Road cycling’s most celebrated and important race is the Tour de France. But for mountain biking the equivalent event is African and unique in its blend of amateur and pro riders, competing on the same route. 

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The Cape Epic is a week of extreme stage racing, with teams of two navigating the rugged, at times brutal, Western Cape mountain ranges of South Africa.

Although the route stats never seem that intimidating, the true test of any Cape Epic is not measured in total distance or climbing profiles. What makes this event so humbling for pro and amateur riders alike, is the African terrain, trails and travails. 

The terrain at a Cape Epic has sections of terrain a lot more rugged and unforgiving than most other endurance mountain biking events. African weather is unpredictable and can vary between heavy rain, headwinds and heat soak way beyond anything Northern Hemisphere riders would be training in, during their preparation for the Cape Epic. All these factors contribute to creating the Cape Epic’s fearsome reputation. 

The route

Competing across seven stages of racing (and a seeding prologue), Cape Epic riders will start in Somerset West, 40 minutes outside of Cape Town, and finish in the university town of Stellenbosch, which is known as Africa’s mountain biking headquarters. 

The Cape Epic route 2024 measures 613km, with 16,850m of climbing, but it’s not continuous. Riders will start with a prologue at Lourensford farm, and then transfer by bus and camper vans, more than 100 miles north, to the town of Tulbagh, for stage one. Surrounded by towering mountains, with very little tree cover, the Tulbagh area hosts stages one and two, before riders loop a variety of trails around the town of Wellington, for stages three, four, and five. 

A significant build project in the Hawequa mountains around Wellington has created an amazing section of trail for stage four of the Cape Epic. It’s called the ‘Cliffhanger’ and starts with a 900m climb over 11km of singletrack (with all the traffic issues that implies), before dropping into a 9km descent that navigates an almost endless sequence of switchbacks 950m down into a valley. 

Terrain and weather issues

Experienced Cape Epic riders know that sand and unrideably steep and rocky climbs will feature along the route. During these dismounted portage sections, stiff-soled carbon fibre riding shoes and fatigue can trigger cramps and accidental slippages, with injury risk. 

Absa Cape Epic, by Absa Cape Epic

Thorns are always waiting in the most unexpected part of the Cape Epic route, to punish riders who have chosen ultralight tyre casings. The Cape Epic route traverses many farms, and it’s in these orchards where clusters of groundcover vegetation hide thorns that can overwhelm lightweight casing tyres not filled with possible sealant. 

Last year’s Cape Epic saw punishing headwinds during the first few stages, but temperatures were mild, which is unlike Cape Epics of yore. Although the event is scheduled to run at the start of the South African autumn, extremely hot weather can happen, and tree cover is sparse along the route. 

Hydration and heat management are often a make-or-break factor for riders transitioning to the Cape Epic from a cold weather northern hemisphere training cycle. The need for more than two bike-mounted hydration bottles on those extreme heat Cape Epic stages has seen the development of new-generation hydration backpacks that are lighter and feature better ventilation. Even pro riders shoulder a hydration pack at the Cape Epic when weather forecasters predict extreme temperatures.  

Who are the favourites?

After years of international winners, South Africa has found a consistent podium and overall title contender in Matt Beers. The defending champion will be campaigning with Coloradoan Howard Grotts, who won the event back in 2018. 

Matt Beers and Jordan Sarrou at the 2021 Absa Cape Epic, by Michal Cerveny/Specialized

Mountain biking’s greatest sprint and endurance rider, Nino Schurter, is a Cape Epic favourite for every event he enters. The Swiss rider spends a few months in Stellenbosch each year and is deeply acclimated to Cape Epic riding conditions and strategy, but his ability often overpowers teammates, costing him overall victory. 

For this year’s Cape Epic, Schurter is riding with Denmark’s Sebastian Fini. Interestingly, the Schurter/Fini team is unusual in not pairing UCI teammates. Schurter is a Scott-SRAM rider and Fini represents LaPierre Mavic Unity, but they are riding together as teammates for a good cause, World Bicycle Relief. A keen helicopter pilot, Schurter logs a lot of flight time during his training camps in South Africa and could have advanced awareness of the Cape Epic route’s terrain and topography by virtue of his flight time. 

One of the most exciting Cape Epics of all time was the 2022 event, where the German duo of Lukas Baum and Georg Egger, degraded a last stage time deficit to gain overall victory. The Speed Company Racing riders are fan favourites for their adventurous and bold riding, and if they don’t suffer a severe mechanical (which scuttled their ambitions last year), they’ll be regular podium finishers with a chance at overall victory. 

In the women’s race, the Cape Epic will feature a very small collection of pro riders. Austria’s Monika Mitterwallner and her South African partner, Candice Lill, will battle with American Alexis Skarda and Namibia’s Vera Looser. The absence of UCI XCO superstars, which were once a feature of Cape Epic women’s category teams, is telling.

How to watch the 2024 Cape Epic MTB Race

Brutal climbs, punctures, mechanicals, daring team strategies on long, shale-strewn descents. If you want to immerse yourself in the live riding action at this year’s Cape Epic, there is a team of motorcycle, e-bike and aviation-enabled media that track the race, feeding a live stream. 

Similar to the Tour de France, which has set a global standard for broadcasting a sports event and showcasing the natural splendour of a region, the Cape Epic is worth viewing for the racing and terrain. 

#Former Cape Epic riders on e-bikes will transport you onto the singletrack, delivering an intimate view of the dust, heat, and tyre-buzzing drama that happens among the lead group. The sweeping drone and helicopter shots will leave you in no doubt about the Western Cape’s incredible scenery and provide evidence to support why this race is worth its billing as something ‘Epic’. 

The daily live stream links are below for you to click through and view on each stage. 

Prologue

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 6

Grand Finale

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