The Absa Cape Epic once again promises to captivate the mountain biking world with its unparalleled challenges and breathtaking scenery.
2024 Absa Cape Epic: Here’s what to expect
The Absa Cape Epic stands as the most televised mountain bike race globally and holds a special place as the only eight-day mountain bike stage race classified as hors catégorie by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).
The race draws not only elite professional riders but also ambitious amateurs eager to measure their mettle against the best in the world.
Organised to perfection, the Absa Cape Epic ensures participants can focus solely on the race, providing comprehensive services from start to finish.
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With 680 teams participating each year, the event traverses approximately 700 kilometres of untouched landscapes and ascends a total of 16,000 meters.
It represents the pinnacle of full-service mountain bike stage racing, offering everything from early buffet breakfasts and nutrition at water points to a fully-equipped race hospital and comfortable sleeping arrangements.
The grand finale in Stellenbosch will be a festive occasion, featuring a variety of events and attractions for spectators and participants alike.
Here’s a complete list of daily routes
The 2024 edition of the Absa Cape Epic, marking its 20th year, challenges participants with a route encompassing 16 500 metres of climbing over 617 kilometres.
The journey from the Prologue in Lourensford to the Grand Finale in Stellenbosch is meticulously designed to test the teams’ limits and resilience. Highlights include:
- Prologue: Starting at Lourensford Wine Estate, covering 26km with 700m of climbing.
- Stage 1: From Saronsberg in Tulbagh to the same, spanning 88km and ascending 2450m.
- Stage 2-7: A series of demanding stages through Saronsberg, CPUT Wellington, and Stellenbosch, culminating in the final 67km stage with 2000m of climbing in Stellenbosch.
Each stage is crafted to question the participants’ readiness and determination, with specific trails off-limits to the public to maintain the race’s exclusivity and challenge.
Absa Cape Epic race history
Since its inception, the Absa Cape Epic has attracted the sport’s luminaries, including Karl Platt and Mannie Heymans, who clinched the inaugural race’s victory.
Over the years, the event has grown in stature and difficulty, with routes covering vast distances and elevations, challenging weather conditions, and intense competition.
Noteworthy moments in its history include dominating performances by teams such as Cannondale Vredestein and the equalizing of the women’s prize purse with the men’s in 2015, a significant milestone for women’s cycling.
Recent editions have seen fierce competition in both the Men’s and Women’s categories, with memorable victories by teams like Speed Company Racing and Specialised Factory Racing, highlighting the race’s status as a premier mountain biking event.
