“ THE INSIDER TALES ARE MAKING ME WANT TO THROW SENSE INTO THE BIN AND JUST GOOI MIELIES ”
ed ’ s letter
RIDE ON !
WE ’ RE INTO THE THICK OF our summer racing season with the 21st edition of the world ’ s most prestigious mountain bike stage race about to kick off at Meerendal . If you ’ re one of the über-fit brave pain junkies taking part , then you ’ re frothing right now . The rest of us are amped to watch the spectacle from the sidelines , or on TV from the comfort of our couch . We have a cracking Absa Cape Epic special section lined up for you and , I have to admit , even though I find the idea of riding on rough trails for five-plus hours a day over eight days in sweltering heat as scary as hell , the insider tales are making me want to throw sense into the bin and just gooi mielies .
We spoke to a lead motorbike , hyena , heli pilot and photographer who have golden-circle access to the most intense action , and it ’ s pretty inspiring . The race doctor , a tech zone mechanic and a MTB coach share medical , mechanical and route management advice – perfect for all the nervous first-timers out there . You ’ ll also find route maps , past winners and a full list of the ballsy Amabubesi ( we may tease you for the helmet and bike sticker that just won ’ t wash off , but we secretly salute you for being so bulletproof ), so you have a ride guide at your fingertips whether you ’ re heading to the Winelands as a spectator or rider . We ’ ll see you at Lourensford for the Grand Finale !
If you ’ re a regular reader of our mags or BikeRunTri . co . za , or follow us on social media , you ’ ll know we love to travel to events all over Southern Africa and beyond , riding all kinds of bikes and chatting to interesting riders along the way . Check out our five-page race diary on page 140 so you can plan your own bike travels through to spring . Bike life here in the Republic is incredibly rewarding and , since we launched this mag in 2013 , we have witnessed the
16 | MTB | proud as punch
Stoke time : testing the worldtitle-winning Cannondale Scalpel at Wines2Whales , see page 70
“ THE INSIDER TALES ARE MAKING ME WANT TO THROW SENSE INTO THE BIN AND JUST GOOI MIELIES ”
custom-built trail miles double in quality and triple in length – and seen Saffa riders like Matt Beers , Alan Hatherly and Candice Lill now winning the biggest races on earth .
Speaking of Matt , he ’ s about to tackle his ninth Cape Epic with a sensational three wins under his belt before dedicating most of his year to chasing gravel titles . Read about his shift to gravel on page 26 and check out the specs on his winning weapon on page 30 . He and his gravel-grinding mate Keegan Swenson are teaming up for Epic to take on old foe Nino Schurter , who ’ s riding with fellow Swiss national champ Filippo Colombo . The Specialized vs Scott war wages on ! Matt is as homegrown as they come , and Nino the GOAT has made SA a part-time family home for years , making them both local crowd favourites . Other top contenders are Germans Lukas Baum and Georg Egger from Orbea Leatt Speed Company Racing , whose fairytale win on debut in 2022 has left an indelible mark in all our hearts . It ’ s game on ! We can ’ t wait to watch it unfold . The sweet trails of Paarl are on the Epic route for the first time this year , and you can read all about them on page 82 . Beyond our borders we travel to the forest-clad slopes of verdant Vancouver , where freeriding first became a thing in the 90s , and the deepest canyon in Europe , where two adventurers try out the new craze for bikepacking around the Tara Gorge in Montenegro . Excitingly , our sport continues to evolve !
Our event organisers are doing likewise , adding e-bike and gravel categories , and also launching some exciting new races , particularly over our miles and miles of backcountry gravel roads . What does that mean for you , the Saffa rider who finds meaning and peace out in nature in a world gone mad ? It means you have a host of races , trails and adventures to choose from . All in all , it ’ s pretty lekker here !
paul @ electricink . co . za BikeRunTri . co . za Mountain Bike SA @ mountainbikesa
PHOTOGRAPH JOHN HISHIN / CAPE TOWN SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY