Featured posts
By the time the race hits its halfway mark at the Absa Cape Epic, the mood has shifted. What began with nervous excitement and fresh legs has hardened into something far more raw, far more honest. This is where the race stops pretending. The Race Finds Its Truth The first few days are always a…
The Slow Breakdown: What Eight Days of the Absa Cape Epic Really Does to the Human Body There is a moment, somewhere between the dust of the Karoo and the oak-lined trails of Stellenbosch, when the Absa Cape Epic stops feeling like a mountain bike race and starts resembling something far more primal. It becomes…
Stage 3 of the Absa Cape Epic 2026 delivered one of the most decisive and dramatic days of racing yet, as the longest stage of the race—140km from Montagu to Greyton—reshaped both the elite men’s and women’s competitions. With rolling farm roads, relentless gravel sectors, and a sting in the tail, the stage was always…
Stage 2 as Cape Epic Men’s GC Shrinks to 1.6 Seconds The Absa Cape Epic is often heralded as the “Tour de France of mountain biking,” but even that lofty comparison sometimes fails to capture the sheer, gritty unpredictability of racing in the Western Cape. On Stage 2 of the 2026 edition, that unpredictability was…
Every year, hundreds of elite and amateur riders gather in South Africa to attempt one of the toughest endurance challenges in cycling: the ABSA Cape Epic. Often called the “Tour de France of mountain biking,” this legendary stage race pushes riders through eight relentless days of racing across some of the most demanding terrain on…
A Historic Women’s Race Format The UCI Women’s race saw an important structural change in 2026. For many years, the elite women raced the exact same distance as the men. This year the organisers introduced a new format designed to balance overall race time and improve broadcast coverage. The elite women started 24 kilometres into…
Stage 1 Race Report – 2026 Absa Cape Epic Montagu, Western Cape – 90km | 2,150m climbing The opening marathon stage of the Absa Cape Epic delivered exactly what the race is famous for: drama, tactical racing and early general classification tension. Stage 1 started and finished in the historic town of Montagu and immediately…
How a Karoo Town Built One of South Africa’s Most Exciting Trail Networks Tucked into the dramatic folds of the Langeberg Mountains along Route 62, the small Western Cape town of Montagu has long been known for its hot springs, dried fruit farms and spectacular Karoo landscapes. In recent years, however, the town has quietly…
Both the racing and the weather were hot as SA riders Beers and Nortje narrowly won the opening Prologue at the 2026 Absa Cape Epic while compatriot Candice Lill and Swiss partner Alessandra Keller dominated the women’s race. Both the winning teams led the stage from the earliest checkpoints with Beers and Nortje winning by…
The 2026 Absa Cape Epic kicked off with explosive intensity today at the Meerendal Wine Estate. In a discipline often decided by mere seconds, the Men’s Elite field proved that the “Untamed” race is as competitive as ever. Local favorites and international stars battled through the 20km course, which featured 650m of punchy climbing and…