Finishing just one Absa Cape Epic requires the strength of a lion and mental fortitude of a guru, but imagine what it takes to complete them all?
Suffice to say those who have are few – only three in fact. On 28 February 2004, John Gale, Mike Nixon and Hannele Steyn were among the 550 riders who gathered in the dawn light of Knysna ready to embark on a ride into the unknown that would later become the Cape Epic as it is today.
Fast forward almost two decades and they’re still there, the revered originals who have finished all 18 events and witnessed the race grow into the pinnacle of mountain bike stage racing.
In an incredible feat of human endeavour, these Last Lions have traversed a staggering 12 126km of untamed terrain spread across 137 stages, including 12 prologues and three mid-race time-trials.
The riders have seen and done it all, also gaining 284 187m in total climbing and experiencing both the Knysna to Cape Town routes and, from 2009, the modern version where some stages start and finish in the same town.
To many, their continued participation in the race may seem nonsensical, borderline crazy even. But they simply do not understand their passion.
“I have the tiger by the tail, like Baloo. He has to come back to feel that the other end has teeth,” says Gale, a chartered accountant in Cape Town.
Nixon, who also hails from Cape Town where he works as a commercial property developer, describes the race as “irresistible”.
“It’s the Tour de France of mountain biking on your doorstep. Also, after so many years my wonderful wife has got used to the solitude from December to March, so when she wants me back I will stop,” he quips.
Steyn, the only female among the Last Lions pride, was in love with the Cape Epic from the beginning. “It became my favourite race experience from the very first one when I had no clue what to expect or what multi-day racing was all about,” the Knysna-based geneticist says. “As a professional racing for one of the Cape Epic sponsors at the time, it was just one of the planned races on my calendar, but after I retired from professional racing in 2007, I had done four already and wanted to get to five at least.
“Each year after that I was fortunate enough to get a sponsor and then it became a challenge to get to number 10. If you have done 10, you must either stop or again carry on till the next big number.” As a mark of Steyn’s determination, she broke her arm on 28 January this year, necessitating the introduction of a titanium plate to her body, yet she is still training like a “mad woman” for the race. “I am 100% planning to be on the 2023 Absa Cape Epic start line. The lioness cannot just give up to the lions on a titanium plate,” she says.
All three riders believe preparation is key for the race, being held from March 19-26 this year. Gale adds that there also needs to be “a whole year of luck in training and being lucky enough with health, work and personal life”. “Eight consecutive days of luck on the bike. Not picking up an injury, not dehydrating, not getting sunstroke, not breaking the bike. It needs a lot of luck. Each year the field is stronger, faster, better equipped and better prepared,” he says. As for Steyn, the challenge of the race is motivation enough. “I will try and do it until something outside of my power stops me.”
