The gruelling Absa Cape Epic mountain bike stage race (March 15-22) in South Africa will play out over eight days this year, accumulating 700 kilometres of racing and 16,000 metres of elevation gain through the rugged terrain of the Western Cape.
Every year Cape Epic proves to be an unrelenting test of endurance for even the most experienced and hardy in the field, with mechanicals, illness and crashes throwing another layer of challenge and unpredictability into the already formidable mix. What's more, the pairs format means that it's not enough to have one rider on a good day, as both riders need to ride within two minutes of each other the entire time.
