Events

What’s in a name? Absa Cape Epic race register is online

By Press Office · 6 comments

Will the Fat Boys have the edge over the Fatboys and Fat Bob? And can The Butcher And His Babe overcome the challenge of Absa Good Wife? Will the Paradise Pimps and Whoreiors be, er, working together.

The 2016 Absa Cape Epic race register is online, and these are just a few of the more colourful names people have chosen for their teams.

For some, however, the effort has proven to be too much: Name TBA, No Cool Name and To Be Announced are presumably still racking their brains.

No such problem though for Amazeballs, Attitude of Gratitude, Dogged and No Illusion of Grandeur.

But what on earth were Moomoo thinking? And Gasssss?

More obvious are Epic Brothers, Epic Dream, Epic Fighters and Epicondriacs.

And there’s no doubting where the Karoo Poison or the Down Underdogs come from.

Talking of which, those Aussies will be from one of 54 different countries represented at the 2016 Absa Cape Epic.

They will be coming from across Europe and as far afield as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica and Mexico. Besides the many South Africans in the field, the continent will also be represented by riders from Mauritius, Zambia, Angola and more. And then there will be Estonians, Ukranians, Czechs, Swedes, Danes, Norwegians and a selection of Americans.

A total of 42% of the field will be riders from outside South Africa’s borders.

The Caribbean island of Aruba will be represented for the first time, as will Greece (in the person of top professional rider Periklis Ilias) and Turkey.

You can check out who is racing on http://www.cape-epic.com/riders/the-2016-race/race-register

There you will find that the youngest competitor will be 18-year-old Josep Colomina Tomas of Spain and the oldest is 68-year-old local rider Sandy Rae.

The youngest and oldest female riders will be 23-year-old Ukranian professional Yana Belomoina and South African Colleen Jacob, 55.

A total of 52% of the field will be riding the Absa Cape Epic for the first time and 16% have raced it three times or more.

Will they, like one of the teams out there, end up Tyred and Weary? Or will it be a case of Beers and Gears? But maybe they would be wiser to take their lead from the name of the pairing who have decided that their approach will be Why Worry Be Happy.

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Comments

Bat

Dec 8, 2015, 6:03 PM

So 42% of 2016 Epic will be from outside S.A. We can argue this is good for our economy, but now I know why the average South African MB er will never have the change to get an entry for this race, even if we could afford it. Come 2017, our changes will become even less. Maybe they should implement a BEE for local riders, or have a second race just for us locals, at local cost?

raptor-22

Dec 10, 2015, 9:13 PM

Is it just me or does the field seem to lack depth and quality?

Women's race is pretty much a annika Arianne show....again.

 

And Karl platt doesn't seem to have any competition either

Nick

Dec 11, 2015, 5:36 AM

It's an Olympic year. Many pros are probably focussing on that instead.

raptor-22

Dec 11, 2015, 5:43 AM

That's just a symptom. It just seems there's not enough top riders globally who focus on this type of event. Even making it easier in an Olympic year hasn't attracted the names.

Gerry Hattrick

Dec 11, 2015, 12:48 PM

Is it just me or does the field seem to lack depth and quality?

Women's race is pretty much a annika Arianne show....again.

 

And Karl platt doesn't seem to have any competition either

Have they announced the names of the top pros yet? I haven't seen anything. If Platt has no competition does that mean Lakata and Hynek aren't coming? And Kaufmann and Kaess must be two of the most formidable marathon riders in the world now. They normally only announce them in the new year?

waveduke

Dec 11, 2015, 2:08 PM

Is it just me or does the field seem to lack depth and quality?

Women's race is pretty much a annika Arianne show....again.

 

And Karl platt doesn't seem to have any competition either

 

Not all of the pros are listed yet.

 

For example German Sabine Spitz has confirmed that she will be racing in 2016.

Topeak Ergon posted on facebook that they want to win the Epic.

And I'm pretty sure Jose Antonio Hermida will be on the starting line as well. 

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