0
20
40
60
The transition day will be the longest stage of the 2018 Absa Cape Epic, but will not be the most challenging in terms of terrain. RACE DIRECTOR: Kati Csak
RACE TIP: The wind likes to pick up in the afternoons – and it tends to be a headwind, so don’t bank on a downhill home run when you crest the high point at the 75km mark.
WATCH LIVE /capeepic
Well, except for the Porcupine Trap, a flat-out section through sandy fynbos trails toward the Saggy Stone Brewery that has porcupine dens that could swallow a man whole. The first 20km includes three climbs, but it is Penn Hill that is the main challenge of the day, a 3.5km brute of a climb that comes after 12km of uphill graft. The Land Rover Technical Terrain is Choose Your Own Adventure – a twisting section of Fynbos surrounded trail where line choice will determine if you will make it out with rubber left on your wheels or not. This is thorn country. Look after your tyres on the run in to Worcester.
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THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
80
100
122
| STAGE 3
B
A
RACE PREDICTION FOR THE PROS The longest day of the Absa Cape Epic will need diesel engines as it rolls to Worcester with the challenge of Penn Hill to shake things up a bit. There are other tough moments, but being able to ride hard for long periods of time will be key. It could belong to Robyn de Groot and Sabine Spitz (Ascendis Health), while the experience of Esther Süss and Jennie Stenerhag (Meerendal CBC) will be a factor as they work to defend the title they won last year. It will also be a day for luck, with thorns prevalent. Investec Songo Specialized’s Jaroslav Kulhavy has been described by Karl Platt as a powerful train when it comes to long-haul riding, blessed with an ability to lay down power on the front of the bunch. If he takes a notion to drive a break, anyone with ambitions of winning the stage or being in contention for the overall honours, had better jump on the train, otherwise, as Platt would put it, you will get left at the station. This could be a day for Kulhavy and partner Howard Grotts, although one of the more unsung teams could pull off a surprise.
WHERE TO WATCH A | ROOIBERG CELLARS 25km from Arabella Wine Estate B | NUY ON THE HILL 45km from Arabella Wine Estate
MEN
FIRST
START 7:00 SPECTATOR A 8:39 SPECTATOR B 10:32 FINISH 11:41
WOMEN
FIRST
START 7:10 SPECTATOR A 9:11 SPECTATOR B 11:29 FINISH 12:53
LAST
DISTANCE
8:05 11:23 15:09 17:28
0km 43km 92km 122km
LAST
DISTANCE
8:05 11:23 15:09 17:28
0km 43km 92km 122km
Predicted times only
ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
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30
THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
WELLINGTON LAST VISITED
TIMES VISITED
2016
3
In Wellington you are struck by the beautiful Cape Dutch homesteads, picturesque environment, crisp-white churches, manicured gardens and, naturally, the numerous wineries. Situated in a valley, Wellington and the town is surrounded by fruit orchards, wine estates, buchu plantations and olive groves, and is best known for its dried fruit industry, wines, table grapes and an award-winning distillery. The historic Bain’s Kloof Pass into the town was built by master road builder Andrew Geddes Bain in 1854 and is still a favourite for travellers. It sports unsurpassed vistas, indigenous flora and fauna and crystal-clear streams and rivers – perfect for hikers and fly-fishermen. Visitors can also enjoy guided wine-walks and horsetrails through the rich farmland and fynbos around the town. Wellington’s vinecutting nurseries are responsible for the production of approximately 80% of the country’s vine root stock for the wine industry.
CHRIS WHITFIELD’S SNAPSHOT If you’re heading to Wellington with a bike on your rack then you probably have one destination in mind: Welvanpas, and its incredible trails. You’ll get to sample some of the best if you’re riding this year’s Absa Cape Epic, but it’s worth a visit anytime to experience the variety it offers: gnarly to flowing singletrack, sharp ascents and dipping descents, rugged conditions and beautiful scenery. And there’s always an excellent cup of coffee at the farm shop when you’re done.
ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
31
WELLINGTON | THURSDAY 22 MARCH
BATTLE ROYALE START LOCATION HTS Drostdy
DISTANCE 111km
FINISH LOCATION
CLIMBING 1 800m
Huguenot High and Primary Schools
MEN’S & WOMEN’S HOTSPOT
800m
WATER POINTS
RATING
1. River Crossing (hydro)* 25km 2. Du Toitskloof Winery 44km 3. Hugoskraal Farm 66km 4. Bergsig Wines 78km *hydro: not a full service water point
TECHNICAL TERRAIN
Bains Kloof
600m
Goudini Spa Singletrack Thudbuster
400m
200m
0
20
RACE DIRECTOR: Kati Csak
RACE TIP: Goudini Spa offers a special treatment – arguably the most challenging section of the entire race. The 12km stretch will challenge your technical skills, requiring constant momentum with numerous short and sharp climbs. WATCH LIVE /capeepic
40
60
The Queen Stage. The Tough Stage. One Stage to Conquer Them All. This will include two of the toughest climbs of the 15th Absa Cape Epic and the terrain will leave riders exasperated at times. There will be more singletrack than you could wish for. The testing Rawsonville and Smalblaar River trails will prepare riders for one of the iconic sections of the 2018 route: The Slanghoek Valley trails, a throwback to the early days of mountain biking, before trails became smooth and “manicured”. The Slanghoek Traverse is a testing descent before the Land Rover Technical Terrain, which is the Goudini Spa Singletrack. A white knuckle six-kilometre descent across the valley where rogue rocks and bar-snatching brush lie in wait. The Thudbuster is a loose and sandy climb that points to heaven, but never seems to leave hell. It is later followed by the 9km climb of the
32
THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
80
100
111
historic Bains Kloof pass on tar, which feels like it’s never-ending. The last 15km takes in the Welvenpas trails and is, mostly, a downhill roll to Wellington.
| STAGE 4
B
A
RACE PREDICTION FOR THE PROS Karl Platt believes the 2018 race favours the marathon riders more than 2017. If he is to become the first man to win a sixth Absa Cape Epic title, he and Bulls teammate Urs Huber may need to make the Queen Stage of this year’s race theirs. In 2015, when Stage 4 began in Worcester, the all-South African team of Philip Buys and Matthys Beukes (Pyga Euro Steel) broke away to win the stage and consolidate their lead in the Absa African special jersey competition. South Africa’s Candice Lill and her German teammate Adelheid Morath (dormakaba) could target this as their day at the race, but the general classification race will be in full, red-hot contention on the fifth day, and Annika Langvad and Kate Courtney (Investec Songo Specialized 2), Robyn de Groot and Sabine Spitz (Ascendis Health), Esther Süss and Jennie Stenerhag (Meerendal CBC), and Mariske Strauss and Annie Last (Silverback-BH) will be eyeing Bainskloof Pass as a possible place to make or break the Absa Cape Epic.
WHERE TO WATCH A | DU TOITSKLOOF WINES 20km from HTS Drostdy B | BERGSIG CELLAR 28km from HTS Drostdy
MEN
FIRST
START 7:00 SPECTATOR A 8:50 SPECTATOR B 10:15 FINISH 11:37
WOMEN
FIRST
START 7:10 SPECTATOR A 9:24 SPECTATOR B 11:07 FINISH 12:48
LAST
DISTANCE
8:05 11:45 14:35 17:20
0km 44km 78km 111km
LAST
DISTANCE
8:05 11:45 14:35 17:20
0km 44km 78km 111km
Predicted times only
ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
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WELLINGTON | FRIDAY 23 MARCH
AGAINST THE CLOCK START LOCATION
DISTANCE 39km
Huguenot High and Primary Schools
FINISH LOCATION
WATER POINTS
RATING
1. DAFF Wellington 19km 2. Haweqwa Scout Camp (hydro)* 23km *hydro: not a full service water point
CLIMBING 1 430m
Huguenot High and Primary Schools
TECHNICAL TERRAIN
800m
Cool Runnings Plantation
600m
Seven Peaks
Rondawel
400m
200m
0
10
20 Flat out, but far from flat. The time trial is the race of truth, just you and your partner against the clock.
RACE DIRECTOR: Kati Csak
RACE TIP: Enjoy the shorter stage giving you extra recovery time – but don’t be fooled, it’s not a rest day!
WATCH LIVE /capeepic
This could shake up the elite categories, the intensity of the altitude gain and the short day may catch a few of them out. Back in 2011, when the last time trial was held, Burry Stander and Christoph Sauser put a minute gap into their opponents. That could be more over the three, massive climbs on the day. Rondawel is first up after 5km, then Plantation at 13km and the Seven Peaks 22km in. The fun will come with the Bobsled bridge and the singletrack descents of The Land Rover Technical Terrain Cool Runnings and Cool Runnings Too. They are narrow, fast and exciting singletrack descents that are well worth the burning legs brought on by the gruelling Seven Peaks Climb.
34
THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
30
39
TIME TRIAL | STAGE 5
A
B
RACE PREDICTION FOR THE PROS The time trial, just three days from the end of the race could shake up the dynamics of the race as the cross country stars get to rev up their engines for a rip around Wellington. Except, that they don’t usually ride a time trial after five days of hard racing through the Western Cape. Jolanda Neff and Maja Włoszczowska (Team Kross) are likely to lead the charge, with Neff bringing all the ability that has seen the current elite World Champion win the World Cup series twice and become a triple under-23 World Champ. Robyn de Groot has an excellent record in time trials at the Absa Cape Epic given her Prologue form over the last three years, winning with Ascendis Health teammate Sabine Spitz last year. If Kate Courtney has found her stage race rhythm, then she and Annika Langvad (Investec Songo Specialized) will be in contention. When Karl Platt discovered the 2018 route would be going through Wellington, he could barely keep the smile off his face. These are his favourite trails in South Africa, which he says he knows like the back of his hand, and he is on the record as saying he is looking forward to the time trial.
WHERE TO WATCH The 2018 time trial will be held over a distance of 39km. Riders will be seeded according to their GC ranking on Stage 4 and teams will start at timed intervals A | DIEMERSFONTEIN 3km from Huguenot High & Primary B | IMBUKO WINES 6km from Huguenot High & Primary TIME
WHO TO WATCH
6:45 7:30
UCI MEN START MEN’S CATEGORY LEADERS START UCI WOMEN START WOMEN’S CATEGORY LEADERS START OTHER CATEGORY LEADERS & A-BATCH START UCI MEN TOP 10 FINISH UCI WOMEN TOP 10 FINISH
7:35 7:55 8:05 9:00 10:00
Times are subject to change due to the actual dropout rate at the end of Stage 4.
ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
35
WELLINGTON | SATURDAY 24 MARCH
TRUE GRIT START LOCATION
DISTANCE 76km
Huguenot High and Primary Schools
FINISH LOCATION
WATER POINTS
RATING
1. Schalk Burger & Sons 17km 2. Val Du Charron 39.5km 3. Oaklands (hydro)* 52km 4. Doolhof Wine Estate 60km *hydro: not a full service water point
CLIMBING 2 000m
Huguenot High and Primary Schools
TECHNICAL TERRAIN
800m
600m
Green Mamba
Cheese Grater
400m
True Grit 200m
0
10
20
30
40
And, on the seventh day, there was some small respite.
RACE DIRECTOR: Kati Csak
RACE TIP: It’s a fun day on the Welvanpass Trails – and even more fun if you enjoy climbing.
WATCH LIVE /capeepic
This is the fun day of the 2018 Absa Cape Epic, but riders will still need to go up to earn the right to enjoy the downhills. So, before the 2km descent of the Rollercoaster, you will need to ride 2.5km of up. The Green Mamba climb is relentless, long and steep, but it comes with the reward of the Bain’s MTB Trails at Welvanpas. Fun times are to be had through the Handlebar Snatcher, Deadly White Climb and Cheese Grater, the Land Rover Technical Terrain of the day. A furiously fast descent into the remote section of Welvenpas valley. Hold on, the Land Rover Technical Terrain has claimed many a victim before. There is just one more big climb at the 65km mark, but the race village is not far away.
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THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
50
60
70
76
| STAGE 6 A
B D C
WHERE TO WATCH A | SCHALK BURGER & SONS 10km from Huguenot High & Primary
RACE PREDICTION FOR THE PROS The shortness of the day will not fool the front runners. There is still time to be gained or lost on stages such as these. Again, this could be a day for Karl Platt and Urs Huber (BULLS), but the older riders would do well to keep an eye on the Scott -Sram Young Guns Michael van der Heijden and Andri Frischknecht, who proved they were more than just a back-up team to Nino Schurter and Matthias Stirnemann with two stage wins, including the Grand Finale at Val de Vie. Those teams who have not featured in the race thus far will look for some late stage glory, with Trek Selle San Marco’s Damiano Ferraro and Samuele Porro, Philip Buys and Matthys Beukes (Pyga Euro Steel) trying their luck on this “fun” day. Mariske Strauss and Annie Last (Silverback-BH) were in top form near the end of the 2017 race, winning Stage 6 by just 30 seconds from Esther Süss and Jennie Stenerhag (Meerendal CBC), who by then had a substantial 35-minute lead overall. Watch out for a possible surprise from the South African pair of Carmen Buchacher and Samantha Sanders (dormakaba), who should be the top contenders for the Hannele Steyn Trophy for the winners of the Absa African Women’s competition.
B | LINTON PARK 6km from Huguenot High & Primary C | VAL DU CHARRON 1km from Huguenot High & Primary D | DOOLHOF 9km from Huguenot High & Primary
MEN START SPECTATOR SPECTATOR SPECTATOR SPECTATOR FINISH
FIRST
WOMEN START SPECTATOR SPECTATOR SPECTATOR SPECTATOR FINISH
LAST
DISTANCE
8:05 9:33 10:48 11:27 13:14 14:38
0km 17km 32km 39.5km 60km 76km
FIRST
LAST
DISTANCE
7:10 8:03 8:51 9:15 10:20 11:11
8:05 9:33 10:48 11:27 13:14 14:38
0km 17km 32km 39.5km 60km 76km
7:00 A 7:44 B 8:21 C 8:41 D 9:34 10:16
A B C D
Predicted times only
ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
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38
THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
VAL DE VIE LAST VISITED
TIMES VISITED
2017
1
The idea behind Val de Vie was sparked 30 years ago when Martin Venter dreamed of a place in the Cape Winelands that his family could call home. For many years he searched for the ideal location and in 2001 he found it while flying over the Paarl Valley. Alongside the Berg River lay a wine farm dating back to 1783: this would be the “Valley of Life” that he had been dreaming of. Martin then took on the challenge of transforming the sand mine that was then in operation into a lush paradise. Today the land has been turned into a flourishing estate and Martin’s dream has been realised. In 2018 the Absa Cape Epic will finish at Val de Vie for the second time.
CHRIS WHITFIELD’S SNAPSHOT Think Val de Vie and you think golf, polo, fine dining, excellent wine (something of a theme this year), healthy lifestyle and beautiful setting. And now the venue for the most prestigious stage win in mountain biking, the Absa Cape Epic Grand Finale. And all this nestled in the stunning Paarl-Franschhoek Valley, sometimes described as the gastronomic capital of South Africa. The perfect place to unwind and celebrate after eight tough days.
ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
39
VAL DE VIE | SUNDAY 25 MARCH
THE LAST STAND START LOCATION Huguenot High and Primary Schools
FINISH LOCATION Val de Vie, Paarl
DISTANCE 70km
WATER POINTS
RATING
1. DAFF Wellington 22km 2. D Vine Estate 36km 3. Avondale Wine 47.5km 4. Top of Climb (hydro)* 57.5km *hydro: not a full service water point
CLIMBING 2 000m
TECHNICAL TERRAIN
MEN’S & WOMEN’S HOTSPOT
800m
Haweqwa 600m
Protea Climb
Beulah
Bone Rattler
400m
Freedom Struggle 200m
0
10
20
30
40
Remember when the last day at the Absa Cape Epic was a trundle home? No more. The climbing starts after just 3km on the Patatskloof (Sweet Potato Ravine). RACE DIRECTOR: Kati Csak
RACE TIP: True to style, you can see the finish as you turn into the mountains for one last climb – it will be a hard-earned finisher’s medal.
WATCH LIVE /capeepic
40
THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
Concrete strips announce the beginning of the Beulah climb, which leads into the seemingly-endless Haweqwa climb, which together gain over 450m in around 6km. Once done with the Protea Climb, riders will be able to see the finish at Val de Vie in Paarl, but have one last challenge: Freedom Struggle Climb, a rocky threekilometre section that is completely bare to the elements, followed by the Bone Rattler descent. The last Land Rover Technical Terrain of the 2018 Absa Cape Epic is the Bone Rattler, which is one of the riskiest descents in the entire route and a place where your finishers’ medal could be at stake.
50
60
70
The final stretch is on purpose-built singletrack to the Grand Finale at Val de Vie Estate and the celebration of wearing an Absa Cape Epic finisher’s medal.
| STAGE 7
A
B
RACE PREDICTION FOR THE PROS By now, it is likely the champions will have been already decided, but the final sprint to the Grand Finale at Val de Vie will be no roll to the line. Cannondale Factory Racing’s Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini worked hard for their win here in 2016, while Michael van der Heijden and Andri Frischknecht (Scott-Sram Young Guns) were unleashed on the final day and took a second stage win of the 2017 race, just 17 seconds ahead of Trek Selle San Marco’s Damiano Ferraro and Samuele Porro. The race could split up at the start with some tough climbs, with a sprint to the line likely for the thousands of fans to enjoy. Robyn de Groot and Sabine Spitz (Ascendis Health) and Mariske Strauss and Annie Last (Silverback-BH) brought a South African flavour to the final day as they had the closest of sprints to the line, with De Groot and Spitz winning by half a second. Expect more fireworks on this final dash for glory.
