THE HISTORY
In 2002 , a South African named Kevin Vermaak travelled to Costa Rica to participate in a famous multi-stage mountain bike race . It inspired a vision to create the biggest and most high-profile mountain bike race in the world on home soil .
Capetonian and UCT electrical engineering graduate , Kevin Vermaak founded Africa ’ s toughest stage race in 2004 .
After two years of planning , an eight-day , two-person stage race was born , and set off from Knysna on a 785km journey to Stellenbosch . It immediately attracted some of the best marathon racers in the world , and despite a few hiccups in the inaugural ride , very soon evolved to realise its founder ’ s dream .
The early days saw long point-topoint stages on dusty gravel roads , ridden on 26in hardtails with V-brakes and narrow handlebars . Since then the sport of mountain biking has grown exponentially . Bikes now come with fullsuspension , wider wheels and supple , tubeless tyres , ready to take on any terrain – and trails have been built to deliver that wider range of riding surfaces .
As the sport has evolved , so has the Absa Cape Epic . “ We ’ ve kept up with the everchanging environment within the sport ,” says race director Hendrico Burger . “ Over the years we ’ ve moved from predominantly open roads to more technical sections and lots more singletrack . The point-to-point format and long distances are still a favourite among certain riders , but the majority of riders now want to test their technical skills and advanced equipment over a number of riding surfaces . The development of trails within the Western Cape has also made routes closer to Cape Town more appealing to a greater percentage of riders . And of course , there are many logistical advantages to not moving to another race village every day .”
Hendrico believes the growth in technical riding has made the event tougher for the average rider over the years . “ Long hours in the saddle are not the only requirement to prepare for the Absa Cape Epic . Training programmes need to include technical skills over a variety of riding surfaces . Cut-off times as well the percentage of non-finishers has stayed the same over the years , regardless of the shorter distances of some stages .”
Today the Absa Cape Epic is known internationally as THE grand tour of mountain biking . The event balances a variety of routes that are challenging for the pros (“ because of the racing , not the riding ,” emphasises Hendrico ) and achievable for the guys at the back . It attracts many of the best racers in the world , and much new equipment is put to the test over the demanding trails of the Western Cape .
“ My job is to ensure that we offer a great event every year , making best use of what the respective areas we visit can offer . The Absa Cape Epic contributes a lot to local trail development and improvements , and leaves a legacy behind for day-to-day riders to enjoy after the event . We don ’ t use the same routes every year , although we do revisit certain areas and like to contribute to the constant evolution of areas in cooperation with local trail networks .”