User:Absa Cape Epic

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The Absa Cape Epic presented by adidas is an annual 8-stage mountain bike team race through South Africa’s Western Cape. Each participating team consists of two riders and starts in one of the four different categories Men, Ladies, Mixed and Masters (both team riders must be at least 40 years old).

The Absa Cape Epic is the largest full-service mountain bike stage race in the world and the most televised mountain bike race of all time. In 2007, 1206 riders lined up at the start in Knysna when the fourth edition of “The Magical and Untamed African Mountain Bike Race” kicked off.

Mountain bikers come all the way from Brazil, Canada, Finland, Hong Kong, and Australia to join this unique team race from Knysna at the Garden Route to Lourensford Wine Estate in Somerset West. A new route is designed each year and the race is entirely off-road. During the 2007 race, the 603 two-person-teams had to cycle 886 gruelling kilometres and climb some 15045 vertical metres on their bikes – that is the equivalent of riding almost twice up Mount Everest. To deserve the honourable ‘Absa Cape Epic Finisher' title, the participants have to complete all eight stages.

The Absa Cape Epic presented by adidas is the first-ever team mountain bike stage race at which UCI (International Cycling Federation) points are awarded. Thus, the entrants include some of the best MTB Cross Country riders in the world like two time overall UCI World Cup Winner, Olympic bronze medallist and World Cup Champion Christoph Sauser (SUI) who is also the defending Absa Cape Epic Champion; Olympic gold medallist and overall World Cup Winner Bart Brentjens (NDL), the reigning UCI World Marathon Champion Ralph Naef (SUI), World Cup Champion and Olympic silver medallist José Antonio Hermida (ESP), World Cup Champion Roel Paulissen (BEL), and Swedish Champion Fredrik Kessiakoff (SWE).

The Magical and Untamed African Mountain Bike Race is also a massive logistics project. The organisers pitch over 1200 rider tents per day, transport 780 tons and 2700 m³ of equipment and supplies during the event. Twenty-one heavy duty trucks and transporters and over 400 crew and volunteers are involved in implementing the largest full service mountain bike stage race in the world.