WHERE TO WATCH A | D VINE ESTATE 16km from Huguenot High & Primary B | AVONDALE WINE ESTATE 18km from Huguenot High & Primary
MEN
FIRST
START 8:00 SPECTATOR A 9:31 SPECTATOR B 10:01 FINISH 10:58
WOMEN
FIRST
START 8:10 SPECTATOR A 10:01 SPECTATOR B 10:37 FINISH 11:47
LAST
DISTANCE
8:25 11:28 12:27 14:22
0km 36km 47.5km 70km
LAST
DISTANCE
8:25 11:28 12:27 14:22
0km 36km 47.5km 70km
Predicted times only
ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
41
WHO TO WATCH MEN The competition will be fierce this year with most of the top 10 teams from 2017 returning. The diesel-powered marathon men believe 2018 could be their year, but they will be wary of the class and strength of the Olympic distance cross country superstars who are set to make the 15th Absa Cape Epic the closest and most exciting race yet. Nino Schurter returns to defend his Absa Cape Epic title which was the first victory in an outstanding 2017 season that saw him win every leg of the MTB World Cup series and take an incredible fifth cross country World Championship. He and fellow Swiss Matthias Stirnemann (Scott-Sram) will team up once again, on a route that offers something for both the marathon and cross-country stars. That could suit two-time winner Jaroslav Kulhavy of the Czech Republic, the 2012 Olympic gold medallist and former marathon world champion. After finishing second with Absa Cape Epic legend Christoph Sauser in 2017, Kulhavy will ride with Howard Grotts, regarded as the best American mountain biker of his generation, in the colours of Investec Songo Specialized. The competition will be fierce this year with most of the top 10 teams from 2017 returning. The Swiss/ Austrian combination of Nicola Rohrbach and Daniel Geismayr (Centurion Vaude) claimed third place overall last year, showing the value of consistency, something their teammates, Germany’s Markus Kaufmann and Jochen Kaess will be seeking, along with the luck that has deserted them in past races.
set the 2017 race alight, winning the first two days in scorching heat. Behind Fumic’s gentle smile lies a hard competitor who should compete for a podium after finishing fourth and fifth in previous Absa Cape Epics. Alban Lakata may be a little tired of being asked when he is going to win an Absa Cape Epic, the Austrian having finished in just about every other spot in the top 10 on general classification, but first. Lakata comes into the race as the 2017 UCI marathon world champion and with Canyon Topeak teammate and former winner, Kristen Hynek, is always a contender. Karl Platt (BULLS) will take part in his 15th Absa Cape Epic, having failed to finish just one through injury. He craves another title to become the first and only rider with six Absa Cape Epic titles. The German took his fifth title in 2016 with the powerhouse Swiss, Urs Huber. The South African challenge will be boosted by Philip Buys and Matthys Beukes (Pyga Euro Steel), and Nico Bell and Matthew Beers (NAD Pro MTB). They may just be a back-up team to Schurter and Stirnemann, but the young Swiss/Dutch team of Andri Frischknecht (Scott - Sram Young Guns) were strong enough to take two stage wins and end sixth overall in their first Absa Cape Epic in 2017.
The yellow zebra jersey is worn by the overall leading team in the Men’s category. Stage times are added up and the team with the lowest cumulative time at the end of each stage gets to wear the iconic jersey the next day. The team in yellow after the full eight days of racing is the overall winner. The category attracts elite mountain bikers from around the world and showcases the best that the sport has to offer. Competitors have included Olympic gold medallists, current and former world champions and top-ranked marathon and cross country mountain bike professionals. The Absa Cape Epic has become the world’s premier mountain bike stage race and taking home the yellow zebra jersey of the Untamed African MTB Race is regarded as one of the greatest achievements in the sport.
Germany’s Manuel Fumic and Brazilian Henrique Avancini (Cannondale Factory Racing)
The Men’s trophy was created by celebrated South African artist Niël Jonker and awarded to the winning team for the first time in 2010. Niël works in several mediums and is held in high regard internationally for his painting, charcoal drawing and bronze sculptures. For the trophy
Niël took his inspiration from the original Cape Epic logo, which included Zebra stripes, a mountain biker and the colours of the South African flag. The sculpture is cast in solid bronze and mounted on a block of Assegai timber, the trophy stands 37cm high and weighs 8,2kgs.
SCULPTED BY: NIËL JONKER
ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
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SCOTT-SRAM
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS
NINO SCHURTER
AGE: 31 EPICS COMPLETED: 4 STAGE WINS: 4 BEST RESULT: 1st (2017) 2016 Olympic Gold Medallist
1 -1
MATTHIAS STIRNEMANN
AGE: 26 EPICS COMPLETED: 1 STAGE WINS: 2 BEST RESULT: 1st (2017) 1-2
2012 U23 XCO Swiss Champion
Nino Schurter said his intention was to win the Absa Cape Epic one day, but it was typical of the strength and class of the greatest mountain biker on the planet right now that he did it a year earlier than he thought he might. He and Swiss teammate, Matthias Stirnemann were going to use the 2017 race as preparation for a challenge for the win in 2018, but once they pulled the yellow zebra jersey, they never gave it up. Schurter, who is the reigning Olympic champion, was untouchable in 2017, winning all six legs of the UCI World Cup and capping it with his fifth World Championship in Cairns. The role of the back-up team in the Absa Cape Epic has become almost vital in the elite men’s field, and Schurter and Stirnemann had the best in Michael van der Heijde and Andri Frischknecht. In their first Absa Cape Epic, the pair managed to win two stages, including the Grand Finale at Val de Vie. Together, they pose a formidable squad that will be hard to beat.
SCOTT-SRAM YOUNG GUNS ANDRI FRISCHKNECHT AGE: 23
EPICS COMPLETED: 1 STAGE WINS: 2
8 -1
BEST RESULT: 6th (2017) 2014 U23 XCO Swiss Champion
MICHIEL VAN DER HEIJDEN AGE: 26
EPICS COMPLETED: 1 STAGE WINS: 2
8-2
BEST RESULT: 6th (2017) 2014 U23 XCO World Champion
INVESTEC SONGO SPECIALIZED JAROSLAV KULHAVY
AGE: 33 EPICS COMPLETED: 3 STAGE WINS: 11 BEST RESULT: 1st (2013, 2015) 2 -1
2012 Olympic Gold Medallist
HOWARD GROTTS
AGE: 25 EPICS COMPLETED: 1 (IF) 2017 US Champion
2-2
They say when Jaroslav Kulhavy gets on the front of a bunch during the Absa Cape Epic, you had better get on board quickly, because when the steam train hits full speed there are few who will catch him. Christoph Sauser once described the Czech Republic star as the most powerful rider to take part in the Absa Cape Epic. Having been part of two of Sauser’s five wins, Kulhavy will seek to become just the second man with three Epic titles to his name, matching Stefan Sahm. Kulhavy showed late season form in 2017 when he finished second behind Nino Schurter at the XCO World Championships. He was also second behind Schurter at the 2016 Olympics, having beaten the Swiss to gold in London in 2012. He partners with Howard Grotts, the highly-regarded young American who won the Leadville 100 race in the United States last year. His strength is his climbing, which will make him a fine foil for the brute power of Kulhavy. 44
THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
CENTURION VAUDE NICOLA ROHRBACH
AGE: 31 EPICS COMPLETED: 2 STAGE WINS: 2 BEST RESULT: 2nd (2016) 3 -1
DANIEL GEISMAYR
AGE: 28 EPICS COMPLETED: 4 STAGE WINS: 1 BEST RESULT: 3rd (2017) 3-2
2011 U23 XCO Austrian Champion
In his first Absa Cape Epic in 2016, Nicola Rohrbach joined up with Matthias Pfrommer just a week before the start. Their brief was to act as the back-up team to Daniel Geismayr and Hermann Pernsteiner, but they clicked and went on to win two stages, one of them the queen stage of the 2016 race, and went on to take second overall. Last year, Rohrbach and Geismayr teamed up and took third overall, their greatest strength being their consistency on each stage, ensuring they never finished lower than seventh throughout the eight days. Their performances have given them the spot as the “number one” team in the Centurion Vaude squad, but few will under-estimate the chances of the German pairing of Jochen Kaess and Markus Kaufmann. In 2014, they won the first stage and many believed they would challenge for the overall win, but disaster struck the next day when Kaess broke his frame and their race was all but over. Centurion Vaude are perhaps the strongest double team partnership at the 2018 Absa Cape Epic.
CENTURION VAUDE 2 MARKUS KAUFMANN
AGE: 36 EPICS COMPLETED: 5 BEST RESULT: 6th (2011)
11-1
2016 XCM German Champion
JOCHEN KAESS
AGE: 36 EPICS COMPLETED: 6 BEST RESULT: 2nd (2011)
11- 2
2010 XCM German Champion
BULLS KARL PLATT
AGE: 40 EPICS COMPLETED: 13 STAGE WINS: 17 BEST RESULT: 1st (2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2016) 4 -1
2x XCM German Champion
URS HUBER
AGE: 32 EPICS COMPLETED: 7 STAGE WINS: 5 BEST RESULT: 1st (2016) 4-2
2016 XCM Swiss Champion
The riders of the Bulls have become an integral part of the Absa Cape Epic story. From Karl Platt’s first victory in 2004, to the German star lining up for his 15th Epic, they are interwoven into the history of Africa’s Untamed African MTB Race. Platt is still searching for his sixth win, which would make him the most successful rider in the history of the race. He suffered a fracture in his hip bone and pelvis after a crash in November, as no surgery was needed, he was training just over a month later. His experience and the strength of Switzerland’s Urs Huber always make them a threat. Platt believes the 2018 route favours their team as it goes through some of his favourite trails in Wellington, which he regards as his home ground. He feels it offers much for marathon riders such as himself, and then a little bit for the cross-country men a little later on. Once again, he and Huber will be backed up by faithful duo of Simon Stiebjhan and Tim Boehme.
BULLS 2 SIMON STIEBJAHN
AGE: 27 EPICS COMPLETED: 5
12-1
BEST RESULT: 3rd (2014) 2012 U23 XCM European Champion
TIM BOEHME
AGE: 35 EPICS COMPLETED: 9
12- 2
BEST RESULT: 3rd (2014) 2014 XCM German Champion ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
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TREK SELLE SAN MARCO DAMIANO FERRARO AGE: 31 EPICS COMPLETED: 2 STAGE WINS: 1 BEST RESULT: 3rd (2016) 5 -1
5th 2015 XCM World Champs
SAMUELE PORRO AGE: 29 EPICS COMPLETED: 1 STAGE WINS: 2 BEST RESULT: 3rd (2016) 5-2
2x XCM Italian Champion
After not riding together in 2017, Damiano Ferraro and Samuele Porro will seek to repeat their performance of 2016, when they won the fourth stage and finished third overall. Considered a possible outside bet for the win in 2017, the team has struck a blow when Ferraro felt he had not recovered sufficiently enough from a neck injury sustained in a crash leading up to the Absa Cape Epic. He dropped to the support team to partner with Fabian Rabensteiner, while Russian marathon champion Alexey Medvedev moved up from the back-up duo to race with Porro. Ferraro got stronger as the 2017 race went on, and with Rabensteiner secured a credible fourth in the fifth stage before running the Scott Sram Young Guns team close in at the Grand Finale. With the band back together, expect a few hits coming from the Italians.
TREK SELLE SAN MARCO 2 FABIAN RABENSTEINER
AGE: 27 EPICS COMPLETED: 2 BEST RESULT: 8th (2016)
15 -1
2016 Brazil Ride Winner
MICHELE CASAGRANDE
AGE: 33 EPICS COMPLETED: 0 2nd 2016 Brazil Ride Winner
15 - 2
CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING MANUEL FUMIC
AGE: 35 EPICS COMPLETED: 3 STAGE WINS: 4 BEST RESULT: 4th (2016) 6 -1
2nd 2013 XCO World Championships
HENRIQUE AVANCINI
AGE: 28 EPICS COMPLETED: 2 STAGE WINS: 3 BEST RESULT: 4th (2016) 6-2
2015 XCO Brazil Champion
This may be the only team at the Absa Cape Epic in which the riders share a birthday. Depending on how their Epic goes, March 30 could be a day of extra celebrations for Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini. In 2017, they grabbed the Epic bull by the horns and won the first two stages on two exceptionally hot days in the Western Cape. It meant they had won three Epic stages in a row, as they had taken victory in the Grand Finale in 2016. Fumic is a canny rider, able to read a race and adjust his tactics. He was fifth at the UCI XCO World Championships in Cairns in 2017, having watched his teammate take fourth place. The two ended up eighth (Fumic) and seventh in the overall UCI rankings. They are a well-balanced team, who will again target stage wins and look to improve on their fifth place in last year’s general classification.
46
THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
CANYON TOPEAK ALBAN LAKATA
AGE: 38 EPICS COMPLETED: 8 STAGE WINS: 2 BEST RESULT: 2nd (2015) 7-1
3x XCM World Champion
KRISTIAN HYNEK
AGE: 37 EPICS COMPLETED: 3 STAGE WINS: 1 BEST RESULT: 1st (2014) 7- 2
2012 XCM European Champion
There are just two main races Alban Lakata focuses on every year – the World Marathon Championships and the Absa Cape Epic. The former, he has won three times, taking his third title just in time to celebrate his 38th birthday. The latter he has come as close as you can get to winning without wearing the yellow zebra jersey. He has never given up trying to win, and with teammate Kristian Hynek, who won on his debut at the Epic in 2014, he is a perennial favourite. Lakata and Hynek suit each other well, both being all-round mountain bikers. Hynek is a little better climber, while Lakata is a bit stronger on the flats. Luck has not always been on their side, but their back-up team is strong and led by the experienced South African Erik Kleinhans, a two-time winner in the Mixed category.
ERIK KLEINHANS
AGE: 35 EPICS COMPLETED: 10 BEST RESULT: 8th (2014)
13-1
2010 XCO South African Champion
JEREMIAH BISHOP
AGE: 42 EPICS COMPLETED: 4 BEST RESULT: 10th (2016)
13- 2
Pan American Games Gold Medallist
NAD PRO MTB NICO BELL
AGE: 34 EPICS COMPLETED: 7 STAGE WINS: 4 BEST RESULT: 2nd (2012,2014) 1 0 -1
2017 XCM South African Champion
MATTHEW BEERS
AGE: 24 EPICS COMPLETED: 2 BEST RESULT: 20th (2017) 2017 Cape Pioneer Trek Winner
10-2
A new partnership for NAD Pro this year is the combination of stalwart Nico Bell and new addition Matthew Beers. They have raced against each other for large parts of their mountain bike careers, but now join forces to make up what looks to be an exciting team to watch. They are no strangers to the Absa Cape Epic and are well suited to the race. Bell is the current South African marathon champion, while Beers comes off the back of a very successful 2017 season, which was capped off by winning the recent Cape Pioneer Trek. Their aim for 2018 will be to find a way into the top 10 of the race and to be the best-placed African men’s team come the Grand Finale at Val de Vie. In the past, they have provided back up for other teams, with their skills as bike mechanics highly sought after. ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
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PYGA EURO STEEL PHILIP BUYS
AGE: 29 EPICS COMPLETED: 7 STAGE WINS: 3 BEST RESULT: 5th (2014, 2015) 2x Absa African Jersey Winner
9 -1
MATTHYS BEUKES
AGE: 30 EPICS COMPLETED: 4 STAGE WINS: 2 BEST RESULT: 5th (2015) 3x Absa African Jersey Winner
9-2
Philip Buys and Matthys Beukes have dominated the Absa African Special Jersey at the Absa Cape Epic since 2013, but their eye has always been on getting an all-African team on to the podium of the Untamed African MTB Race. They have enjoyed some incredible moments at the Epic. Beukes rolled over the line as victor with Gert Heyns at the Grand Finale in 2015, while Buys has partnered with Nino Schurter and learnt from the world champion. In 2018, Buys and Beukes will have a back-up team comprising of two young South Africans, Julian Jessop and Phillimon Sebona. Jessop is regarded as a having huge potential and will be making his Epic debut, while at 26, Sebona, part of the Diepsloot Mountain Bike Academy, has a wealth of experience, most notably winning the Exxaro special jersey in 2013, 2015 and most recently 2017.
