Top South African rider Brandon Stewart (31) will participate in this year’s Absa Cape for the 10th time, partnering with Neil MacDonald as team FedGroup-Itec. Stewart won the Absa African Leader jersey in both 2007 and 2012, as well as finished in the top 5 in 2005, having partnered with Gerrie Beukes, Shan Wilson, Max Knox and Jacques Rossouw in the past. He was the South African Cross-country Champion in 2008 and a TransAlp stage winner in 2007.
The legendary Absa Cape Epic will see Stewart, together with approximately 1 200 riders, complete the demanding eight day mountain bike adventure of 698km with 15 650m of climbing from Meerendal Wine Estate to Lourensford Wine Estate.
Stewart is 181cm tall and weighs in at 67kg. He owns and helps manage the FedGroup-Itec professional mountain bike team. “I started mountain biking in 1995. The Absa Cape Epic has moulded my career and taught me how important consistency is to achieving greatness.” The ultimate highlight of all his Cape Epic adventures was his stage win in 2006. He adds: “Besides winning the stage into Greyton, another highlight was winning the first ever African Leader jersey in 2007.”
Jacques Rossouw (left) and Brandon Stewart (right) during the 2012 Absa Cape Epic. Photo: Sportograf / Absa Cape Epic.
For Stewart, his toughest Absa Cape Epic was the 9-day event in 2009. “Not only was it hard, but also far!” He is hoping that after 10 years of participating, he will finally have some good luck this year. “The best part of the race is always crossing the finish line, and the worst part is the suffering on a really bad day. I find the first stages the easiest. Consistency in your training really is key to having a successful ride. Also, a lot of hours on the road and many hungry nights! I feel such a sense of relief when we finally cross the finish line after 8 days. The one word that sums up the Absa Cape Epic is ‘greatness’ and I come back every year because I have to – it’s an obsession!” His advice to other participants is “train hard and don’t be too particular in your training. Try to spend a lot more hours than normal on the bike and do some running.”
He reckons his biggest achievement off the bike is his wonderful family. “My wife Bridgette and two daughters Abigail (6) and Jasmin (4) inspire me.” Balancing family and friends is not that difficult. “My friends also ride and they realise what it takes to achieve the goals I set out for myself and support me through the good and bad times. This year, I want the best result I’ve ever achieved in the history of the race and the best placed overall finish by an African team.”
