The 2026 Swiss Epic is set to take place from the 19th to the 23rd of August in the south-eastern canton of Graubünden. Over the course of five stages, 500 riders in two-person teams will climb 11 000 metres on a 343-kilometre-long route. Newly crowned Swiss Mountain Bike Marathon Champions, Casey South and Anna Weinbeer,…
Synopsis: South African performance sock brand, Sox Footwear has entered a three-year partnership with the Epic Series, becoming the Official Sock Partner across the world’s leading mountain bike stage races. The partnership covers all five Epic Series events: the Absa Cape Epic (South Africa), 4Islands Epic (Croatia), Andorra Epic (Andorra), Swiss Epic (Switzerland) and FNB…
A unique ferry start, a brutal opening climb straight out of the Merag harbour, and relentless racing across the island of Cres made Stage 3 one of the most distinctive days of the race. With minimal warm-up and immediate intensity, positioning and timing were critical, while the final climb once again proved decisive in shaping…
Matt Beers targets the 2026 Life Time Sea Otter Classic on April 16 after winning his fourth Cape Epic title with Tristan Nortje just two weeks ago. The 32-year-old South African champion shifts focus from the eight-day Cape Epic marathon to California’s punchy gravel terrain. Beers finished second at Sea Otter in 2025, losing by…
7 Wins. 8 Stages. 0 Doubts. For years, the narrative surrounding Candice Lill at the Absa Cape Epic was one of “almost.” Five second-place finishes had painted a picture of a rider who was remarkably consistent, immensely talented, but perhaps perpetually shadowed by the unpredictable nature of the Untamed. In 2026, however, that narrative wasn’t…
Women’s Racing Already Gets 87% Parity — And 2026 Could Change the Game Forever For years, debates about equality in sport have often focused on prize money, participation, and media coverage. In professional cycling, however, one race has quietly been rewriting the rules long before equality became a fashionable talking point. The Absa Cape Epic,…
Every year, thousands of riders dream about lining up at the start of the Absa Cape Epic. It’s the race that sits at the very top of the mountain biking bucket list — eight days of racing through the rugged beauty of the Western Cape, battling heat, dust, and the relentless ticking of the clock….
You love the rush of singletrack, the technical challenge of roots and rocks, and the camaraderie of trail days. But perhaps you’ve caught glimpses of a new horizon – wide-open roads, endless vistas, and the satisfying crunch of gravel under your tires. If you’re a mountain biker looking to explore the burgeoning world of gravel…
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…
In 2026, the Elite Women’s race at the Absa Cape Epic will feature parity in duration with the Elite Men’s, rather than parity in distance. The Absa Cape Epic’s meticulous research and comprehensive stakeholder engagement suggest that this will produce faster and more competitive racing, while allowing for increased visibility for the athletes and teams…