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An epic cycle in the Western Cape
Cape Epic Marathon
Riding the gruelling ABSA Cape Epic.
© South African Tourism
Did you know?
More than 600 2-person teams take part in the ABSA Cape Epic mountain bike marathon.
To the outsider, the Cape Epic Marathon looks like the never-ending race, performed by a lot of crazy people. To the insider, however, this South African cycling endurance marathon represents one of the biggest 2-wheel challenges in a cyclist's sporting life.
Some people describe it as 'a great feat of endurance that Everyman can do', but the frontrunners are thinking with great passion about factors like power-to-weight ratios, controlled diets and the necessarily strong bond between cycling partners on the road.
The Cape Epic Marathon is a very long and well-attended cycle race. Normally staged from Knysna heading west, the 2009 Cape Epic began in Cape Town in the last week of March and ran through 743 kilometres into the Western Cape hinterland, through coastal towns like Gordons Bay and inland hamlets like Villiersdorp.
Then on, into the Overberg, to the village of Greyton, across the Apple Trail and into the renowned Cape Nature Conservation biosphere called Kogelberg, where fynbos (fine-leafed vegetation of great biodiversity) is king. Most cycling endurance races in South Africa take you through unbelievably lovely countryside, and this event is right up there as one of the prettiest there is.
However, the route was designed to tax the system, to burn the athlete's bodies and to challenge their resolve. Cruel climbs, river crossings, fast sprints, rocky tracks, coastal meanders followed by more climbing, climbing, climbing - that's the essence of this cycling marathon, which takes 8 days to complete.
All this is why athletes from more than 40 countries enter this astounding mountain cycle race every year, some of them traveling for up to 35 hours' long-haul to reach Cape Town, rest up for a while and join what is known as 'The Magical and Untamed African Mountain Bike Race'.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
For more information contact the Cape Epic organisers on +27 (0) 21 426 4373 or email registration@cape-epic.com
How to get here
Fly or drive to Cape Town. A different route is chosen every year, so contact the organisers well in advance to find out where you start from.
Length of stay
The Cape Epic takes 8 days, but build in a few days before and after. You may have passed a town or a place you'd like to visit at leisure.
What to pack
The Absa Cape Epic is the largest full-service mountain bike stage race in the world, so food and accommodation is sorted in advance. Bring your bike and kit.
Where to stay
An entire tented village is erected every night, but if you opt for the premium upgrade, you'll stay in a hotel or guesthouse and best of all, you'll have your own masseuse.