Lill and Strauss team up for 2022 Absa Cape Epic

Candice Lill and Mariske Strauss of Faces CST during stage 1 of the 2021 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race from Eselfontein in Ceres to Eselfontein in Ceres, South Africa on the 18th October 2021 Photo by Gary Perkin/Cape Epic

2021 Absa Cape Epic Women’s category runners up, Candice Lill and Mariske Strauss have teamed up again and are on a winning track ahead of the 2022 Absa Cape Epic.

In 2021, the Absa Cape Epic was dominated by Sina Frei and Laura Stigger. The pair raced to eight wins in a row and the overall title; but their victory was no walk in the park, due to the pairing of Candice Lill and Mariske Strauss who claimed second overall and first in the Absa African Women’s jersey competition.

Candice Lill and Mariske Strauss during stage 7 of the 2021 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race from CPUT Wellington to Val de Vie, South Africa on the 24th October 2021 Photo by Sam Clark/Cape Epic

The last time an all-South African team won the Absa Cape Epic was in 2007 whenAnke Moore and Yolande De Villierswon the women’s title. Both Lill and Strauss have two second place finishes at the Absa Cape Epic and 2022 could potentially be the year that the first all-SouthAfrican team wins the elite women’s category since its elevation to equal prize money and UCI points, to the men’s category, in 2014.

Candice Lill during stage 6 of the 2021 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race from CPUT Wellington to CPUT Wellington, South Africa on the 23rd October 2021 Photo by Sam Clark/Cape Epic

“It feels good to have the support of the MTB community in South Africa and many people backing us. Our sponsors are all so supportive and will be proud of us no matter what,” explained Lill on the pressures ahead of the 2022 event. “The most pressure we have is the pressure we put on ourselves, which I feel is really healthy.”


Mariske Strauss echoed Lill’s sentiments: “I’d have to agree with Candice, we focus on what we can do and try execute our plan as smoothly as possible and adapt to the challenges as they present themselves. As top athletes we tend to already put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be at the top of our game. The local support and ‘expectations’ I find more motivating than added pressure. It’s an honour and privilege to race in our own country and the extra support we get from the local communities is such a special experience even more so as an all-South African team.”

Success at the Absa Cape Epic doesn’t just happen. Teams seeking spots on the podium put in countless hours of work ahead of the race; Lill and Strauss are one such team. Since the 2021 event, the pair has competed in several other stage races and have come out on top, most notably at the Tankwa Trek where they claimed victory by over an hour.

Candice Lill and Mariske Strauss during stage 7 of the 2021 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race from CPUT Wellington to Val de Vie, South Africa on the 24th October 2021 Photo by Sam Clark/Cape Epic

“I haven’t done anything vastly different to my previous years’ preparation. I believe in smart, effective, and consistent training over time. I have done a bit more strength work in the off season, which will hopefully serve me well,” elaborated Lill on her pre-Absa Cape Epic training.“Mariske and I have a strong partnership and we have learned to work well together through all sorts of adversity, which I think is a vital part of success at the Absa Cape Epic. A huge part of winning is believing you can win, and I know we are both in a space where we believe we can.”  

Team Faces CST, Candice Lill and Mariske Strauss during stage 2 of the 2021 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race from Eselfontein in Ceres to Saronsberg in Tulbagh, South Africa on the 19th October 2021 Photo by Kelvin Trautman/Cape Epic

“Like Candice, winning the Absa Cape Epic is definitely a dream of mine. I have had two second places and two thirds so I am still aiming for the top step,” said Strauss.“Achieving this goal alongside Candice would make it extra special. The Absa Cape Epic is such an amazing platform where we get to compete against the best in the world, and we get amazing publicity and an equal platform for media exposure; it’s really world-class and I cannot wait for the racing to begin.”

To follow the Faces Rola team of CandiceLill and MariskeStrauss at the 2022 Absa Cape Epic, be sure to tune in to the Live Broadcast of the event on cape-epic.com from 20-27 March 2022.