Make a date for 2016 Absa Cape Epic
The third stage of the 2016 Absa Cape Epic will be the 100th in the history of the race, and event founder Kevin Vermaak has promised something special for that day. “We are looking at a variety of things we could lay on to make it memorable,” said Vermaak. Might it be the longest stage […]
Absa Cape Epic fuels boks’ competitive fires
Previously, when sportsmen retired they turned their hands to coaching. Some even dabbled in selling fax machines and other now-defunct office equipment. Failing those rather dour retirement pastimes, there was always a golf day around the corner that required a bleary-eyed ex-Bok to announce at the first tee, or maybe even participate in a sponsored […]
Mitas joins Absa Cape Epic as official tyre partner
The Czech-based tyre manufacturer will host “tyre zones” on the route and in the race village when the world’s premier mountain bike stage race takes place in the Western Cape from 15 to 22 March. Mitas has grown out of the renowned Rubena brand of bicycle tyres, also Czech-based. CGS, the parent company of both […]
Hynek back with The Albanator
Much-decorated Austrian mountain biker Alban Lakata has finished 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 10th in his six Absa Cape Epics. In 2013 he finished, but as an Outcast after his partner Robert Mennen famously broke a collarbone after hitting a duiker (small antelope) on a descent. His 2015 partner Kristian Hynek of the Czech Republic […]
Will big guns Sauser & Kulhavy fire in 2015 Epic?
On paper, Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy (Investec-Songo-Specialized) will start the 2015 Absa Cape Epic as firm favourites. Switzerland’s Sauser has won the race four times already, while his Czech partner has raced it once before, with Sauser in 2013, when they won convincingly. Sauser won the marathon mountain biking world championship in 2013 while […]
Platt bids for Epic win number five
“There is only one gas and that’s full gas,” laughs Karl Platt about the way he will be approaching the 2015 Absa Cape Epic. “I want to win it if possible.” His Team Bulls partner Urs Huber is also making no bones about their objective: “After a lot of bad luck last year we are […]
Knox, Evans to settle unfinished Cape Epic business
Former South African marathon champions Max Knox and Kevin Evans will renew their stage racing partnership at next month’s ABSA Cape Epic as Team Biogen-Volcan. But they’re not going to the world’s most prestigious mountain bike stage race to make up the numbers; they’re aiming for podium places. Evans is no stranger to the Cape […]
Land Rover to be the Official Vehicle Sponsor of the Absa Cape Epic
Land Rover is the Official Vehicle of the 2015 Absa Cape Epic, it was announced today. The legendary all-terrain vehicle manufacturer will supply vehicles to the eight-day mountain bike stage race from 15 – 22 March. Discovery Sport, Discovery and Defender models will be used by the Absa Cape Epic team to traverse the rugged […]
Rugby legends ride again at Absa Cape Epic
Since 2008, when Robbi Kempson became the first former Springbok rugby player to complete the Absa Cape Epic, retired Boks have been drawn to the event like Bryan Habana to the tryline. Local luminaries of the sport like 1995 Rugby World Cup winners Chester Williams, Joel Stransky and Marius Hurter have all completed the race, […]
Mennen’s epic Epic journey
Germany’s Robert Mennen seems destined to have an interesting relationship with the Absa Cape Epic. In 2013 he was forced out of the race when he hit what he described as “a peeg” as he descended on singletrack during Stage 1 near Citrusdal. The pig, it turned out, was a duiker (small antelope) and in […]
Joker José looks for consistency
If there was a prize for popularity at the Absa Cape Epic the Spanish/Dutch combination of José Hermida and Rudi van Houts would be the winners by some distance. The irrepressible Spaniard is always smiling, always ready with a joke and appears to have an endless supply of good humour. Van Houts is a bit […]
Kleinhans: “The toughest competition ever …”
Ariane Kleinhans is under no illusions about the challenge that will confront her and partner Annika Langvad when they defend their Absa Cape Epic title next month: “We will definitely face the toughest competition ever at this year’s Cape Epic,” she said. The Swiss/Danish duo won in compelling fashion from Esther Süss of Switzerland and […]