PHILIMON SEBONA
AGE: 26 EPICS COMPLETED: 5 2x Exarro Special Jersey Winner
19 -1 JULIAN JESSOP
AGE: 20 EPICS COMPLETED: 0 U23 XCO South African Champion
19 - 2
PREVIOUS RESULTS
48
Year
Team
2004
Focus/Rocky Mountain
Karl Platt
Mannie Heymans
2005
Giant
Roel Paulissen
Bart Brentjens
2006
Specialized
Christoph Sauser
Silvio Bundi
2007
Team Bulls
Karl Platt
Stefan Sahm
2008
Cannondale Vredestein
Roel Paulissen
Jakob Fuglsang
2009
Bulls
Karl Platt
Stefan Sahm
2010
Bulls 1
Karl Platt
Stefan Sahm
2011
36ONE-SONGO-SPECIALIZED
Christoph Sauser
Burry Stander
2012
36ONE-SONGO-SPECIALIZED
Christoph Sauser
Burry Stander
2013
Burry Stander - SONGO
Christoph Sauser
Jaroslav Kulhavy
2014
Topeak-Ergon Racing
Robert Mennen
Kristian Hynek
2015
Investec-Songo-Specialized
Christoph Sauser
Jaroslav Kulhavy
2016
Bulls
Karl Platt
Urs Huber
2017
Scott-SRAM MTB Racing
Nino Schurter
Matthias Stirnemann
THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
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RIDER 2
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© Photo: Michal Cerveny Jolanda Neff (SUI) –“Mitas Choice” – UCI Mountain Bike XCO World Cup 2017, Nove Mesto na Morave (CZE)
Jolanda Neff XCO World Champion 2017
WHO TO WATCH WOMEN This year’s line-up is a rich mix of past winners, world and Olympic champions In the search for constant innovation and development at the Absa Cape Epic, setting new international standards for elite women’s racing has been one of the greatest and proudest achievements of the Untamed African MTB Race. Last year’s winners, Esther Süss and Jennie Stenerhag, have followed a path first ridden by Hanlie Booyens and the late Sharon Laws, who sadly passed away in December last year after a battle with cancer. Sharon had a special history at the Absa Cape Epic, having won every race she entered, in 2004 and 2009. Her fighting spirit, willingness to share experiences and incredible competitiveness will live on in the women’s race in 2018 and for years to come. Süss and Stenerhag (Meerdendal CBC) will know the defence of their title will be tough. Three-time winner Annika Langvad returns after a year’s break and will be partnered with the 22-year-old American, Kate Courtney (Investec Songo Specialized 2), who took silver in the U23 World Championships in Cairns last year. Courtney is a superstar in the making, having won the U23 UCI World Cup Series overall, taking four out of a possible six victories. Denmark’s Langvad comes back to the Absa Cape Epic having won the Marathon World Championship for the fourth time in 2017. Her biggest competition could come from Epic debutants Jolanda Neff and Maja Włoszczowska of the Kross Racing team. The Swiss/ Polish duo have some impressive
The trophy includes bronze stones which represent the rough and unforgiving terrain that riders must overcome. It includes two stones placed on top of each other, symbolising team work between the teams of two riders. The shape of the cast bronze ‘branches’ curling around the stones are based on the structure of an adrenaline molecule,
palmares. Neff is the 2017 Cross Country World Champion and in 2016 claimed the Marathon World Championship. Włoszczowska took silver in the Olympics in Rio. Britian’s Annie Last finished second behind Neff at the UCI World Championships in Cairns, and with South African Mariska Strauss showed grit to take the runner’s up spot in the 2017 Absa Cape Epic. The two have paired up again for 2018. Three-time champion Ariane Lüthi, the Swiss who is based in South Africa, had a tough 2017, but is hoping for a stronger 2018 with Austrian Christina Kollmann (Spur), who last rode the Epic with former winner Sally Bigham in 2015. Germany’s Sabine Spitz is such a mountain biking legend that she even has her own race named after her. The 46-year-old will again team up with South Africa’s Robyn de Groot (Ascendis Health) after they finished third together last year. De Groot was crowned South African marathon champion yet again in 2017. As well as De Groot and Strauss, the South African challenge will be led by Candice Lill, Carmen Buchacher and Samantha Sanders in the dormakaba stable. Lill, who was fifth last year, has chosen to ride with Germany’s Adelheid Morath, who was Lüthi’s teammate in 2017. Buchacher and Sanders look clear favourites to be the top all-African team, having finished fifth and eighth respectively with different teammates in 2017.
emphasising the endurance aspect of the Absa Cape Epic. The sculpture is mounted on wood from an African fig tree: in African mythology figs and fig trees are symbols of fertility and femininity. The women’s trophy is the first trophy to be designed by a female artist and the foundry in which it was cast is also exclusively staffed by women artists and artisans.
The orange jersey is worn by the leading team in the Women’s category. Stage times are added up and the team with the lowest cumulative time in the respective category at the end of each stage gets to wear the iconic jersey the next day. The team in orange after the full eight days of racing is the winner of the Women’s category. UCI points were awarded for the first time in the Women’s category in 2012. UCI Women’s teams start in a separate start batch after the UCI Men. Olympic medallists, current and former world champions and the world’s top women marathon racers have contested the distinctive orange jersey. The orange jersey represents enthusiasm, determination, attraction to excellence, and success.
SCULPTED BY: ISABEL MERTZ
ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
51
MEERENDAL CBC
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS
ESTHER SÜSS
AGE: 43 EPICS COMPLETED: 8 STAGE WINS: 11 BEST RESULT: 1st (2012, 2017) 5 0 -1
2010 XCM World Champion
JENNIE STENERHAG
AGE: 42 EPICS COMPLETED: 4 STAGE WINS: 4 BEST RESULT: 1st (2017) 50-2
2x XCM Swedish Champion
In 2012, Esther Süss was an unstoppable force at the Absa Cape Epic as she and British partner Sally Bigham won six stages on their way to a dominant victory. Six years later, she and Jennie Stenerhag stood on top of the podium after taking three stages and never finishing lower than third. It was a smooth and consistent performance, and, for fans of Stenerhag, perhaps the most popular win in the women’s race. Stenerhag had been forced to pull out of the 2016 race with an irregular heartbeat. She had an operation to correct it just days later, and returned to claim the victory that has eluded her. Süss, an Epic stalwart, has shown little signs of slowing down in her 40s, winning the Swiss Epic last season. They will be backed up by the Dutch/Swiss pair of Hielke Elferink and Cornelia Hug, who came home in seventh in 2017. Hug took a strong third in the Swiss Epic and will start in Cape Town with the experience of having her first Untamed African MTB Race under her belt.
SHIMANO S - PHYRE HIELKE ELFERINK
AGE: 31 EPICS COMPLETED: 3 BEST RESULT: 4th (2014)
5 8 -1
4x Dutch Champion
CORNELIA HUG
AGE: 34 EPICS COMPLETED: 1 BEST RESULT: 7th (2017)
58-2
2014 Transalp Winner
DORMAKABA CANDICE LILL
AGE: 26 EPICS COMPLETED: 1 BEST RESULT: 6th (2017) 2x African Continental Champion
5 6 -1
ADELHEID MORATH
AGE: 33 EPICS COMPLETED: 2 BEST RESULT: 3rd (2016) 2015 Swiss Epic Winner
56-2
For one so young, Candice Lill has done much in mountain biking. She won bronze in the UCI XCO World Championships and was chosen to represent South Africa at the London Olympics in 2012. A cross country rider by nature, she is making the move over to stage racing and in 2016 tasted success at the Berg & Bush and Sani2C. She had a realitvely conservative race in her first Absa Cape Epic last year, finding her stage legs with partner Vera Adrian. Now, having partnered with the German, Adelheid Morath, who took fourth with three-time winner Ariane Lüthi, Lill will be eyeing stage wins and podiums. Their teammates, Carmen Buchacher and Samantha Sanders, are a new partnership formed from two South Africans who finished in the top 10 in their first Epic. While they will target the Absa African Womens special jersey, look for them to spring a surprise or two.
DORMAKABA 2 CARMEN BUCHACHER
AGE: 31 EPICS COMPLETED: 1 BEST RESULT: 5th (2017)
57-1 SAMANTHA SANDERS
AGE: 34 EPICS COMPLETED: 1 BEST RESULT: 8th (2017)
57- 2 52
THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
ASCENDIS HEALTH
52 -1
52 - 2
SPUR
SABINE SPITZ
ARIANE LÜTHI
AGE: 46 EPICS COMPLETED: 2 BEST RESULT: 2nd (2016)
AGE: 34 EPICS COMPLETED: 7 BEST RESULT: 1st (2014, 2015, 2016)
2008 Olympic Gold Medallist
53-1
ROBYN DE GROOT
CHRISTINA KOLLMANN-FORSTNER
AGE: 35 EPICS COMPLETED: 3 BEST RESULT: 2nd (2015)
AGE: 29 EPICS COMPLETED: 1
2017 South African Marathon Champion
There will be very few times that a team will win four stages in one Absa Cape Epic and not win the race overall. Sabine Spitz and Robyn de Groot finished third in 2017, having been perhaps the unluckiest team in the race. They suffered a crash and a mechanical on stage one. Spitz crashed 75km into stage six and broke her handlebars, which they had to fix with a stick and masking tape to make it to the water point. Spitz is mountain bike royalty, with gold, silver and bronze Olympic medals, a multiple German national champion and at 45 finished second in the marathon World Championships. She has won seven of the 16 days she has taken part in in her two Epics. Robyn de Groot has become South Africa’s top marathon racers and won the South African title yet again last year. She and Spitz will once again be amongst the favourites to win.
2017 XCM European Champion
53-2
By her high standards, Ariane Lüthi will have been disappointed with her fourth place in last year’s Absa Cape Epic. Along with Annika Langvad she had dominated the racing for three years, taking a hat-trick of victories and racking up an incredible 17 stage wins out of 24 days racing. She also has 15 stage wins in the Mixed category, which she won twice overall, making her the most successful woman in the history of the Absa Cape Epic. She will be tapping into that experience and her good late-season form in 2017 when she partners up with Christina Kollmann of Austria. Kollmann rode to fourth place in the 2014 Mixed category and in 2015 was a last-minute replacement to partner two-time winner Sally Bigham after her teammate had withdrawn due to injury. Kollmann and Bigham finished second on Stage 2 and were lying third overall until the Austrian had to withdraw with heat stroke. Kollmann had two wins on the UCI XCM series last year and was crowned European XCM Champion.
SILVERBACK - BH
5 1 -1
51-2
2016 Swiss XCM Champion
INVESTEC SONGO SPECIALIZED 2
MARISKE STRAUSS
ANNIKA LANGVAD
AGE: 26 EPICS COMPLETED: 3 BEST RESULT: 2nd (2017)
AGE: 33 EPICS COMPLETED: 3 BEST RESULT: 1st (2014, 2015, 2016)
2017 XCO South African Champion
5 4 -1
4x XCM World Champion
ANNIE LAST
KATE COURTNEY
AGE: 27 EPICS COMPLETED: 1 BEST RESULT: 2nd (2017)
AGE: 21 EPICS COMPLETED: 0
2017 XCO British Champion
Mariska Strauss and Annie Last formed a close, slick partnership in 2017, which saw them finish second overall, win the sixth stage and challenge for the win at the Grand Finale in a sprint finish. Strauss finished as the highes t- placed South African last year, and with their ever-improving form are expected to challenge for the podium yet again. They stood on the podium six times, with three thirds, two seconds and their victory. England’s Last had a superb 2017, becoming the first British woman in 20 years to win a UCI XCO World Cup leg when she beat the legendary Gunn-Rita Dahl Flesja in Switzerland. She followed that up with Britain’s first-ever medal at the elite XCO World Championships, taking silver behind Switzerland’s Jolanda Neff. The 2017 Epic was Last’s first stage race and the first time the duo, who regard themselves as primarily cross country racers, had ridden together. They will be stronger in 2018.
2017 U23 XCO World Cup Champion
54-2
The combination of the current Marathon and U23 cross country World Champion is a heady mix of experience, talent and potential. Langvad has been victorious in every one of the three Absa Cape Epics she has raced, one of just three riders to have won 17 stages in the Women’s category. She took a little time off after the Rio Olympics to finish her dentistry studies, focussing on the second half of 2017, missing out on the Absa Cape Epic last year. She returns in 2018 as one of the favourites, but it remains to be seen how her partner adapts. At just 22-years-old American Kate Courtney is regarded as mountain biking’s next big thing. A human biology student at Stanford University, Courtney won four of the six legs of the UCI U23 XCO World Cup series, taking the overall title. She was second in the U23 World Championships, just 49 seconds behind Sina Frei of Switzerland. ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
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KROSS RACING
PMRA/CSA RACING
JOLANDA NEFF
MARGOT MOSCHETTI
AGE: 25 EPICS COMPLETED: 0
AGE: 23 EPICS COMPLETED: 0
2017 XCO World Champion
5 5 -1
59 -1
2017 Brazil Ride winner
MAJA WŁOSZCZOWSKA
RAIZA HENRIQUE
AGE: 34 EPICS COMPLETED: 0
AGE: 26 EPICS COMPLETED: 0
2017 XCM European Champion
2017 Brazilian Champion
55-2
59 - 2
These debutants come into the Absa Cape Epic with a pedigree that marks them as true contenders to take the title on their first time of trying. Jolanda Neff has been racing since she was 6-years-old. She has dominated since she hit the international scene, winning the XCO World Cup for three years from 2014-2016, and while she finished second overall last year, she was unstoppable in the XCO World Championships in Cairns. She was the 2012, 2013 and 2014 U23 XCO World Champion and the 2016 XCM World Champion. She is a former winner of the Swiss Epic. Her Polish teammate, Maja Włoszczowska, describes Neff as the most talented mountain biker she has ever seen. Włoszczowska has been one of most consistent riders on the World Cup circuit, regularly featuring in the top five. She took silver in the Rio Olympics, was fourth in the 2017 XCO World Championships and second in the 2013 XCO Worlds in Pietermaritzburg.
When Bart Brentjens, World, Olympic and multiple Absa Cape Epic winner, marks a rider as one to watch for the future, then you should pay attention. France’s Margot Moschetti signed for Brentjen’s team in 2015 after the Dutchman was impressed with her strength as an U23 rider. In 2014 she won three U23 World Cup legs and took silver in the World Championships, but has leaned towards marathon distances in the last few years. At the beginning of 2017, she won the Costa Blanca Race with 2016 Olympic road champion Anna van der Breggen, taking every stage and the overall title by over 30 minutes. She teamed up with Brazilian champion Raiza Goulao Henrique to romp home as victors in the 2017 Ride Brazil, winning all seven stages. Henrique is an accomplished rider on technical terrain, while Moschetti is strong on both the flats and climbs.
PREVIOUS RESULTS Year
Team
RIDER 1
RIDER 2
2004
Yellow Jacket
Hanlie Booyens
Sharon Laws
2005
Fiat/Bianchi/Adidas
Zoe Frost
Hannele Steyn-Kotze
2006
adidas-Fiat-Rotwild
Sabine Grona
Kerstin Brachtendorf
2007
DURAVIT
Anke Erlank
Yolandè De Villiers
2008
Rocky Mountain
Pia Sundstedt
Alison Sydor
2009
Absa Ladies
Hanlie Booyens
Sharon Laws
2010
Rothaus-CUBE
Kristine Noergaard
Anna-sofie Noergaard
2011
USN
Sally Bigham
Karien van Jaarsveld
2012
Wheels4Life
Sally Bigham
Esther Suss
2013
Energas
Yolande Speedy
Catherine Williamson
2014
RECM 2
Ariane Kleinhans
Annika Langvad
2015
RECM Specialized
Ariane Kleinhans
Annika Langvad
2016
Spur-Specialized
Ariane Kleinhans
Annika Langvad
2017
Meerendal CBC
Jennie Stenerhag
Esther Süss
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RACES WITHIN THE RACE
SCULPTED BY: WILLIE BESTER
56
THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
Willie Bester was born in Montagu where he first showed his artistic talent as a 10-year-old when designing elaborate wire cars. Bester, whose work has demonstrated expressions of the struggle for freedom in South Africa, is an internationally renowned artist with a reputation for his innovative use of a vast array of
materials found in scrap yards and around. He has taken his inspiration for the Dimension Data Masters trophy from Picasso, the legendary Spanish artist. Bester has breathed new life into a humble bicycle saddle, bestowing it with character and strength, embracing the untamed ethos of the Absa Cape Epic.
DIMENSION DATA MASTERS Tour de France stars line-up for mountain biking’s Tour de France as Bart Brentjens seeks win number six the 2007 Tour de France. While new to mountain biking, Pereiro has been a winner on the dirt in the past as the 1998 Spanish cyclocross champion.
In 2017, two Tour de France legends came to the Absa Cape Epic and won the Tour de France of mountain biking at their first attempt, taking the Dimension Data Masters by storm and changing the dynamic of the category for the foreseeable future. Cadel Evans, winner of the 2011 Tour de France, and George Hincapie, won by five minutes, and in 2018 will be followed by former road racing icons who are flocking to the Absa Cape Epic as they seek another grand challenge on their cycling journey. Hincapie returns to the the Dimension Data Masters category riding for team Absa with fellow American Christian van de Velde, who took fourth overall in the 2008 Tour and was the second rider from the USA to wear the pink leader’s jersey at the Giro d’Italia. Hincapie and Evans played down their chances of doing well last year, and while he and Van de Velde may do the same, few will believe them. Hincapie and 2006 Tour winner Oscar Pereiro may get the chance to reenact their duel for a stage win at the 2005 Tour, which was ultimately won by Hincapie. Pereiro and Haimar Zubeldia will make up an all-Spanish team, bringing their climbing experience to the race. Zubeldia finally called an end to a 20-year road cycling career at the age of 40 last year, having taken part in 26 Grand Tours, with a fourth place in
Dutchman Erik Dekker could be a favourite to win in his first Absa Cape Epic. Riding with Maikel Govaarts, who finished fifth in the Masters in his only Epic in 2016, Dekker has shown impressive form in mountain biking. Dekker, silver medallist at the 1992 Olympics and winner of four stages of the Tour, is the current Dutch masters cross country champion and took third overall and the top Masters trophy in the gruelling Crocodile Trophy, beating the elite riders to win a stage. Govaarts approached Dekker to set up a formidable pairing that will take some beating. Dekker has said he is looking forward to racing against fellow Dutchman Bart Brentjens, a four-time Masters champion at the race with Brazilian partner Abraao Azevedo. They finished third in 2017, but there will be no lack of motivation in what will be Brentjens final race in the Dimension Data Masters category before he moves up to the Grand Masters category. He and Azevedo won three titles in a row from 20142016. Indeed, Brentjens would have his fifth title already had he and South African Robert Sim not lost to Azevedo and Nico Pfitzenmaier in 2013. Barts first win was in the Men’s category in 2007 with Rudi van Houts. Dark horses for a podium could be Italy’s Massimo Debertolis, the 2004 marathon world champion, and Czech Ondrej Fojtik. The South African challenge will be led by Nic Lamond, who was seventh in the Masters in 2017 with brother Simon. He returns to the category for the second time with Australian Paris Basson. Lamond is an experienced hand at the Epic as he lines up for his 11th – it will be Basson’s third – having ended 17th in the elite race in 2015.
