The Elite Women will race across 560 kilometres and conquer 13 350 metres of climbing on their eight-day odyssey from Meerendal to Stellenbosch. Starting with a 20-kilometre Prologue on Sunday, 15 March, and concluding with 2 150 metres of climbing on Sunday, the 22nd’s Grand Finale, the route is packed with trails, climbs, and attacking opportunities. This is what the Elite Women will face in the 2026 Absa Cape Epic…
In 2026, the Elite Women will race across a route that is designed to enable them to match the daily winning time of the Elite Men. The shorter stages enable time parity on six of the eight days, while they will race the general Prologue and Stage 7 courses. On the opening and closing days of the race, the expected Elite Women’s winning time falls within the race’s criteria for the percentage of time acceptable for the women’s winners to exceed the men’s by.
Stages 1, 2, 4, and 6 will see the Elite Women deviating from the general route to finish in the same time as the Elite Men. While on Stage 3 and 5, when the race moves from Montagu to Greyton, and from Greyton to Stellenbosch, the Elite Women will start at Weltevrede Wine Farm, in Bonnievale, and at Beaumont Wines, in Botrivier, respectively. These changes result in a 560-kilometre total route length, and a course which boasts 13 350 metres of accumulated ascent for an average of 23.83 metres of climbing per kilometre. This is, in fact, more than the 23.19 metres of climbing per kilometre the rest of the 2026 Absa Cape Epic field will take on.
Prologue
15 March 2026
Venue: Meerendal Wine Estate, Durbanville
Distance: 20km
Climbing: 650m
Familiar Ground
Nerves are, more often than not, the biggest hurdle of the Absa Cape Epic Prologue. However, at Meerendal, the pace will be fierce after a calm start allows for the rapid finding of rhythm. The Stairway to Heaven Climb leads to the unforgiving pitches of Dorstberg, where fans and supporters will line the trails, their cheers echoing across the lands. It will be easy to get carried away on the Prologue and venture into the red. But remember, no team has ever won the Absa Cape Epic on Prologue day. If smarts are applied, the opening 20 kilometres of the race can kickstart the momentum that will be so necessary for success in what is set to be an Absa Cape Epic for the ages.
Stage 1
16 March 2026
Venue: Montagu
Distance: 70km
Climbing: 1 800m
Reignition of Tradition
It has been nearly two decades since the Absa Cape Epic last ventured into the dry lands of Montagu. Inhospitable but beautiful, Montagu is set to reignite traditions of yesteryear and spark memories of glories past. Stage 1 will be a roller coaster through the Klein Karoo that trends upward just as much as it does down. The main protagonists of the race will likely find themselves together until the Dead Man’s descent separates those who are willing to risk short-term gain from long-term success. An arduous set of climbs and descents follows, driving home the fatigue under the burning African sun. On an opening stage like this, anyone who arrived sans form will be left wanting and with an extremely long week ahead.
Stage 2
17 March 2026
Venue: Montagu
Distance: 83km
Climbing: 1 850m
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Long and unrelenting, Stage 2 asks questions that build on those asked in Stage 1. The climbing begins immediately, and cold legs will ache all the way to the summit of Ouberg Pass. At the top, a long ridgeline stretches out as far as the eye can see, though if the wheel ahead is dropped, the teams ahead may disappear out of sight, out of mind, and out of reach. The descent of Slagkloof is tough but leads to the welcome respite of African Game Lodge. But still, the Karoo is unforgiving, unpredictable, and a moment too long spent enjoying the views could prove race-ending. The final third of the stage offers little relief, especially if the sun blazes and the winds rip. Stage 2 is a test of patience, endurance, and resolve.
Stage 3
18 March 2026
Venue: Weltevrede Wine Estate, Bonnievale, to Middleplaas, Greyton
Distance: 107km
Climbing: 1 450m
A Friend Indeed
Stage 3 of the Absa Cape Epic will be an ode to the past. A long day across open roads. A stage that will have the Amabubesi members who last raced here smiling. Starting outside the small town of Bonnievale, the Elite Women cross the Breerivier, before the test of Drecaso threatens to break the day apart. Teams will need grit, focus, and determination with more than half the journey still ahead. Open roads stretch ahead with unsurpassed views of vineyards and orchards, and the Langeberg Mountains on the horizon. A brief, ironic pass through Riviersonderend reminds riders how long this stage really is, before a gradual trek leads to Greyton.
