The ninth edition of the Absa Cape Epic kicked off on Sunday with a 27-kilometre prologue at Meerendal Wine Estate in the Durbanville Wine Valley – a Mecca on Cape Town’s doorstep. The event saw 1 200 excited riders from 46 countries enjoy sunny weather, with the first group of riders starting their 8-day journey at 6.45am.
The ninth edition of the Absa Cape Epic kicked off on Sunday with a 27-kilometre prologue at Meerendal Wine Estate in the Durbanville Wine Valley – a Mecca on Cape Town’s doorstep. The event saw 1 200 excited riders from 46 countries enjoy sunny weather, with the first group of riders starting their 8-day journey at 6.45am. Far from just a ceremonial stroll, it was flat out from the start ramp heading through spectator points Contermanskloof, Kliprug Hillcrest and Nitida. The route took riders through protected Renosterveld, railing the sublime single track created by the Tygerberg Mountain Bike club.
On the final push was the lung-bursting climb up to the Meerendal hilltop finish – a first in the history of the Absa Cape Epic, where riders saw spectators lining the trail for support, with magnificent views of Table Mountain and Table Bay in the background. This time trial was a race against the clock to decide the seeding at the start of Stage 1 in Robertson.
Stage 1, which started yesterday in Robertson, was a rude awakening for the riders. They were faced with a 115km ride, climbing 2350m.
The gruelling but exhilarating routes of the renowned Absa Cape Epic wind through some of the most pristine Fynbos landscapes in the Western Cape, taking riders to exquisite vistas and wide open spaces. Intrepid cyclists, however, are not the only traffic on these routes – Cape mountain leopards (italPanthera pardus/ital) consider this network of gravel roads and single tracks as ideal ‘highways’ for their territorial patrols.
Among the high profile riders joining the 2012 race is Alain Prost, world-famous former Formula One champion and his partner, international water ski champion Sebastien Di Pasqua. Multiple Ironman champion Raynard Tisskink is joining Mr African Mannie Heymans, riding to raise money in support of the JAG Foundation, the Absa Cape Epic's official charity . Retired Austrian professional road biker, René Haselbacher, is riding with South African mountain bike racing stalwart Renay Groustra. Haselbacher (34) rode for major teams Gerolsteiner and Astana, and took national titles in both road racing and the time trial.
Go to www.cape-epic.com/ to follow the race live online.