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GRAND MASTERS McLean teams up with Stransky as rugby stars lead the charge in the Grand Masters category.
Thomson, who has teamed up with South African endurance sport legend Martin Dreyer (LandRover Above and Beyond) in the highly competitive Grand Masters category.
Since the Grand Masters category was launched in 2013, Andrew McLean has finished first (2014), second (2015) and third (2016). After a year’s break, McLean returns to the race with Springbok rugby legend Joel Stransky (CycleLab KTM). Stransky, who scored all the points when South Africa won the 1995 Rugby World Cup, has been a constant at the Absa Cape Epic since 2010, although he had a disastrous start to 2017 when he crashed heavily during the Prologue, breaking ribs, puncturing his lung and suffering lacerations to his face. It was the only Absa Cape Epic he has never finished. His partner in 2017 was former Sharks centre, Jeremy
It brings an interesting dynamic to the category, two former rugby stars teamed up with endurance stars, a race within a race, but that will not distract any of them from the ultimate goal of winning overall. Stransky has gotten stronger and faster on his Epic journey, and with close friend McLean, who has won the Masters category title twice (2007, 2010) and 24 category stages, could pose a threat to 2017 winner Barti Bucher of Switzerland. Bucher - who has dominated the Grand Masters category - will race with fellow Swiss Hans Jeurg Gerber (Team Meerendal). Bucher has won twice with Austrian Heinz Zoerweg (Meerendal CBC 3) and they were second overall in 2016. Bucher, like McLean, has also had success in the Masters category, while McLean and Zoerweg won seven stages in 2014. Keep an eye on South African Robert Sims and his German teammate Udo Boelts (Robert Daniel), the 2016 winners who took an incredible 25th place overall that same year.
Sculptor Guy du Toit’s inspiration when creating the trophy for the winners of the Grand Masters category was to envelope himself in the ethos and experience of riders over 50 years old: mastery, wisdom, dignity and intellect and inner strength. The trophy is a wheel or a circle with a cycle spoor running deep on the outside, with a texture that celebrates the Western Cape landscape. The choice of the circle was informed by the fact that the dot is one of the most potent design elements and is endless, which is suggestive of the Grand Master’s journey. The circle functions as a lens, looking both back at that which has gone before and that which is to come. SCULPTED BY: GUY DU TOIT
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THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
VIRGIN ACTIVE MIXED The aunt, the niece and the Pirate go head to head for the Virgin Active Mixed category having taken an impressive 10th in the women’s elite field in their only race together. For her 7th edition, Lourens, who finished 5th in the women’s race in 2013, has chosen Bradley Hemphill (Speed Structures) as her partner, the latter making a return to the race after competing in the first three editions. Giliomee will team up with former road cyclist Dusty Day (Junto It) to take on a field full of first-timers in the Mixed category.
The 2018 Virgin Active Mixed category will be something of a family affair for some of the top South Africans. Nicky Giliomee rode her first Absa Cape Epic with her aunt, Maureen Lourens, in 2016, 19 years after she had been a flower girl at her wedding at the age of three. In 2018, Giliomee and Lourens will race against each other in the Mixed category for the first time,
Rina Stutzer found inspiration for her creation from her personal relationship with the Absa Cape Epic. Her design has focused on the ascent, an aspect that, for many, is the essence of the race. It is the climb that challenges the athletes, taking them to a world unseen to complete a journey of self-discovery and mutual awareness. As the Virgin
After racing in the women’s field for the last seven Absa Cape Epic’s, Yolandi du Toit has made the switch to the Mixed category with Gus Klohn (Gear Powerbar) for 2018. Du Toit, who enjoyed a highly successful career as a road cyclist before she made the move to mountain biking, has finished fifth in the women’s event twice and is hoping to emulate that success. Henning Blaauw’s nickname is the Pirate and he will be looking for treasure in his 13th Absa Cape Epic, having been one of the pioneers
Active Mixed category is one in which team members must find the perfect balance and harmony between strengths and weaknesses, both mental and physical, Stutzer has depicted the poetic beauty of a winding, steep incline with a thin sliver of a path that is dotted with riders winding their way to the top.
to take part in the first race back in 2004. He has focused on the Mixed category for the last six years. He and Louise Ferreira (Team Globeflight) will partner up for the fifth consecutive year, looking to improve upon their eighth place in 2017. Argentina will be represented by Epic debutants Agustina Maria Apaza and Cessar Lettoli (Merida Argentina). Apaza has been his country’s national cross country champion five times and marathon champion four times. Although they are newbies to the race, they will be a team to look out for in the Virgin Active Mixed category. Carlo Campagnolo and fellow Italian Giuliana Massarotto (Team Appenninica 1) will seek to ensure there is a European pairing on the top of the podium for the fourth year in a row. Campagnolo will be making his Absa Cape Epic debut, while Massarotto will be taking part in her sixth.
SCULPTED BY: RINA STUTZER
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ABSA AFRICAN SPECIAL JERSEY In 2017 the Absa Cape Epic introduced the Hannele Steyn trophy, which will be awarded to the first all-African women’s team to cross the finish line at Val de Vie. Teams will be competing for the right to wear the Absa African Women’s special jersey and the winning women’s team will take home prize money equal to the Absa African Men’s race.
mountain bikers, a former winner of the arduous 2 300km Freedom Challenge. She and her husband became the first people to take mountain bikes to the summit of Kilimanjaro last year, riding down Africa’s highest mountain. Dreyer will be taking part in her fifth Absa Cape Epic having ridden in the first race in 2004. She has recorded some impressive results. She was eighth in the Women’s category in 2017 and fourth in 2014, and sixth in the Virgin Active Mixed category in 2007. Coincidently, she finished one position ahead of Steyn in the mixed race that year, with Steyn riding with downhill mountain bike star Greg Minnaar. It is entirely appropriate that in her 15th Absa Cape Epic, Hannele Steyn will be in the mix for the trophy named in her honour. Steyn will team up with fellow South African Jeannie Dreyer (Nolands Spar Ladies) to compete for the first edition of the Absa African special jersey, to be the first all-African team to cross the line. Steyn, one of the four remaining Last Lions, will be racing with Dreyer for the first time at the Epic. Dreyer, who is married to South African endurance sport legend Martin, is one of the country’s top long-distance 60
THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
Steyn and Dreyer will find themselves up against a strong line-up of mainly South African teams. Carmen Buchacher and Samantha Sanders (dormakaba 2) are probably the favourites. Buchacher, along with Namibian Michelle Vorster, were the top-placed all-African team in 2017 in their debut Absa Cape Epic. They ended fifth overall and took third on the sixth stage, showing the consistency needed during a stage race. Sanders is a former South African cross country champion who was in dominant form during the 2017 season, while Buchacher spent the South African winter racing in Europe where she finished third in the
Austrian National Championships. Their main rivals will be Fienie Barnard and Dalene van der Leek (LIVBeyond), who come into the Epic as an experienced pairing having ridden Africa’s Untamed African MTB Race together for the first time in 2017, where they ended ninth. Last year was the first time Barnard has taken part in the Women’s category in her four Epics having tasted success in the Mixed category when she was third in 2008 with her husband, Kobus. Barnard is a former marathon world champion in the 35-39 age group. The 2018 race will be an emotional one for Van der Leek, who took 7th overall with the late Sharon Laws in 2016. Laws, who won the first-ever Absa Cape Epic in 2004 and again in 2009, lost her battle with cancer last year. It seems a lifetime and yet just yesterday when Burry Stander, the greatest South African mountain biking talent of his generation, lost his life in a motor accident while riding his bike five years ago when he was just 25. As the only South African to have won the race, the trophy that honours his name - the Burry Stander Memorial Trophy for the top all-African Men’s category team has become one of the most intensely contested for prizes the Absa Cape Epic.
BURRY STANDER MEMORIAL TROPHY The trophy was created by renowned local artist Angus Taylor in dedication to Burry Stander, the former U23 World Champion, World Cupwinner and first South African winner of the Absa Cape Epic. Stander was tragically killed in a collision with a taxi while training on 3 January 2013. Angus used exclusively South African materials in the design of the trophy. It was inspired by a Chiwara, a styled wood-carved antelope used in African ceremonies, which in this case is sculpted out of haematite from Thabazimbi. The Chiwara is depicted running on the base’s rugged Matumiwood, sourced from South African watercourses. SCULPTED BY: ANGUS TAYLOR
Philip Buys and Matthys Beukes (Pyga Euro Steel), the winners of the inaugural Absa African Men’s special jersey, know they will be marked men in the race for the red jersey this year. They have won it together in 2013, 2015 and 2017, with Beukes also tasting victory with Gert Heyns in 2014. Buys has garnered a wealth of experience in his career, and at the age of 29 will take part in his eighth Absa Cape Epic. He is a four-time African Champion, former South African champion, competed in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 and can call himself an Olympian after he was part of the South African team in London in 2012 along with Stander. He has seven Absa Cape
Epic stage wins to his name, including a glorious Grand Finale win with Nino Schurter in 2014. Buys has stated that it is time the Africans dominated the Absa Cape Epic, and their race for the Absa African Men’s special jersey has also seen them in the mix with the elite of world mountain biking. Their seventh place last year has only been bettered by fifth in 2015. They have won the Absa African special jersey every time they have ridden together. They will be pushed hard by Nico Bell and Matthew Beers (NAD Pro MTB) in their first Epic together. Bell has a strong Absa Cape Epic history, and along with long-time teammate Gawie
HANNELE STEYN TROPHY Pretoria artist Kgaogelo Mashilo’s trophy will herald a newlyestablished special jersey race that will promote and encourage the development and standard of African cycling. The Absa Cape Epic has been at the forefront of advancing equality for women’s cycling, having set new standards. Mashilo has incorporated the Adinkra
symbol of the Wawa Aba, the seed from wawa tree from West Africa, as the core of the bronze trophy, which will be set on hardwood. The Wawa Aba seed is extremely hard, and in Akan culture the symbol identifies someone who is strong and tough, and inspires them to persevere through hardship.
Combrinck boasted 12 Absa Cape Epic finishes between them, but also had to sacrifice their own ambitions in the past as a back-up team for Christoph Sauser, but still managed a fine 11th overall in 2017 and eighth in 2012. Beers has finished in 20th and 21st position in the Men’s category. Other Africans to watch out for include the experienced Michael Posthumus and Derrin Smith (William Simpson), and young debutants Jaco Pelser and Matthew Keyser (Silverback Racing). After winning the Exxaro special jersey in 2017 with William Mokgopo, Phillimon Sebona will challenge for the Absa African special jersey with Julian Jessop (Pyga Euro Steel 2).
SCULPTED BY: KGAOGELO MASHILO
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THE EXCELLENCE OF
THE EXXARO SPECIAL JERSEY The Exxaro special jersey competition has become a symbol and cornerstone for the growth of mountain biking amongst a new generation of young men and women who have a dream and a passion.
In 2017, William Mokgopo and Phillimon Sebona, riding for the Diepsloot Mountain Bike Academy, won the Exxaro special jersey. They ended 33rd overall in the men’s elite field, with Sebona winning the competition for the third time while Mokgopo claimed his first in his fifth Absa Cape Epic.
The race for the winners’ green jersey, which goes to a team of historically disadvantaged riders under the age of 26, has become an intense battle for prestige, as well as the first pedal strokes on a journey of hope and development. The stakes have also risen with an increased prize purse in 2018. The winning team will receive R50 000, with second and third winning R30 000 and R20 000 respectively.
Winning the jersey not only comes with honour and prize money, but the chance to attend the elite Bakala Academy in Leuven, Belgium. They spent eight days at the academy in June, going through tests and training, and learning from the World Tour riders on the Etixx Quick-Step team. The Bakala Academy will also host the winners of the Exxaro special jersey for 2018 and 2019. The Exxaro MTB academy was established in 2011, while the competition has grown to include academies from around South Africa.
The rise in entries for the Exxaro special jersey doubled from 2016 to 2017, with 19 teams competing. In August last year, Exxaro, a coal and heavy minerals mining company, extended their partnership as Headline Sponsor with the Absa Cape Epic for another five years. The growth in the Exxaro special jersey race has not only been in the number of teams competing, but the development of the riders themselves. Since the inception of the special jersey in 2012, the race
has seen 42 riders in the top 100 within the Men’s category. In 2012 there were four riders who managed to gain a position within the top 100, in 2017 we saw 11 development riders roll over the finish line in top 100 with the winning team coming in 33rd place. That’s 11% of the top 100 men’s positions filled by development riders, showing just how successful the academies are who are helping these young stars find their wheels. “In the beginning we used the term Exxaro ‘development’ jersey, but we have dropped that because the riders
aren’t really development riders anymore,” said Mellis Walker of the Exxaro MTB Academy steering committee. “They compete on their own footing with other riders. We now call it the Exxaro jersey, and we believe that is an acknowledgment and testament of how those riders have grown over the years.” Azukile Simayile and Sipho Madolo, who won the first Exxaro jersey, competed for the Absa African Men’s special jersey in 2014. They finished 11th behind red jersey winners Matthys Beukes and Gert Heyns, and were 30th overall and 24th in the men’s elite field. Sebona and Jan Montshioa, who won the Exxaro special jersey in 2014, were just two places below them in the race for the Burry Stander Memorial Trophy in 13th, finishing 33rd place in general classification and 27th in the Men’s category.
Johannesburg, the Christoph Sauser-backed Songo.info academy in Stellenbosch and Martin Dreyer’s Change a Life Academy in KwaZulu-Natal, and worked with the BMT academy in Stellenbosch and Velokhaya in Khayelitsha. The Absa Cape Epic sponsor two entries for each of their partner academies to assist in the growth of development teams in MTB. In 2018, Sebona, who went on to win three major mountain bike races in 2017 after his Epic success, has moved on to the Pyga Euro Steel team, while Mokgopo has formed his own team, but will compete for the green jersey one more time. For Mokgopo, who has become a mentor at the Diepsloot Mountain Bike Academy, the Exxaro special jersey is more than just a race for first prize. It is a race of honour, pride and growth.
The Absa Cape Epic has partnered with three additional academies, Diepsloot MTB Academy in
Lwandiso Njara, protégé of acclaimed sculptor Angus Taylor, designed the trophy to resemble the transformation and progression of two ordinary young potential stars from the township into dedicated, victorious, mountain bikers. All the materials used in the sculpture were
sourced from various Southern African Exxaro mines and include coal, iron ore and titanium. The result is a trophy that weighs in at 9,4kgs and which often gives the winning riders a surprise as they hoist it above their heads at prize giving.
SCULPTED BY: LWANDISO NJARA
ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
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HKLM/6685/E/REV 1
POWERING BETTER LIVES. Since the beginning of our Absa Cape Epic partnership in 2011, the Exxaro Mountain Biking Academy set out to increase the number of historically disadvantaged South African riders participating in mountain biking. It gives us great delight to announce that one of our female Exxaro mountain biking riders, Rozalia our riders. In addition we provide skills, career guidance and education to ensure that our riders have a future that powers possibilities for them.
OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT PARTNER
www.exxaro.com
2018 | RIDER NAMES 1-1
Nino Schurter
47-2
Chanan Weiss
92-2
Noam Straschnow
133-2
John Bos
1-2
Matthias Stirnemann
48-1
Mike Nixon
93-1
Mark Pieterse
134-1
James Hagen
2-1
Jaroslav Kulhavy
48-2
Jasper Van Dijk
93-2
Mone Pieterse
134-2
Ebbe Spaarwater
2-2
Howard Grotts
50-1
Esther Suss
94-1
Gene Jacobs
135-1
Ernst Bruwer
3-1
Nicola Rohrbach
50-2
Jennie Stenerhag
94-2
Ernie Van Der Vyver
135-2
Nina-mari Bruwer
3-2
Daniel Geismayr
51-1
Mariske Strauss
95-1
Frederic Espenel
136-1
Angelo Casu
4-1
Karl Platt
51-2
Annie Last
95-2
Antoine Dufoix
136-2
Johan Fourie
4-2
Urs Huber
52-1
Sabine Spitz
96-1
Ben Swart
137-1
Izak Visagie
5-1
Damiano Ferraro
52-2
Robyn De Groot
96-2
Paulus Burger
137-2
Stephan Gous
5-2
Samuele Porro
53-1
Ariane Lüthi
97-1
Emiel Van Vuuren
138-1
Braam Gericke
6-1
Manuel Fumic
53-2
Christina Kollmann-Forstner
97-2
Jonathan Stockwell
138-2
Tyrone Van Rooyen
6-2
Henrique Avancini
54-1
Annika Langvad
98-1
Madele Van Heerden
139-1
Jaco Carstens
7-1
Alban Lakata
54-2
Kate Courtney
98-2
Cobus Stofberg
139-2
Tiaan Pretorius
7-2
Kristian Hynek
55-1
Jolanda Neff
99-1
Kerry Stevens
140-1
Heinrich Huysamer
8-1
Andri Frischknecht
55-2
Maja Włoszczowska
99-2
Chris Smit
140-2
Nico Rossouw
8-2
Michiel Van Der Heijden
56-1
Candice Lill
100-1
Nicky Webb
141-1
Geert Mertens
9-1
Philip Buys
56-2
Adelheid Morath
100-2
Cecil Munch
142-1
Romeu Franciosi
9-2
Matthys Beukes
57-1
Carmen Buchacher
101-1
Max Menzies
141-2
Marie Mertens
10-1
Nico Bell
57-2
Samantha Sanders
101-2
Paul Dalton
142-2
Ronaldo Goncalves
10-2
Matthew Beers
58-1
Hielke Elferink
102-1
Oliver Munnik
143-1
Nicholas Mingay
11-1
Markus Kaufmann
58-2
Cornelia Hug
102-2
Mark Pienaar
143-2
Alistair Haigh-smith
11-2
Jochen Kaess
59-1
Margot Moschetti
103-1
Cobus Snyman
144-1
Leon Jacobs
12-1
Simon Stiebjahn
59-2
Raiza Henrique
103-2
Corne Barnard
144-2
Jakobus Van Der Poel
12-2
Tim Boehme
60-1
Sunniva Dring
104-1
Martijn Mellaart
145-1
Felix Prinz
13-1
Erik Kleinhans
60-2
Kristin Aamodt
104-2
Shaun Sale
145-2
Frank Schmaehling
13-2
Jeremiah Bishop
61-1
Nadia Visser
105-1
Enrico Theuns
146-1
Anton Bekker
14-1
Jordan Sarrou
61-2
Katie Lennard
105-2
Peter Wouters
146-2
Jacques De Jong
14-2
Victor Koretzky
62-1
Serena Gordon
106-1
Dirk Pauling
147-1
Johan Louw
15-1
Fabian Rabensteiner
62-2
Kaysee Armstrong
106-2
Thomas Oberli
147-2
Chris Viljoen
15-2
Michele Casagrande
65-1
Bart Brentjens
107-1
Sebastiaan Klaassen
148-1
Christo Bestbier
16-1
Frans Claes
65-2
Abraao Azevedo
107-2
Chris Norton
148-2
Leorine De Wet
16-2
Markus Bauer
66-1
Nic Lamond
108-1
Giepie Nel
149-1
David Wright
17-1
Manuel Pliem
66-2
Paris Basson
108-2
Adriaan Voges
149-2
Peter Felber
17-2
David Schöggl
67-1
Erik Dekker
109-1
Roger Rusch
150-1
Jurie Matthee
18-1
Martin Gluth
67-2
Maikel Govaarts
109-2
Carl Van Maanen
150-2
Heine Matthee
18-2
Sascha Weber
68-1
Óscar Pereiro Sio
110-1
Noam Schiller
151-1
Matthieu Tanke
19-1
Phillimon Sebona
68-2
Haimar Zubeldia
110-2
Gal Tsachor
151-2
Axel Bult
19-2
Julian Jessop
69-1
Massimo Debertolis
111-1
Gerard Dirks
152-1
Nicholas Price
20-1
Calle Friberg
69-2
Ondrej Fojtik
111-2
Frikkie Hartog
152-2
Kathy Milne
20-2
Henrik Sparr
70-1
George Hincapie
112-1
Pedro Lourenco
153-1
Louis Du Toit
21-1
Francesc Guerra Carretero
70-2
Christian Van de Velde
112-2
Andre Pinto
153-2
Johan Van Der Merwe
21-2
Luis Leao Pinto
71-1
Thomas Frischknecht
113-1
Ivar Tollefsen
154-1
John Swanepoel
22-1
Miguel Muñoz Moreno
71-2
Urs Gerig
113-2
Trond Hilde
154-2
Bennie Pretorius
22-2
Enrique Morcillo Vergara
72-1
Barti Bucher
114-1
Dirk Kotze
155-1
Brad Dixon
23-1
Jaco Pelser
72-2
Hans Juerg Gerber
114-2
Jaco Geldenhuys
155-2
Christo Geyer
23-2
Shaun-Nick Bester
73-1
Jeremy Thomson
115-1
John Bennett
156-1
Marius Hurter
24-1
Michael Posthumus
73-2
Martin Dreyer
115-2
Michael Meyer
157-1
Riaan Manser
24-2
Derrin Smith
74-1
Waleed Baker
116-1
Marc Sabate Rius
158-1
Elmien Stander
25-1
Josef Ajram
74-2
Shan Wilson
116-2
Mayalen Noriega Belausteguigoitia 158-2
Walter Diezel
25-2
Carlos Coloma Nicolas
75-1
Robert Sim
117-1
Rowan Grobler
159-1
Deon Wilkins
26-1
Johnny Cattaneo
75-2
Udo Boelts
117-2
Gregory Grobler
160-1
Jose Correia Pinto Filho
26-2
Louis Meija
76-1
Henning Blaauw
118-1
Nigel Bedford
160-2
Cristiano Solak
27-1
Martin Fanger
76-2
Louise Ferreira
118-2
Des Nangle
161-1
Martin Cilliers
27-2
Simon Vitzthum
77-1
Dusty Day
119-1
Pea Blaauw
162-1
Shane Chorley
28-1
Hein Du Toit
77-2
Nicky Giliomee
119-2
Aretha Eksteen
162-2
Andrew David James
28-2
Ignus Oosthuizen
78-1
Giuliana Massarotto
120-1
Geoff Wood
163-1
Carlos Spencer
29-1
Timothy Hammond
78-2
Carlo Campagnolo
120-2
Matt Dickson
163-2
Clinton Mackintosh
29-2
Arno Du Toit
79-1
Marleen Lourens
121-1
Stephen Gorton
164-1
Garreth Mclellan
30-1
Dylan Rebello
79-2
Bradley Hemphill
121-2
Paul Winter
164-2
Mike Hewan
31-1
Jan Fojtík
80-1
Gus Klohn
122-1
Vaughn Roux
165-1
Jurgen van den Broeck
31-2
Wolfgang Krenn
80-2
Yolandi Du Toit
122-2
Matthew Miller
165-2
Kurt Van den Broeck
32-1
Craig Uria
82-1
Chris Coetzee
123-1
Christiaan Beyers
166-1
Valenti San Juan
32-2
Andrew Duvenage
82-2
Willie Van Der Vyver
123-2
Barry Davitt
166-2
Jordi Barri Carles
33-1
Martin Frey
83-1
Joyce Benade
124-1
Scott Harkin
167-1
Marc Tugues Tarragona
33-2
Simon Schneller
83-2
Johan Claassen
124-2
Sirk Loots
167-2
Antonio Moreno Ortega
34-1
Siphosenkosi Madolo
84-1
Angus Alexander
125-1
Bruce Meyers
168-1
Craig Kolesky
34-2
Azukile Simayile
84-2
Ben Melt Swanepoel
125-2
James Jacobs
168-2
Ashley Haigh-smith
35-1
Jurgens Uys
85-1
Rory Mapstone
126-1
Andrew Grobler
169-1
Teresa Coetzee
35-2
Nicol Carstens
85-2
Glen Brydges
126-2
Guylin Van Den Berg
169-2
Bonny Swanepoel
36-1
Owen Green
86-1
Hannes Hanekom
127-1
Leon Tobias
170-1
Niccolo Violati
36-2
Andrew Johnson
86-2
Sakkie Hanekom
127-2
Mark Sack
170-2
Tommaso Crisi
37-1
Ibon Zugasti
87-1
Fanus Coetzer
128-1
Wolf Stinnes
171-1
Ales Boben
37-2
Alberto Losada
87-2
Johan De Bruyn
128-2
Reinette Geldenhuis
171-2
Uros Lozar
38-1
Joseph De Poortere-Emelien
88-1
CD Du Toit
129-1
Patrick Van Schoor
172-1
Tomas Pribyl
38-2
Benoit Jeanniard
88-2
Erhardt Du Toit
129-2
Michael Ellingworth
172-2
Willie Landman
39-1
Jose Hermida
89-1
Rory Attridge
130-1
Wayne Robertson
173-1
Bobby Lea
39-2
Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver
89-2
Sean Attridge
130-2
Stephen O’brien
174-1
Pierre Griffioen
45-1
Craig Beech
90-1
Wayne Morris
131-1
Niven Wood
175-1
Hein Kruger
45-2
Songo Fipaza
90-2
Guy Jennings
131-2
Rens Rezelman
177-1
Plewman Meintjes
46-1
Hannele Steyn
91-1
Danny Sabbagh
132-1
Travis Victor
177-2
Lizl Meintjes
46-2
Jeannie Dreyer
91-2
Alexander Bezuidenhout
132-2
Petrus Senekal
178-1
Robert Kehoe
47-1
John Gale
92-1
Yuval Fridman
133-1
Andrew Koen
178-2
Mark Kidd
ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
65
179-1
James Edwards
220-1
Roberto Bou Martin
264-2
Patrick Pilz
305-2
Derek Venter
179-2
Timothy Coates
220-2
Cristofer Bosque Ruano
265-1
David Klabin
306-1
Darren Gallias
180-1
Christopher Norman
221-1
Eva Tomas
265-2
Leandro Caram
306-2
Warren Stewart
180-2
Jocelyn Bretherick
221-2
Antonio Gasso
266-1
Nathier Salie
307-1
Pieter Viljoen
181-1
Nigel Shannon
222-1
Antonio Garabal
266-2
Ziehaad Salie
307-2
Marthinus Geldenhuys
181-2
Dennis Lamminga
222-2
Nicolas Michael Müller
267-1
Jason Elliott
308-1
Zack van der Merwe
182-1
Jaap Beyers
223-1
Tony Perez
267-2
Sander Elliott
308-2
Deon Calder
182-2
Harry Scheepers
223-2
Albert Belles
268-1
Matthias Gradinger
309-1
Herbert Smith
183-1
Stephan Muller
224-1
Dídac Rodríguez Barón
268-2
Robert Wolf
309-2
Jeandre Van Schalkwyk
183-2
Wendy Muller
224-2
Oriol Carbo Tarrida
269-1
Andre Brand
310-1
Jacques De Klerk
184-1
Johan De Jong
225-1
Santiago Millán Montes
269-2
Charl De Villiers
310-2
Wiehahn De Klerk
184-2
Ralph Poelstra
226-1
Carlos Ortet Pérez
270-1
Siyabulela Tutu
311-1
Kemp Oberholzer
185-1
Ben Hoffman
227-1
Tomás Misser Vilaseca
270-2
Zola Ngxakeni
311-2
Ruan Oberholzer
185-2
Sebastian Kienle
228-1
John Cockburn
271-1
Carel Botha
312-1
Damian Jones
186-1
Kelly Magelky
228-2
David Lech
271-2
Herman Swart
312-2
Thomas Barlow
186-2
Joshua Bezecny
229-1
Nina Mcvicar
272-1
Dwayne Laubscher
313-1
Pieter Du Preez
187-1
Jonathan Lowe
229-2
Reta Trotman
272-2
Petrus Bosman
313-2
Dirk Coetsee
187-2
Guy Cobbe
230-1
Jorge Clemente Garcia
273-1
Benjamin Weil
314-1
Wayne Plit
188-1
Keith Tarter
230-2
Pelayo Orts
273-2
Sascha Weil
314-2
Gary Gorton
188-2
Brian Mountjoy
231-1
David Oliver
274-1
Mike Russon
315-1
Louis Stassen
189-1
Txema Azcárate
231-2
Graeme Young
274-2
Shane Robinson
315-2
Jessica Knight
189-2
Juan Antonio Rodriguez
232-1
Haley Van Leeuwen
275-1
Alexander Milner
316-1
Andrew Mclean
190-1
Kevin Wright
232-2
Johnny van Leeuwen
275-2
John Spangenberg
316-2
Joel Stransky
190-2
Jacques Van Der Westhuizen
233-1
Daniel Kumlin
276-1
Dean Engelbrecht
317-1
Alister Buhler
191-1
Carles Onyós De Plandolit García
233-2
Hampus Rinne
276-2
Denis Engelbrecht
317-2
Donovan Tredrea
191-2
Santi Colominas Cuñat
234-1
Stephen Davies
277-1
Gilles Pote
318-1
Nic Kohler
192-1
Justin Hornsby
234-2
Paul Riordan
277-2
Leander Poté
318-2
Martin Pienaar
192-2
Rorie Wilson
235-1
Gerhard Kruger
278-1
Dexter Loo
319-1
Simon Camerer
193-1
Harold Myburgh
235-2
Junita Kruger
278-2
Olivier Tang
319-2
Justin Babaya
193-2
Chris Vermeulen
236-1
Douglas Ryder
279-1
Jose Ribas Ferrer
320-1
Andre Malan
194-1
Peter Jung
236-2
Jan Scannell
279-2
Jose Luis Pollo Mateo
320-2
Erik Stander
194-2
Florian Reichenbach
237-1
Ignacio Herrero
280-1
David Dominguez Baena
321-1
Mike Coppin
195-1
Andrew West
237-2
Ignacio Herrero
280-2
Juan Bautista Ramon Ribas
321-2
Dane Coppin
195-2
Paul West
238-1
Brandon Harcus
281-1
Etienne Van Rensburg
322-1
Andre Van Selm
196-1
Rikus Visser
238-2
Raynard Tissink
281-2
Johann Klindt
322-2
Richard Dunn
196-2
David Garrett
239-1
David Higgs
282-1
Brian Staby
323-1
Matthew Cook
197-1
Benoit Cailteux
239-2
Murray Davidson
282-2
Simon Ritchie
323-2
Marcos Rosa
197-2
Nelis Swart
240-1
Michal Lomnicki
283-1
Louis Prinsloo
324-1
Freddie Meyer
198-1
Rebecca Bar-tur
240-2
Piotr Bedla
283-2
Muller Van Niekerk
324-2
Johan Labuschagne
198-2
Lucio Trucco
241-1
Lucas Mcdowall
284-1
Felix Andres Arango
325-1
Piet Viljoen
199-1
Frederick Rossouw
242-1
Andre Costa
284-2
Juan Diego Mejia
325-2
Oscar Foulkes
199-2
Warren Price
243-1
Markus Jokinen
285-1
Diego Mauricio Herrera Alzate
326-1
Nico Johannes Kotze
200-1
Alison Jones
244-1
Yutinai Tiraganant
285-2
Mauricio Vasquez Barrera
326-2
Yolandi Steyn
200-2
Vincent Schino
245-1
David Gaillard
286-1
Grant Laatz
327-1
Mark Olivier
201-1
Nicholas Schino
245-2
Marco Zumsteg
286-2
Jonathan Hornsby
327-2
Andrew Donkin
201-2
Garrett Cunico
246-1
Ana Lucia Campos
287-1
Clemens Bartlome
328-1
Hendrik Du Toit
202-1
Charles Swart
246-2
Giovani Toscano Bondança
287-2
Olin Bartlome
328-2
Dirk Joubert
202-2
Revelin Minihane
247-1
Francisco Rotta Muller
288-1
Callie Mellet
329-1
Bernard Roode
203-1
Eric Woods
247-2
Mateus Zandona
288-2
Jacques Van Heerden
329-2
Charl De Klerk
203-2
Sacha Petancic
248-1
Garth Petersen
289-1
Jacques Raymond
330-1
Thomas Reib
204-2
Yuri Hauswald
248-2
Lourens Oberholzer
289-2
Werner Joyce
330-2
Sean Greve
204-1
Brian Vaughan
249-1
Gary Moorcroft
290-1
Cristian Reinolfo Zuluaga Ramirez
331-1
Michael van Rooyen
205-1
Michael Talbert
249-2
Glenn Broadhurst
290-2
Oscar Alberto Coca Gomez
331-2
Albertus Jooste
205-2
Mike Bennett
250-1
Niel Rossouw
291-1
Guilherme Bueno
332-1
Ewert Small
206-1
Mike Dannelley
250-2
Leon Erasmus
291-2
Uira Ribeiro
332-2
Steve Amos
206-2
Mary Dannelley
251-1
Anton Bartman
292-1
Andrea Noventa
333-1
Franso Steyn
207-1
Darrell Jones
251-2
Niel Kirsten
292-2
Emanuele Nardello
333-2
Colene Steyn
207-2
Tom Ebbern
252-1
Chak Shing Cheng
293-1
Antonio Turner
334-1
Nadine Smith
208-1
Troy Fidler
252-2
Ying Ling
293-2
Gonzalo Maureira
334-2
Craig Smith
208-2
Andrew Shearer-Smith
253-1
Jamie De Wet
294-1
Claus Plaut
335-1
Johan Bezuidenhout
209-1
Heinz Posch
253-2
Lourens Van Der Westhuizen
294-2
Enrique Uribe
335-2
Pieter Bezuidenhout
209-2
Nina Brenn
254-1
Marco Slabbert
295-1
Alessandro Costantini
336-1
Andries Van Der Merwe
210-1
Sabina Compassi
254-2
Marko Visser
295-2
Fabrizio Bocca
336-2
Charlene Barkhuizen
210-2
Paul Buhler
255-1
Arno Jordaan
296-1
Francois Auret
337-1
Pieter-ben Pienaar
211-1
Fritz Egli
255-2
Charlie Louw
296-2
Pieter Marx
337-2
Floris Botha
211-2
Marco Luthi
256-1
Christopher Haas
297-1
Johann De Wet
338-1
Michael Creedon
212-1
Andi Hofer
256-2
Stephan Weber
297-2
Wynand Louw
338-2
Andy Davies
212-2
Markus Weber
257-1
Joeri Van Leeuwen
298-1
Ismael Franco Folgueira
339-1
Jan-Louis Pretorius
213-1
Heinrich Leuthard
257-2
Kristian Steckler
298-2
Miguel Mongil López
339-2
Janine Pretorius
213-2
Werner Leuthard
258-1
Jean Van Wyk
299-1
Reuben Van Niekerk
340-1
Alex Otto
214-1
Andi Ettlin
258-2
Thys-koch Burden
299-2
Kevin Rodney Benkenstein
340-2
Christo Van Den Heever
214-2
Reto Wallimann
259-1
Martin Luzuriaga Moncayo
300-1
Erik Knoetze
341-1
Abrie Greyling
215-1
Markus Gisler
259-2
Nicolas Fernandez Schatzer
300-2
Fred Van Zyl
341-2
Denham Gosling
215-2
Mirco Mengucci
260-1
Andy Eggleston
301-1
Adam Scott
342-1
Riaan Munnik
216-1
Victor Zurita Exposito
260-2
Christopher Lavender
301-2
Darryll Harding
342-2
Gideon Rossouw
216-2
Daniel Lopez Compos
261-1
Chris Visser
302-1
Carl Crous
343-1
Rudi Pollard
217-1
Soraya Senao Fernandez
261-2
Nic Visser
302-2
Pieter Van Heerden
343-2
Dwain Butler
217-2
Beatriz Gallego Carbajo
262-1
Hugo Prado Neto
303-1
Philip Vermeulen
344-1
Bruce Campbell
218-1
Victor Palomar Asenjo
262-2
Lukas Kaufmann
303-2
Richard Goussard
344-2
Tim Ellerbeck
218-2
Francisco Jose Garcia-purriños
263-1
Stephen Husted
304-1
Piet Du Toit
345-1
Johnnie Roelofse
219-1
Luis Garcia Ibañez Cisneros
263-2
David Delfiugo
304-2
Jan Louis Stevens
345-2
Louis Bekker
219-2
Estefani Rottier Puche
264-1
Cornelius Jakob Wiedenmann
305-1
Vickus Boshoff
346-1
Charl Fouche
66
THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
2018 | RIDER NAMES 346-2
Jaco Brand
395-2
Timothy Michael Pearson
437-1
Willem Pretorius
478-1
Herike Assis Silva
347-1
Gus Close
396-1
Hannu Oja
437-2
Willie Van Schalkwyk
478-2
Paulo Cesar Jeveaux
347-2
Tyrone Walker
396-2
Juha Vähämetsä
438-1
Chak Fung Lau
479-1
Chris Horter
348-1
Brand Pretorius
397-1
Alex Teixidor Sais
438-2
Chi Hang Yuen
479-2
Ian Smith
348-2
Dawid Malan
397-2
Xavier Fiego Diaz
439-1
Paul Jatho
480-1
Henlo Webber
349-1
Andrew Dewey
398-1
Fabio Lopes
439-2
Waldek Wasowicz
480-2
Marc Rosenberg
349-2
David Coupar
398-2
Xiri Nascimento
440-1
Francois Burger
481-1
Kevin Hickey
350-1
Marcel De Klerk
399-1
Dominik Dimatellis
440-2
Lammert Oosthuizen
481-2
Davy Muller
350-2
Jacobus Adriaan Lategan
399-2
Johan Huisamen
441-1
Grant De Ridder
482-1
Garth De Jager
351-1
Rowan Williams
400-1
Marco Marques
441-2
Nathaniel Duarte
482-2
Kevin Walter
351-2
Lance Williams
401-1
Weylin Ludick
442-1
Dave Beeche
483-1
Jaime Alcaraz Freijo
352-1
Nigel Payne
401-2
Xenephin Ludick
442-2
William Turner
483-2
Javier Llinares
352-2
August Van Heerden
402-1
Philip Tollefsen
443-1
Christiaan Pretorius
484-1
Hein Knacke
353-1
Justin Jeffery
402-2
Fredrik Norrby
443-2
Johannes Smit
484-2
Jaco Ferreira
353-2
Bevan Jeffery
403-1
Martin Hall
444-1
Lars Rosencrantz
485-1
Peter Lüthi
354-1
Geoffrey Lee
403-2
Mike Eglington
444-2
Oscar Ek
485-2
Martin Staub
354-2
Matthew Lee
404-1
Thys Redelinghuys
445-1
Gregor Hengst
486-1
Stefan Holst
355-1
Johann Grobler
404-2
Anton Jooste
445-2
Johann Reich
486-2
Manuel Monteiro
355-2
Ockert Van Schoor
405-1
Gerhard Mans
446-1
Matthys Louw
487-1
Simon Rollo
356-1
Shaun Van Biljon
405-2
Gerhard Jnr Mans
446-2
Thys Louw
488-1
Ockert Scholtz
356-2
Phillip Malan
406-1
Carmine Signorelli
447-1
Christiaan Marais
488-2
Mike Visser
357-1
Clinton Johns
406-2
Thomas Andrew Daddi
447-2
Daniel Mannweiler
489-1
Duncan Macdonald
357-2
Marc Ruwiel
407-1
Mario Cutino
448-1
Christian Kuhn
489-2
Louis Du Toit
358-1
Stephen Brown
407-2
Willem Mouton
448-2
Markus Amann
490-1
Jenna Borrill
358-2
Sandiso Xethu
408-1
Johannes Loubser
449-1
Conrad Meyer
490-2
Tandi Kitching
359-1
Till Streichert
408-2
Van Zyl Botha
449-2
Werner Van Heerden
491-1
Sandra Reyes Coronilla
359-2
Bryce Munro
409-1
Francois Henrion
450-1
Luke Evans
491-2
Anna Barea Garcia
360-1
Bertie Van Zyl
409-2
Shaun Keppler
450-2
Richard Damant
492-1
Olivia Smedley
360-2
Ferdie Potgieter
410-1
Gary Kirsten
451-1
Ingolf Welsch
492-2
Madeleine Gérard
361-1
Dirk Samuel Botha
410-2
Roddy van Breda
451-2
Stephan Salscheider
493-1
Lisa Land
361-2
Francois Du Toit
411-1
Maurice Mdlolo
452-1
Anthony Haralambous
493-2
Kate Ross
362-1
Heinrich Moller
411-2
Letshego Zulu
452-2
James McCallum
494-1
Verity Appleyard
362-2
Zaan De Vries
412-1
Craig Duggan
453-1
Gonzalo Astiz Alonso
494-2
Maxine Filby
363-1
Dirk Oberholzer
412-2
Michael Switzer
453-2
Leopoldo Arias
495-1
Heather Kelley
363-2
Leon Burger
413-1
Khulekani Ngcongo
454-1
Mario Santana
495-2
Emily Dunning
364-1
Floris Botha
413-2
Thabo Khojane
454-2
Scott Forrest
496-1
Dannielle French
364-2
Stefan Olivier
414-1
Leon Kotting
455-1
Abrie Stone
496-2
Michelle Guerin
365-1
Sean Baloyi
414-2
Willem Herselman
455-2
Carel Hoffman
497-1
Nicki Sutherland
365-2
Clement Mabula
415-1
Juan Roldan
456-1
Adam Schoeman
497-2
Michelle Van Aswegen
366-1
Sipho Kupiso
415-2
Xavier Coello
456-2
Johan Van Rooyen
498-1
Alewyn Grove
366-2
Bongumusa Zikhali
416-1
Clinton Haley
457-1
Harry Nay
498-2
Markus Van Niekerk
367-1
Ndumiso Dontso
416-2
Grant Hall
457-2
Justin Nay
499-1
Steve Etherton
367-2
Luvuyo Siyasi
417-1
Abdullah Jaffar
458-1
Beka Nareklishvili
499-2
Lucy Etherton
368-1
Aphiwe Giyayo
417-2
Yacoob Jaffar
458-2
Giorgi Nareklishvili
500-1
George Mcnulty
368-2
Ntlantla Nonkasa
418-1
Jan Gutter
459-1
Pieter Heyns
500-2
Karin Steyn
375-1
Methoa Mabasa
418-2
Jan-hendrik Gutter
459-2
Pieter Strydom
501-1
Belinda Knowles
375-2
Tsepo Nyirenda
419-1
Brian Koder
460-1
Gustavo Penaherrera
501-2
Hamish Knowles
376-1
Loyiso Gaba
419-2
Luke Brechwald
460-2
Sebastian Naranjo
502-1
Steve Willson
376-2
Lwazi Ntsakaza
420-1
Justin Ritchie
461-1
Pedro Francisco Vieira Neto
502-2
Melanie Melville
377-1
Luyanda Thobigunya
420-2
Maruis Marais
461-2
Remerson Neri
503-1
Duncan Viljoen
377-2
Baphelele Mbobo
421-1
Florian Sankt
462-1
Dennis Duarte
503-2
Sylvia Van Tromp
380-1
Catalin Sprinceana
421-2
Markus Jenny
462-2
Wilhelm Jansen
504-1
Nadine Visagie
380-2
Hans Comijn
422-1
Ingus Ozolants
463-1
Ivo Pravda
504-2
Roger Nicholson
381-1
Chan Chun Hing
422-2
Janis Vanags
463-2
Jakub Partik
505-1
Hadas Weiss
381-2
Sze Yuen Chan
423-1
Niel Goosen
464-1
Craig Mackintosh
505-2
Tomer Osher
382-1
Benjamin Justesen
423-2
Zean Bourbon-leftley
464-2
Jeremy Mackintosh
506-1
Wikke Tuinhout
382-2
Thomas Bundgaard
424-1
Graham Potgieter
465-1
Patric Tinner
506-2
Sander Bokelman
383-1
Erasmus Pretorius
424-2
Shaun Mccallum
465-2
Simeon Niederer
507-1
Milena Bettocchi
383-2
Henry Stoltz
425-1
Andre Lombard
466-1
Bruno Bazzan Collato
507-2
Giuseppe Salerno
384-1
Danny Griebenow
425-2
Theo Lombard
466-2
Thales CanÇado Jr
508-1
Ahmed Al Fahim
384-2
Johan Bezuidenhoud
426-1
Jan Andries Joubert
467-1
Christophe Barbey
508-2
Barbara Ihrig
385-1
Carl Gevers
426-2
Raoul Hamman
467-2
Emmanuel Corpetti
509-1
Janick Dähler
385-2
Marc Gevers
427-1
Cameron Adams
468-1
Daniele Ancarani
509-2
Melina Flurina Schweizer
386-1
Daniël Driessen
427-2
Jonathan Adams
468-2
Gianluca Vetricini
510-1
Luke Maga
386-2
Norman Meerkerk
428-1
Yin Chun Chan
469-1
Clive Brooks
510-2
Jeanie De Villiers
387-1
Christopher Grundberg
428-2
Siu Man Lau
469-2
Werner Botha
511-1
Luz Gonzalez
387-2
Mark Warren
429-1
Kit Hang Li
470-1
Alejandro Gómez Rosende
511-2
Yonattan Florez
388-1
Bryan Nicholson
429-2
Tsz Ting Wong
470-2
Miguel Ángel Casado Bravo
512-1
Felipe Egues Espinosa
388-2
Jon Luca Del Fante
430-1
Eugene Kelly
471-1
Cristiano Juliani
512-2
Ana Idrovo
389-1
Attilio Pagni
430-2
Michael Mcdonald
471-2
Thiago Schieber Saude Quinteiro
513-1
Tara Bakker
389-2
Kevin Elliot
431-2
Riaan Hendrikse
472-1
Christiaan Wehmeyer
513-2
Craig Bakker
390-1
Nicholas Hops
431-1
Jan Lawrence Goosen
472-2
Christiaan Niemand
514-1
Briony Mattocks
390-2
Ryann Dean
432-1
Emeric Turcat
473-1
Daniel Saaiman
514-2
Wayne Dickinson
391-1
Heinro Malan
432-2
Sylvain Robert
473-2
Warren Labuschagne
515-1
Wilmien Venter
391-2
Robert Snyders
433-1
Hennie Visser
474-1
Callie Steyn
515-2
Jannie Steyn
392-1
Grant Lingard
433-2
Jacques De Villiers
474-2
Casparus Steyn
516-1
Gustaaf Vaes
392-2
Steven Lingard
434-1
Lau Longfung
475-1
Ivan Doncaster
516-2
Amy Horstmeyer
393-1
Jandre Prinsloo
434-2
Lau Chi Chung
475-2
Paul Coetzee
517-1
Jessika Fuchs
393-2
Shaun Harris
435-1
Fjord Jordaan
476-1
Estiaan Senekal
517-2
Stefan Zuber
394-1
Bjorn De Roo
435-2
Liam Graham
476-2
Francois Steyn
518-1
Claude Crepeau
394-2
Stijn Verstraeten
436-1
David Denbury
477-1
Alessandrini Enrico
518-2
Josee Heppell
395-1
Justin Nash
436-2
Robert Pearse
477-2
Fabio Cappelletti
519-1
Agustina Maria Apaza
ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
67
519-2
Cesar Lettoli
560-2
Patrick Lackey
601-2
Luis Enrique Martinez
644-1
Carel Van Heerden
520-1
Nina Hartleb
561-1
Christophe Bosc
602-1
Felipe Martínez García
644-2
Chrisjan Vorster
520-2
Dirk Edinger
561-2
Sylvain Bosc
602-2
Carlos Benitez
645-1
Bruce Miller
521-1
Marianne Kern
562-1
Dav Hugo
603-1
Gael Mainard
645-2
Rod Goncalves
521-2
Marcel Kamm
562-2
Stuart Johnston
603-2
Largier Christian
646-1
Julian Zetler
522-1
Xixi Zhang
563-1
Juan Manuel Gomez Guillen
604-1
Frans Snyman
646-2
Lionel Pamensky
522-2
Nuo Zhang
563-2
Jorge Sopeña Sanz
604-2
Holden Marshall
647-1
Soren Lind Wenck
523-1
Rafael Wyss
564-1
Jonathan Wright
605-1
George Todd
647-2
Peter Selkrig
523-2
Sofia Loewens
564-2
Carl Wilson
605-2
Alex Mason-apps
648-1
Merwede Van Der Berg
524-1
Justin Caldwell
565-1
Willie Fourie
606-1
Grant Scott
648-2
Chris Stofberg
524-2
Collette Bastard
565-2
Johan Meyer
606-2
Isak Pretorius
649-1
Rob Surtees
525-1
Melanie Brenner
566-1
Tiago Almeida
607-1
Marius Wasserfall
649-2
Michael Reynolds
525-2
Deon Brenner
566-2
Marco Macedo
607-2
Edwin Videler
650-1
Ron Dagan
526-1
Jessica Griesel
567-1
Battista Galli
608-1
David Cuff
650-2
Jan Huyse
526-2
Bernard Griesel
567-2
Davide Pojer
608-2
Tom Murray
651-1
Marc Cosaert
527-1
Nicolien Booysen
568-1
Glenn James
609-1
Andrew Gillett
651-2
Tristan Dhondt
527-2
Lance Hamel
568-2
Kurt Begemann
609-2
Vaughan Van Eden
652-1
Graham Morton
528-1
Anton Steyn
569-1
Jun Wang
610-1
Grant Watson
652-2
Simeon Eaton
528-2
Anneke Viljoen
569-2
Qiuyu Meng
610-2
Brett Van Coller
653-1
Jan Gabris
529-1
Irene Van Den Berg
570-1
Stephane Torchio
611-1
Ian Loebenberg
653-2
Ales Kilnar
529-2
Derek Van Den Berg
570-2
Philippe DiFruscia
611-2
Gavin Griggs
654-1
Joerg Riedl
530-1
Jeanine Peck
571-1
Stefano Maran
612-1
Terry Keller
654-2
Steffen Allert
530-2
Werner Du Toit
571-2
Dino Pavan
612-2
Andrew Bateson
655-1
Anton Pielmeier
531-1
Adriaan Jonker
572-1
Ivan Ischia
613-1
Neil Retief
655-2
Jan-peter Rudolf
531-2
Lize Theron
572-2
Joan Junyent
613-2
Phillip Retief
656-1
Gianfranco Ferrari
532-1
Robert Alexander
573-1
Pedro Marques
614-1
Craig Gerber
656-2
Elard Meier
532-2
Sarah Alexander
573-2
Rui Cortegaca
614-2
Martin Epstein
657-1
Willem Van Der Meulen
533-1
Sergio Madonna
574-1
Jhon Jairo Villarraga Montilla
615-1
Pak Lam Wan
657-2
Cornelis Verbeek
533-2
Kristina Murray
574-2
Santiago Robledo
615-2
Matthew Cheung
658-1
Steven Berkowitz
534-1
Nick Hutton
575-1
Joaquim Santos
616-1
Mark Pfister
658-2
Ian Bryan
534-2
Andrew Wong
575-2
Paulo Ferreira
616-2
Gavin Pfister
659-1
Boris Vukasovic
535-1
Dick During
576-1
Dennis Immerzeel
617-1
Grant Robertson
659-2
Enrique Gutierrez
535-2
Erhard Coetzee
576-2
Tjeerd Den Houter
617-2
Ashley Seiler
660-1
David Trinder
536-1
Paul Rowe
577-1
Michel Mocellini
618-1
Emil Stark
660-2
Simon Nicks
536-2
Gary Tullis
577-2
Sandro Battaini
618-2
Louis Broodryk
661-1
Nicholas Hughes
537-1
Robert Kruger
578-1
Danilo Jordan
619-1
Kin Ming Tang
661-2
Colin Brown
537-2
Ian Martin
578-2
Mark Bannister
619-2
Wah Shing So
662-1
Bruno Richner
538-1
Andy Millar
579-1
Hans Michiels
620-1
Andrew Cherrington
662-2
Max Richner
538-2
Martin De Villiers
579-2
Jurgen Van Achter
620-2
Devrin Muir
663-1
Paul Duffy
539-1
Antonio Faundez
580-1
Leonard Martin
621-1
Robin Lewis
663-2
Graham Collins
539-2
Alex Kruger
580-2
Silvio Suardi
621-2
Garth Ennion
664-1
Ignacio Javier Micheltorena
540-1
Jeroen Hirdes
581-1
Lance Polloreno
622-1
Colin Allkin
664-2
Cristian Cuadra Schlie
540-2
Niels Van Der Wal
581-2
Jason Tuffs
622-2
Robert De Rooy
666-1
Emanuele Di Stefano
541-1
René Zorn
582-1
Grégory Escuain
623-1
Rinus Van Den Ende
666-2
Riccardo Acuto
541-2
Rigo Schultz
582-2
Ruiz Jerome
623-2
Ivan Barclay
667-1
Kent Wilson
542-1
Ryk Van Niekerk
583-1
Julian Buelvas
624-1
Dieter Prinsloo
667-2
Peter O’sullivan
542-2
Louis Rex
583-2
Gabriel Baeza
624-2
Nico Schoeman
668-1
James Keirstead
543-1
Ryan Lewis
584-1
Gustavo Ruiz
625-1
Willem Serfontein
668-2
Carl Pearson
543-2
Mike O’donovan
584-2
Gabriel Ravasio
625-2
Gabriel Jordaan
669-1
Gert Marx
544-1
Felix Kobel
585-1
Mick Klemens
626-1
Paul Albertus Van Jaarsveld
669-2
Johan Mare
544-2
Schaaf Frederic
585-2
Peter Waldron
626-2
Johannes Marthinus Joubert
670-1
Francois Odendaal
545-1
Duncan Brown
586-1
Christopher Seago
627-1
Wilfried Reichle
670-2
Marthinus Pienaar
545-2
Verissimo Tavares
586-2
Michael Jordan
627-2
Thorsten Röttgers
671-1
Roman Siroky
546-1
Michael De Kock
587-1
Andrew Robinson
628-1
Hanno Kruger
671-2
Radim Novotny
546-2
Marc Lagesse
587-2
Terence O’Neill
628-2
Bertus Kruger
672-1
Bruce Kaiser
547-1
Cliff Wills
588-1
Steve Vanderveken
629-1
Dawie Theron
672-2
Don Boyce
547-2
Wayne Gimingham
588-2
Bart Van Gorp
629-2
Nelis Coetzee
673-1
Trevor D’oliveira
548-1
Klaus Pauly
589-1
Guilherme Turano
630-1
Greg Macfarlane
673-2
Dieter Rothman
548-2
Tom Woeckener
589-2
Gustavo Arruda
630-2
Clinton Froneman
674-1
Pieter Mccord
549-1
Jose Cruz Garcia Gonzalez
590-1
Adriano José Malinowski
631-1
Jaco Erasmus
674-2
Johan Erasmus
549-2
Jorge Salinas
590-2
João Pedro Jesus Carvalho
631-2
Ernest Van Rooyen
675-1
Mark Prince
550-1
Meng Yam Pang
591-1
Friso Wittebol
632-1
Evan Robson
675-2
Deon Van Vuuren
550-2
Don Ng
591-2
Richard De Jongh
632-2
Matt Pennefather
676-1
Mike Israel
551-1
João Pedro
592-1
Laurent Hanique
633-1
Luca Della Vedova
676-2
Garry James
551-2
Luis Tenriro
592-2
Bernard Hanique
633-2
Giorgio Cardin
677-1
Hans-Petter Mellerud
552-1
Rusch Yannnick
593-1
Dean Foley
634-1
Hans Jensen
677-2
Lars Arnljot Saeboe
552-2
Benoit Lalevee
593-2
Chris Lentjes
634-2
Timothy Blegenhout
678-1
Anthony Adler
553-1
Nicolas Aquistapace
594-1
Sebastian Arnstedt
635-1
Karina Bonta
678-2
Edward Bennett
553-2
Juan Pablo Richard
594-2
Rune Sanbeck
635-2
Juganaru Razvan
679-1
Michael Van Kralingen
554-1
David Russell
595-1
Pedro Vintimilla
636-1
Moolman Welgemoed
680-1
Joko Vogel
554-2
Sebastien Petit
595-2
Juan Almeida
636-2
Douglas Burger
680-2
Martin Elmiger
555-1
Christopher Roque
596-1
Michele Gallina
637-1
William Stockland
681-1
Lyle Nesbitt
555-2
Dennis Fagundo
596-2
Matteo Bonazza
637-2
Shaun Claasen
681-2
Henry Angove
556-1
Tom Eekhof
597-1
Choon Yen Choey
638-1
Stephen Dickie
682-1
Allard Dijkstra
556-2
Martin Rijswijk
597-2
Alvin Tw Low
638-2
Jason Bryan
682-2
Onno Baack
557-1
Marco Wegmann
598-1
Gus Venter
639-1
Cesar Bogunovich
557-2
Martin Studer
598-2
Colin Spencer
640-1
Peter Griffiths
558-1
Jose Alvarado Ruiz
599-1
Siant Sue
640-2
Kelly Huber
558-2
Claudio Botten Concha
599-2
Choon Hwa Lim
641-1
Mark Newton
559-1
Camilo Mcallister
600-1
Allen Cox
642-1
Brad Clarke
559-2
Santiago Lievano
600-2
Bernd Barbrock
642-2
Rohin Adams
560-1
Christopher Moore
601-1
Tomas Latorre
643-1
Augusto Bernardi
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THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
CHARITIES In addition to rider fundraising, the Absa Cape Epic is proud to have a formal charity engagement programme with selected charities. They either utilise cycling to improve the lives of those less fortunate or actively work in the communities, area or environment through which the race travels.
R17.2 MILLION RAISED SINCE 2011