Stage 4
19 March 2026
Venue: Middleplaas, Greyton
Distance: 73km
Climbing: 1 450m
A Country Favourite
Though short on distance, Stage 4 will by no means be short of demand. The battle-worn trails surrounding Greyton and Genadendal are characterised by energy-sapping climbs and rolling descents that offer no real respite. After a relatively flat first quarter, the action begins, and every turn will offer a choice: risk and reward, or safe and steady. A line taken too boldly over a moment of caution may result in immediate consequences. The final quarter of the stage looms heavy in the distance as the UFO climb and its infamous ramps are part and parcel of MTB legend in the region. Teams who overcome burning lungs and legs will have no time to rejoice as the Toyota Tough section arrives immediately after on the descent to Middelplaas. With the end in sight, will this be the time to roll the dice and hope for glory — or not? Choose wisely.
Stage 5
20 March 2026
Venue: Beaumont Wines, Botrivier, to Coetzenburg, Stellenbosch
Distance: 89km
Climbing: 2 150m
The Real Queen
Stage 5 rules over the Absa Cape Epic with an iron fist. It is, without doubt, one of the biggest, meanest stages that the race has seen in years, and the numbers alone tell a story of extreme distance, massive elevation, and relentless trials from Beaumont Wines to Stellenbosch. The Elite Women will climb from the gun, as Katpas stands guard of the Cape Floral Kingdom in Grabouw. Here, trails abound before the portage down the historic Gantouw Pass tests minds and legs alike. The descent will lull teams into a false sense of security, but all they need to do to remind themselves that they’re in the Absa Cape Epic is to cast their eyes across the Helderberg basin to the wall that is the Lourensford Nek. And then begin the grind to the top. When over the Nek, a taste of what’s to come in the final two stages will cap off an epic day and guarantee a good night’s sleep for those who make it to the new race village intact.
Stage 6
21 March 2026
Venue: Coetzenburg, Stellenbosch
Distance: 60km
Climbing: 1 850m
The Home of Mountain Biking
The penultimate stage of the Absa Cape Epic will be a day where the start line feels like a lifetime ago, and the finish line feels within reach – this is, arguably, the biggest mental hurdle of the week. Stellenbosch, the home of mountain biking in South Africa, presents a route that is tailored to the strengths of the cross-country specialists, offering them the opportunity to claw back time on marathon specialists or drive home their lead. Strong legs will be vital from the gun as the climbing begins almost immediately up Botmaskop. Banhoek Berms, Nick Naks, Klipwerf, and Old Rocky follow. The sawtooth profile relents lightly for a few kilometres near halfway before relaunching itself up and down back to Stellenbosch via the Idas Valley Trails and a check-in with The Doctor for the descent back to Coetzenburg. This is the stage for the racers and the trail lovers.
Stage 7
22 March 2026
Venue: Coetzenburg, Stellenbosch
Distance: 58km
Climbing: 2 150m
Grand Finale
By this stage, teams will be begging for an easy day. But at the Absa Cape Epic, nothing comes easy. The Grand Finale will be no pleasure cruise to the finish line, rather it’s a concluding demand for fatigued minds and aching bodies. But hand in hand with the demands come the pleasures of the Jonkershoek trail network, where the trail builders wear the dirt on their shirts like badges of honour. The trails will be lined with hundreds of spectators chanting teams onwards, from the very front of the field to the very back. For the racers, the trail-laden route will make it tough to pull away. If the title is up for grabs this late in the day, there’s no telling what will happen. If the Jersey wearers start the Grand Finale with a healthy gap, then the title is theirs to lose.
Either way, a thrilling Finale waits for the teams hailing from over 50 countries.
