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The Next Step in Epic History
Every year since the first Cape Epic in 2004, we have introduced innovations that have helped to build the race into what it is today, and next year’s race will be no exception. The massive success of the 2008 Absa Cape Epic is a result of 5 years of tweaking and fine-tuning.
During the race this year we were somewhat unsure about how to continue down the road of innovation for 2009. Ironically, within 3 weeks of the race we’d hatched a plan for next year that has led to the most frenetic post-event period of researching, planning and permission seeking in order to be ready to announce our exciting changes in time for the lottery results in July. It’s been about as challenging as it was before the first race to develop this new concept for what will be the sixth edition race.
Why start in Knysna?
Most of the greatest cycling stage races in the world use a different route and a different start venue every year. In the early days of the Absa Cape Epic it was important to give context to the event by saying it was an ‘8-day mountain bike race from Knysna to Cape Town’. But if we considered the race to start in a different location to Knysna, we could introduce even more exciting stages and routes to the race. We could ride in areas that had never been possible before due to the constraint of starting in Knysna and getting to Lourensford in 8 days of riding.
Since 2004, we have ridden a different route from Knysna every year, and most riders would say that it has got better every year albeit tougher, but there are only so many different routes that exist between Knysna and Lourensford. A new and flexible start location means the opportunity to ride in new diverse areas and on previously un-ridden routes for many years to come.
Bringing the Race to the People
The Absa Cape Epic has become very well known amongst cyclists around the world. Every year we typically have more than 40 countries represented and 35% of the riders travel from outside Africa. In South Africa, the race is increasingly becoming an iconic endurance event well known beyond just the cycling community. But since mountain biking generally takes place in remote areas, it’s not often that the public actually get to see and ‘touch’ the race. A prologue time trial represents a unique opportunity to ‘bring the race to the people’ and to stage a part of the race in a city. What better place to achieve the goal of bringing the race to the people than to start and to race the prologue on a Saturday in Cape Town? The 2009 Absa Cape Epic will therefore have a prologue on the mountains in the greater Cape Town area and the first stage will start on Sunday morning from Gordons Bay, just outside Cape Town. Riders will then ride 7 stages from Gordons Bay through the Western Cape to our traditional finish venue at Lourensford over some truly classic mountain biking routes not previously visited by the Absa Cape Epic. Every rider participating will feel like a champion with the thousands of spectators, family and friends cheering them through the prologue on the mountains of CapeTown.
Race registration, race briefing, and the prologue will take place in Cape Town. This means easier and simpler pre-event planning for most riders. A transfer will be required from Cape Town to the start in Gordon's Bay on either Sunday morning or Saturday night, and we have created a special ‘Traveller's Package’ that includes Cape Town accommodation, transfer to Gordons Bay and Saturday night accommodation for riders that want these pre-event logistics to be taken care of by the organisers.
The Absa Cape Epic will always be EPIC…
The new race format means that the route of the entire race will be more like stage 7 of the 2008 race, which was voted by many riders as the best stage ever in the history of the race. The total race distance in kilometres may be less than in previous years, but the total time in the saddle for backmarkers and winners alike will be similar to previous years. The more technical nature of the entire route will mean that average speeds are likely to be less than in previous years.
One thing is for certain, finishing the Absa Cape Epic will always be a massive physical and mental challenge, and riders will need as much dedicated training and preparation to earn the title ‘Absa Cape Epic Finisher’.
Race Finisher’s Party moves to Lourensford
If you completed our post event survey this year, then you’ll remember the question as to whether it is preferable for our finisher party to take place at Moyo@Spier or at the Lourensford race-finish venue itself. The 2008 riders voted a finisher party at Lourensford to be preferable and hence from next year the finishers’ party will move to Lourensford. (For those interested, Lourensford won 55% to 45%. The party at the famous Moyo@Spier, a 30 minute drive from Lourensford, dates back to when the race finished at the Spier Wine Estate from 2004 – 2006). As the race grew in numbers it became impossible to host the many family, friends and supporters that wanted to celebrate at the finisher party with their riders. Lourensford is a larger venue but also a very different venue to Moyo@Spier, and therefore the finishers’ party will be a new format to that held in previous years at Moyo. A big THANK YOU to Moyo and Spier for hosting us since 2004!
The Absa Cape Epic presented by adidas
We’re very protective of what defines the Absa Cape Epic. We live, eat and breath the event for 12 months before event. The changes described above represent the next phase of developing an event that we’ve nursed and guided from being a mere dream just 6 years ago. The 2009 Absa Cape Epic presented by adidas will be the best Epic ever. Congratulations to the lucky lottery winners that will be announced on 15 July. The journey to the finish line at Lourensford on Saturday 28 March next year begins when you accept your lottery entry and you start your training – Good Luck! The experience may change your life and you will cherish the memories forever.
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