ANNA FOUNDATION The Anna Foundation is all about inspiring young people. We aim to empower disadvantaged rural children with life skills and core values, building self-worth and self-responsibility. Our “3 Rs programme: Reading, Running, Right-ing” is implemented during after-school hours and incorporates education (literacy), sports (riding, running and sports development) and life skills programmes (presented through drama). Women and men from farming communities are trained by the Foundation to run the 3 R’s programme, and teenager and parent workshops are also provided. After the work comes some play, with the youngsters enjoying the pump tracks in the many Anna Foundation riding projects in the Western Cape. ANNA FOUNDATION CONTACT Helen Lee | helen@annafoundation.com
CAPE LEOPARD TRUST The Cape Leopard Trust is all about leopards, right? Well, yes and no. As well as conducting scientific research to ensure the long-term survival of leopards, we also offer a comprehensive environmental education programme, which includes wilderness camps and outings for school children and young adults. The goal is to reconnect young people with nature and to nurture a greater respect for all fauna and flora that share our world. The Trust was launched in August 2004 as an active predator-conservation organisation in the Cape, using the leopard as a flagship species to address broader environmental challenges. Since then we have become an authority on predator conservation in South Africa and have active projects in the Cederberg, Gouritz Corridor and the Boland mountains. CAPE LEOPARD CONTACT Helen Turnbull | contact@capeleopard.org.za
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THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
IRONMAN FOUNDATION The IRONMAN triathlon was born in the Hawaiian Islands and our team of athletes participating in the Absa Cape Epic bring with them the spirit of Kokua – a Hawaiian word meaning “giving back unselfishly to others”. The IRONMAN Foundation’s mission is to provide tangible change in the communities our athletes race in around the world, whether that be in an IRONMAN Triathlon, an iconic mountain bike race or running a marathon. In 2018, The IRONMAN Foundation will provide funding support totalling R225 000 across the three race host communities. Through this initiative we aim to leave a lasting impact in these communities long after the race has ended. Whether it is helping flood victims, rebuilding a community centre after a fire or creating programmes to support the youth, consider joining us in 2019 and #RaceForMore IRONMAN CONTACT David Deschenes | david.deschenes@ironman.com
LAUREUS Heideveld on the Cape Flats is often associated with poverty, drugs, teenage pregnancy and crime. But a group of young children in the area are being offered a chance to escape from all that thanks to Laureus’ Sport for Good programme run at local schools by committed activist Mario van Niekerk and his dedicated team of 54 volunteers. Our core concept is to create global awards that recognise the achievements of today’s sporting heroes and bring sportspeople together. That community, once it is brought together, and with the support and investment of Laureus’ founding patrons and partners, creates a powerful message that helps social projects that use sport as a tool for social change. The Heideveld project is one of many examples of that approach being put to practice. LAUREUS CONTACT Brett Graham | brett@laureus.co.za
QHUBEKA We believe bicycles change lives because we’ve seen it first-hand. We’ve distributed more than 80 000 bicycles since 2005 and watched how these tools have helped people move forward. With a bicycle, a person can travel faster and further, and carry more. When people earn bicycles through our various programmes, they tell us how the bicycles will help them to access schools, clinics and jobs. But if you’re reading this as an Epic rider or supporter, you’re already very aware of the joy that a bicycle can bring. By supporting Qhubeka, you can help us to change more lives with bicycles. For more info, visit www.qhubeka.org. QHUBEKA CONTACT Gaylene Campbell | events@qhubeka.org
ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
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A DAY IN THE LIFE
OF AN EPIC RIDER by Kevin McCallum
It starts with the sound of a cat singing and ends with a beer.
It’s 5am and I’m dreaming that the pipes, the pipes are calling. From glen to glen, and down…wait… this isn’t “Danny Boy”. It’s 5am and there is a cat singing the song of its people outside my tent. I used to like listening to the bagpipes. At 5am, with twitchy legs and my own twitchy internal pipes, it is not a sound that stirs me. They say that you get used to the rhythm of stage racing life after day three. It’s day three and I’m in a twilight zone of routine and trepidation. Wake up, put on soft shoes, do the soft shoe shuffle to the portaloo, head to breakfast to shovel down food that stopped having taste two days ago and is now just fuel. Click on to the Dimension Data wifi, which downloads last night’s football scores quicker than I can get the first spoon of porridge inside me. Check Whatsapp messages. Look on Twitter and facebook, and feel proud and a little tearful at the support. My partner asks me if I’m okay. I say that I am, but we both miss home and we both know it. But we have each other. We plot to assassinate the man with the bagpipes. Back to the tent and the joy of applying cold chamois cream before sliding into ASSOS bib shorts. Do you put cream on bum, or cream on chamois? I forget the etiquette and don’t care. As you snap the straps over your shoulders, you thank the Swiss genius who designed padding that has thus far kept us from the bum sore patrol at the Mediclinic. We have seen grown men cry there and have had to avert our eyes. Our team is all about the pre-race prep. We’ve dropped off our bottles for the water point the night before. The relief of that ice-cold hit of energy on a tough day cannot be over-stated. It’s like room service, except it is in the middle of nowhere. We take a moment to look at the route profile that we’ve stuck on our top tubes. We look for the Land Rover Technical Terrains. That is our 72
THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
sort of riding. Fun. Well, we think it’s fun. Fast and hard and rock ’n roll riding that lifts the heart, taking you back to the soul of mountain biking and the joy of riding a bicycle. Glorious. The mechanics and bike wash have made our bikes brand new. The thorns that tried their best to pierce our Mitas tyres have been sent to the place that dead thorns go to die. I run my tyres hard, perhaps a little harder than I should, but I like the feel of them. My partner is a little softer than I. Hehehehe. It’s a joke that will never end.
The jokes start. We wait to start. The checklist is performed again. Then again. Everything is in place. You are ready. And yet you are not. Day three. You look at the route description and already begin the count-down of the distance and the climbing. My partner and I look at each other. We smile. We laugh. We high five. We hug, but quietly. It has gotten a little serious now. Good luck. I love you. We’re off.
Checklist to do. SPOT satellite tracking system on. Check. Now the missus will know exactly where I am at every minute of the day. She told me last night she wants me to get one so she knows when I am down at the pub. Ah, that woman. The love is real. Buff? Check. There has been little rain down in the Western Cape. That is why we are here. To sweat in the Western Cape to help the drought. Think Mad Max dry. We don’t want to take half of it home with us in our lungs.
Each stage has its moments. You forget some parts and can never shake others. The mountain with no end, the rut on the descent that almost ended your Epic with a hungry gulp and the whoosh of the singletrack that had you whooping like a kid. The pit-stop rush of the water points. The wonder of salted potatoes and the sugar of sour worm sweets. The ice-cold water, the kick of an ice-cold aQuellé water. Bumping into fellow racers you have spent part of this journey with along the way. Rushing out again. Checking the route description. Counting the distance. Counting the climbing.
Into the pens. The nerves start.
And then, we are done.
The day is finished. The stage is ours. We roll over the line. I’ll never get over that feeling, nor the people who come to meet you. Those glorious volunteers. Those glorious sponsors. This one takes your bike to the people at Muc-off to get the gunk off your chain and bike, this one has a cold cloth and a cup of Energade. The kindness of the people from Woolworths and their recovery meals, wolfed down with a USN recovery protein shake - that you’re clever enough to make before you even sleepwalked to breakfast in the morning - to give the body all it needs for tomorrow. What do they say? You are always eating for tomorrow at the Absa Cape Epic. A shower, a massage, and yet more to eat. Dimension Data have given us a red phone home, and we
tell the world we have completed another day at the Untamed African MTB Race. It is, as it should be, time to settle in a beanbag at the Chill Zone for a Castle Free or two as the sun rolls down. Beer was made for mountain biking. It feels like Champagne after a stage, a celebration of doing something less ordinary. Dinner in the tent is noisier than breakfast. There is much to talk about, war stories to tell and a chance to celebrate the riders at the sharp end of the Epic. Kati, the Race Director, tells us about the next day, of any changes and dangers and sand and things we may excite or alarm you. And then it is off to the tents, to sleep, perchance to dream before a cat starts singing.
ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
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WW36852/E
MAKE EVERY
1
DROP COUNT
WE’RE CULTIVATING WATER SAVINGS
As part of our Farming for the Future programme, our produce, wine and flower farmers are saving water by only irrigating when necessary. We’re also committed to using less water in our own business.
3
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KEEPING OUR WATER CLEAN AND CLEAR Farming for the Future means reducing the amount of chemical fertilisers and other chemicals that go back into our water sources. We also partner with fabric and clothing suppliers who are committed to putting clean water back into the environment.
A PARTNERSHIP FOR PRESERVATION Water stewardship is all about Government, NGOs and the community working together to save and protect the precious water resources we all share. Together with the WWF, the Alliance for Water Stewardship and Marks & Spencer, we’re helping our Ceres fruit farmers to manage the water on their farms better. IN MOST OF OUR STORES, WE’RE MONITORING WATER USE, HARVESTING RAINWATER AND INCREASING EFFICIENCY. SINCE 2007, WE HAVE ALREADY REDUCED RELATIVE WATER USE BY 56%.
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CLEAN WATER AND CLEAN CLOTHES
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We’ve introduced phosphate-free laundry detergents that help preserve water quality without compromising on cleaning efficiency.
JOIN US ON OUR JOURNEY: WOOLWORTHS.CO.ZA/WATER
TEACHING TOMORROW’S GENERATION With the future in mind, our Making the Difference programme educates learners about the importance of using water wisely.
AN EPIC SERIES It’s virtually impossible to become bored of the stunning landscapes and engaging trails Absa Cape Epic riders experience on their eight-day endeavour (just ask any of the Last Lions – the intrepid four who have finished every event since its inception in 2004). Yet, even the most die-hard fans of the Untamed African Mountain Bike Race might now be persuaded to explore new mountain biking horizons. Now part of the brand-new Epic Series, The Pioneer and the Perskindol Swiss Epic are the premium mountain biking events on their respective continents. These ‘Epic-style’ events are to become the pillars of this brand new global family of off-road endurance events. Headed up by Absa Cape Epic founder Kevin Vermaak, the Epic Series is all about finding the essence of mountain biking that is unique to each region. The core of any race is the route and the team combines local expertise to find the
best trails with the lessons learnt from 15 years of experience with the Absa Cape Epic, ensuring slick, full-service professionalism. Riders will want for nothing, leaving them to enjoy the rolling valleys, challenging terrain and even the vertiginous climbs! The founder of The Pioneer, Dave Beeche, visited South Africa in 2017 with his team and remarked, “The Absa Cape Epic is certainly the market leader in this space. Our race director, Bec Williams, came away with a hundred new ideas that we can implement to continue to enhance our athlete experience.” With entries for the Absa Cape Epic oversubscribed, aspiring athletes will also have an opportunity to qualify for guaranteed slots, both through a top performance at the race and via a lottery system at these events. As Kona is to Ironman, the Absa Cape Epic is the pinnacle of mountain biking.
No mountain bike experience in the world can compare to racing side by side with a trusted team mate, surrounded by spectacular scenery at a top-class event, with nothing left to do but pedal and revel in the Western Cape’s best trails. Well, now there might just be something to rival that…
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THE PIONEER Held in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, The Pioneer starts and finishes in Queenstown. It heads into the wilderness where athletes are hosted in tented race villages and taken though some of the most remote and untouched parts of New Zealand’s South Island. The terrain comprises a combination of singletrack, dual trails and rural gravel roads, and in two years, the race has already become world-famous for its mind-blowing scenery and legendary Kiwi hospitality. “This year we’ve added even more singletrack! For six days, you and a mate can switch off and unplug from the world to totally immerse yourself for a week, and think about nothing else but your next pedal stroke and that stunning view in front of you!” says Beeche.
DISTANCE: 430km CLIMBING: 15 500m DAYS: 6 TERRAIN: Combination of singletrack, dual trails and rural gravel roads ACCOMMODATION: 4 nights in tents / 2 nights in hotels (hotel not included in the entry fee) Mobile home upgrade option PACKAGES (PER TEAM): $6386 NZD (±R60 000) www.thepioneer.co.nz
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PERSKINDOL SWISS EPIC The luxury of Swiss hotel accommodation serves as the antidote to the high-altitude ascents and exhilarating Alpine singletrack. Founded in 2014 by Joko Vogel, Daniel Gehrig and Thomas Frischknecht, the race has become the most iconic mountain bike event in Europe. The race kicks off in the mountain village of Bettmeralp, perched high above the Rhone Valley. Spending two nights in each Race Village, riders traverse the Valais region surrounded by iconic mountain peaks, stopping midweek in Grächen, then finishing in Zermatt, directly in front of the world-famous, 4500m-high Matterhorn. Route designer Stefan Wolfisberg says, “It’s great to host the event in my backyard – I can show people from all over the world my favourite trails!” As an extra special treat, the race will pass the Great Aletsch Glacier, the longest in the Alps at around 23km and part of an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
DISTANCE: 350km CLIMBING 12 000m DAYS: 5 TERRAIN: High percentage of flow trails, steep terrain, relatively smooth climbing ACCOMMODATION: 6 nights in hotels / guest houses PACKAGES (PER TEAM): CHF3790 (±R53 000 - until 31 May) CHF3990 (±R56 500 - until 31 July) www.swiss-epic.com
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UNTAMED
There are many reasons for competing in the Absa Cape Epic. They range from seeking for a sense of self-worth, a celebration of the lives of others, the challenge of taking on Africa’s Untamed African MTB Race simply because it is, like Mount Everest, there to be conquered. Away from the front of the race, in the middle and the tail-end, are women and men who may bring up the rear but who are as much heroes and icons of the Absa Cape Epic as those who have won. They come from near and from afar. There will be 53 countries represented in the 2018 race, 78
THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
riders from Boksburg and Bermuda, London and Latvia, China and Cape Town. They are the heartbeat of the Absa Cape Epic, the riders who carve out time to train whilst working 9-5 jobs, spending days away from their families and loved ones, giving up their holidays to ready themselves for the greatest eight days of their lives. Some of them are regulars, some will be taking part for the first time. Two-time Xterra age group world champion Benoit Lalevee of France is riding the race for the first time because it is “the Mecca of mountain bike racing”. American
Jon Luca Del Fante entered for the first time because it “sounded like a good idea … after a few brandies”. Some are driven by chances lost. Anton van der Westhuizen was caught out by the blistering heat of the first stage in 2017 and had to leave the Epic before he had begun. He is driven by a sense of unfinished business: “I’ve got a bone to pick due to last year’s Stage 1 obliterating the field, including yours truly…” There are those who ride to remember. Letshego Zulu will be teaming up with Maurice Mdlolo as part of the Land Rover-backed squad of teams for her
dedicated his second Absa Cape Epic to the memory of a lost pal: “I cycle this race for my friend who died. He was an enthusiastic cyclist and really wanted to compete with me at this race.” There are those who ride to raise money for others less fortunate than themselves, such as Martinus Geldenhuys, who will be raising money to assist the parents of his autistic nephew with their medical expenses. Chris Norton is back for his fourth Absa Cape Epic to celebrate a life he nearly lost after surviving “being hit from behind by a motor car and thrown 60 metres, numerous amounts of surgery and still being alive to finish the Untamed African MTB Race and tell the tale”. Michelle van Aswegen is doing her second Absa Cape Epic to show “moms that it is achievable to work, ride and have a family. I was extremely unfit when I had my daughter but she has inspired me to get fit and healthy again and have fun.” second Absa Cape Epic in memory of her late husband, the much-loved Gugu Zulu, who passed away in 2016 after attempting to summit Kilimanjaro. Gugu, a rally driver who called himself the “Fastest Brother in Africa”, had completed four Epics before his death, having ridden his final one in 2016 with Mdlolo. “Gugu was a great influence and got me involved in this fantastic sport, which really resonated with my adventurous side,” said Letshego. Gugu proposed to her on the finish line of the 2013 race. Lars Wichert, who rowed in the Olympics for Germany, has
There are those who ride to achieve landmarks, notably the Amabubesi Club for three-time finishers. Chak Sing Cheng, the first Chinese rider to take part in the race, will ride his third Epic with debutant Ying Ling. “We call the Absa Cape Epic the ‘Tour de France of mountain biking’ in our country and many riders want to do this race,” said Cheng. Speaking of the Tour de France, Douglas Ryder, who took Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka to the Tour de France, will team up with local South African celebrity Jan Braai, the man behind
National Braai Day, for 2018. They will seek to raise funds for Qhubeka’s Bicycles Change Lives programme. “I’ve been talking about riding the Absa Cape Epic for a while now,” said Ryder, who will make his debut at the race. “and I think it is about time that I actually did it. It’s an iconic race, and Kevin Vermaak (the Race Founder) has always shown myself and the team incredible support. He has put on a world-class event in South Africa, which has shown just what incredible things this country is capable of.” Braai, who has finished one Absa Cape Epic, joked that he and Ryder would be taking it a little easy. “Doug and I intend tackling the event casually, enjoying the scenery, chatting to fellow riders, stopping wherever spectators are having a braai and perhaps tasting some wine at some of the many wine farms we will pass on the beautiful 2018 route. In preparation for the event we are both following the high protein diet of mainly braaied meat.” And last, but never ever least, are the Last Lions, the stalwarts who have ridden in every race since it first began in 2004. All of them, Hannele Steyn, Mike Nixon, John Gale and Craig Beech, will be back for their 15th Absa Cape Epic. A Last Lion trophy – designed by renowned South African artist, Dylan Lewis will be awarded to the final one of them, but when that will be presented is anyone’s guess. They have no notion of giving up this race that has become such a vital part of their lives. “After my first Epic in 2004, it’s become a drug and one of my most amazing life and sporting experiences,” said Steyn. ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
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RACE VILLAGE 5 17
3
2
18
6
1 4
7 10
16 15
12 13
11
8
9
14
10
18
7
5 6
1 4
3
2
1.
Start and Finish
7.
Castle Free Chill Zone
13.
Rider Dining
2.
Timing and PA
8.
Race Office
14.
Crew Dining
3.
Woolworths Recovery Zone
9.
Race Hospital and Massage
15.
Rider Showers
4.
Absa Hospitality
10.
Virgin Active Club-V Kids Zone
16.
Scicon Rider Bag Service
5.
Sponsor Row and Trade Tech
11.
Rider Tents
17.
Bike Park
6.
Presentation Podium
12.
Mobile Homes
18.
Dimension Data Interview Lounge ABSA CAPE EPIC 2018 | RIDE GUIDE
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SOAR ABOVE THE RACE WATCH RIDERS CONQUER THEIR DAILY TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS At the Absa Cape Epic from an exclusive “bird’s eye view”
FLIGHTS AVAILABLE DAILY 20 MINUTE FLIGHTS
R2280.00 per person
FOR BOOKINGS PLEASE VISIT CAPE-EPIC.COM/STORE | +27 (0) 21 426 4373
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Tough moments don’t last, tough teams do We believe technology helps you achieve great things. The Absa Cape Epic is a gruelling race, covering 658 km of the most hazardous and remote terrain in Africa. Dimension Data has helped to bring the Absa Cape Epic’s ambitious vision to life by connecting the toughest mountain biking race to the world. If you believe you can do anything, we are here to help you do it.
For other great stories on how technology is changing the world, visit dimensiondata.com/BelieveInGreatness
THE EPIC LOUNGE AT THE GRAND FINALE The Epic Lounge overlooks the final finish stretch with a perfect view of the Grand Finale finish line of the 2018 Absa Cape Epic at Val de Vie. Come and enjoy the unbeatable atmosphere in the Epic Lounge on the 25th of March as eight days of sheer grit are celebrated with this amazing untamed journey coming to a close for the 2018 participants. Venue: Date: Time: Cost:
Val de Vie Estate, Paarl Sunday, 25 March 2018 09:00 - 15:00 R 1900.00 per adult and R 350.00 for children under 10 years
To buy tickets please visit webtickets.co.za For corporate hosting opportunities please contact: Jana Rosslee hospitality@cape-epic.com +27 (0) 21 426 4373
in partnership with
IT’S BACK PLAY and stand a chance to win an Absa Cape Epic Entry SEE WHO IS CONTENDING IN EACH CATEGORY AND PREDICT YOUR DAILY WINNERS! Once again, Bike Hub SA will run the Absa Cape Epic Fantasy League with awesome daily prizes! The grand prize for the winning predictions wins a team entry into the 2019 race courtesy of ASSOS. See the Bike Hub website – www.bikehub.co.za - for more details
FOLLOW THE EPIC LIVE
RIDER TRACKING, RACE UPDATES AND MORE Spectators and fans of the race can track the Absa Cape Epic LIVE from the comfort of their own home or office. Up to the minute ticker updates, finish line feeds, leader boards, results, SPOT rider tracking and general race updates are all just a click away. WWW.CAPE-EPIC.COM 18-25 MARCH 2018
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A PERFECT SEASON IN 365 DAYS
Nino Schurter had a dream season in 2017, winning just about everything it was possible for him to win. It began with victory in the Absa Cape Epic before he dominated the World Cup and became World Champion for the fifth time. Schurter talks us through his magical year and how the start of the 2018 season in the Western Cape is “perfect” for him.
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2017 WAS AN INCREDIBLE SEASON FOR YOU, PERHAPS THE GREATEST YEAR BY A MOUNTAIN BIKER YET. COULD YOU HAVE WISHED IT TO BE MORE PERFECT? DID YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU HAD SUCH A SEASON IN YOU?
spiced up the soup. Going to the first world cup with already having a major victory in the books helped tremendously for the rest of the season. It sure is the biggest stage race to win and something I’m super proud of.
To be honest, the 2017 season also beat my expectations. Winning the Absa Cape Epic already was a wonderful surprise. The World Cup was my main goal, but that I could win all of them was not something I had planned on doing. Only when I saw that I can be the first one to win five world cup races in a row did I kind of get some extra motivation to go for it. And after winning five, I said to myself, ‘why not win them all’. The icing on the cake was the World Champion title at the end.
SOME OF THE MARATHON RIDERS BELIEVE THE 2018 EPIC SUITS THEM A LITTLE MORE THAN THE CROSS-COUNTRY RIDERS, ALTHOUGH IT FEELS LIKE THERE ARE DAYS THAT WILL SUIT BOTH. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE ROUTE? HOW WILL THE TIME TRIAL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE EPIC CHANGE THE DYNAMICS OF THE RACING?
IT ALL STARTED WITH YOUR FIRST VICTORY AT THE ABSA CAPE EPIC IN YOUR FOURTH ATTEMPT. JUST ABOUT A PERFECT WIN FOR YOU AND SCOTT-SRAM. TAKE US THROUGH YOUR 2017 EPIC JOURNEY. The Cape Epic is a very complex project as performing well in this stage race depends on so many factors. Also factors that, compared to world cup races, I can’t fully control. The reason Matthias Stirnemann and I did so well was a combination of forming a good team not only Mathias and myself, but the whole Scott-Sram team, in particular a super strong backup team, that helped us win the Epic. Last but not least, it was also a matter of having enough luck to not have one single mechanical throughout the whole race. Everything fitted together just perfectly. HOW IMPORTANT WAS THAT EPIC VICTORY TO YOU, NOT JUST AS A WIN AT AFRICA’S UNTAMED MTB RACE, BUT IN SETTING UP YOUR PERFECT SEASON? WOULD YOU SAY THE EPIC HAS BECOME A VITAL PART IN STARTING THE SEASON? Winning the Absa Cape Epic was the base of the perfect season. It really
It’s the riders who make the race, not the route. The strongest team with the best tactic and luck will be on top at the end. The time trial might change tactics a bit, but in the end it will not be game changing. PREDICTION TIME. WHO DO YOU THINK WILL BE THE BIGGEST CONTENDERS AT THE EPIC? WHO WILL YOU BE KEEPING AN EYE ON? We focus on our performances and don‘t look too much what the other teams are doing. But Jaroslav and Howard are for sure a strong team. THE SCOTT-SRAM YOUNG GUNS ARE BEING SPOKEN OF AS POTENTIAL WINNERS OF THE EPIC IN THE NEAR FUTURE. DO YOU AGREE? JUST HOW IMPRESSIVE WERE THEY IN THEIR FIRST EPIC? The Cape Epic takes a lot of routine and experience. This said it was impressive what the young guns were able to deliver. They sure have future potential, maybe also in a different combination as a team. But for 2018, I think it’s too early for them to even consider going for the win. YOU HAVE TEAMED UP WITH MATTHIAS STIRNEMANN AGAIN. WHAT QUALITIES DOES HE BRING AND WHAT IS THE SECRET OF YOUR PARTNERSHIP?
Knowing each other very well is part of making it through without troubles. Both individuals are riding at the limit for eight days straight. But you can only race fast as long as you work as a team, respecting each other’s strength and weaknesses. I like being around him. He is a funny guy to spend a week on the bike and in the camper together. IN MARCH, THE WESTERN CAPE WILL BE THE CENTRE OF WORLD MOUNTAIN BIKING, WITH THE FIRST LEG OF THE UCI WORLD CUP IN STELLENBOSCH AND THEN THE CAPE EPIC. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THIS AS A PERMANENT FIXTURE ON THE UCI CALENDAR – AN ENTIRE MONTH IN YOUR SECOND HOME? This schedule truly is the perfect schedule for me. Having the first World Cup round at my second home is something I look forward to, for sure. I hope this schedule will remain in the year’s to come. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE WESTERN CAPE THAT IS SO SPECIAL TO YOU? I spend quite some weeks in Stellenbosch. January /February are the most intense months for training. In this period, I want to count on good weather and great riding possibilities. The Western Cape has it all. On top of that, I like the town itself with its young population and good restaurants. AS YOU LOOK AHEAD TO 2018, WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES AND DREAMS FOR THE YEAR? First of all, to keep the luck on my side, not getting injured or deal with other negative aspects. For 2018 I have one big goal and that is winning the World Championship in Lenzerheide on my home turf.
“The reason Matthias Stirnemann and I did so well was a combination of forming a good team not only Mathias and myself, but the whole Scott-Sram team”
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IN NUMBERS
FEMALE
MALE
FINISH
9%
91%
84%
AVERAGE AGE 37
AVERAGE AGE 42 AVERAGE WEIGHT 76KG
OCTOBER
1
YOUNGEST FINISHER 18
AVERAGE WEIGHT 59KG
MOST TELEVISED MTB RACE IN THE WORLD
34 000
200
12 HOURS TRAINING PER WEEK
OLDEST FINISHER 70
58
HOURS OF GLOBAL TELEVISION BROADCAST
6 MONTHS OF TRAINING
12
COUNTRIES REPRESENTED
49%
SOUTH AFRICAN PARTICIPANTS
51%
INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS
71%
TRAVEL TO ATTEND THE RACE
OLYMPIC MEDALLISTS
27
WORLD CHAMPIONS
17% USE A
90% HAVE DUAL
DROPPER POST
SUSPENSION
188 COUNTRIES
78â„“ OF MUC-OFF
WATCHED LIVE STREAM
CHAIN LUBE USED
MEDIA CREW AND REPRESENTATIVES
LONGEST RACE
KM
SHORTEST RACE
KM
SHORTEST STAGE
KM
CLIMBED SINCE 2004
DISTANCE RIDDEN SINCE 2004
KM
LONGEST STAGE
KM
84 0 CREW AND VOLUNTEERS
M
BAGS OF RIDER LAUNDRY
R17,2 MILLION
RAISED FOR CHARITY SINCE 2011
DRIVE TRAIN
1X, 2X OR 3X?
18% ENTIRE DRIVE TRAIN
30% SINGLE CHAINRING
42% CASETTE AND CHAIN
67% DOUBLE CHAINRING
18% CHAIN ONLY
3%
1472 EQUIPMENT TRANSPORTED DURING THE RACE
750
CHILDREN in Anna Foundation doing their literacy, sports and lifestyle programmes
8730
QHUBEKA BIKES distributed since 2011
TRIPLE CHAINRING
20 000
KG RIDER LUGGAGE TRANSPORTED
90 MOBILE HOMES
10 800
children educated by the Cape Leopard Trust in 3 community outreach programmes in Absa Cape Epic towns
R225 000
to be provided by IRONMAN Foundation to organizations and initiatives in three race village host towns
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projects supported by Laureus Sport For Good Foundation
2018 RIDE GUIDE
THE UNTAMED AFRICAN MTB RACE
OFFICIAL ABSA CAPE EPIC ® MERCHANDISE NOW AVAILABLE
18-25 March 2018
Buff Trucker Cap
Wine Box Set
Custom T-Shirts
Buy official Absa Cape Epic ® merchandise at our event Logo Store, also available online at www.cape-epic.store ON-BIKE APPAREL | CASUAL WEAR | ACCESSORIES | GIFTS