Epic attracts great achievers

2016-03-09

Riders who have made it through the eight-day ordeal include a lower leg amputee, blind riders and a cystic fibrosis sufferer.

There are competitors who have overcome personal disaster or difficulty, such as the six-time finisher who was the only survivor when six of his siblings were slaughtered in the Rwandan Genocide.  

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It attracts great achievers, including three men who have summited Mount Everest and the first woman Gripen pilot in the South African Air Force.

Then there are the people changing the face of the sport through their drive and determination, including the team who became the first black women finishers of the event.

And what to say of the youngster who got on to a mountain bike for the first time at the race’s Prologue … and went on to finish the event in the top half of the field?

They all represent the triumph of the human spirit which the Absa Cape Epic embodies.

In 2016 one of them will be returning: amputee Reuben van Niekerk will be attempting his third finish. 

Last year van Niekerk, riding with a prosthetic limb after losing his leg in a motorbike accident in 2008, and Dagmar Muhlbauer were the final team home after clocking up 63 hours 39 minutes in the saddle – 32 hours and 39 minutes behind the yellow zebra jersey team of Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy, who finished in 31 hours.

Van Niekerk said at the finish line last year: “Everything is hurting. It’s been tough. I almost missed the maximum stage time twice so it was such a relief to cross the line today. I learnt a lot about myself in the last eight days – I learnt that even when you are in such a deep hole, you can find the energy to get home.”

Although he wasn’t prepared at the time to commit to riding again, Van Niekerk subsequently entered for 2016 and will be attempting to secure the prestigious Amabubesi Finisher’s Club status, awarded to three time finishers.

“It will be an incredible achievement and we will all be rooting for him,” says Absa Cape Epic Marketing and Communications Manager Sarah Haigh. “Everybody who finishes the Absa Cape Epic is a hero, but every year there are people whose courage takes your breath away.”

Among those alongside Van Niekerk and aiming to beat the odds will be Gauteng’s James Barendse, who fell ill with reactive arthritis in 2014 after getting an entry for the 2015 Absa Cape Epic. 

“I went from being healthy and ready to ride (the 2014) Sani2c, to being unable to dress myself in the morning. After seven months of pain and numerous types of medication, I was almost back to my normal self.”

He suffered significant muscle atrophy on his right leg and has since been building it up in an attempt to be ready for the 2016 Absa Cape Epic: “What better way to get back to full fitness than to try and conquer the world’s premier mountain bike stage race. After having experienced the massive lows during my bout of illness, I have discovered that being fit and healthy is the most important thing anyone can ask for … if you are fit and healthy you need to celebrate that fact and make the most of it.”

England’s Ken Beaty will be on the starting line in 2016 in spite of breaking his shoulder when training in July 2015: “After much deliberation I bought a shiny, new carbon full-suss mountain bike for the Absa Cape Epic, managed two test rides then promptly got hit by a car while out on my road bike.”

In 2012 Gauteng’s Deon Kretzschmar was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma and which required immediate surgery. 

“I was fortunate enough that the cancer was picked up in the early stages and had not spread. I then entered the 2013 Epic and completed in a decent time.”

The man whose motto is “YOLO - You Only Live Once” will be back in 2016.

The Western Cape’s Michiel du Toit had entered for the 2013 edition but in September 2012 fractured his spine and was diagnosed with epilepsy.

“As a challenge my dad entered us for the Cape Pioneer in 2014, which we completed. So the Epic is the next logical step. There is no setback that cannot be overcome. The dream has always been to ride this event with my father.”

“Heroes at the Absa Cape Epic truly do come in all shapes and sizes. It is amazing to see how many people confront daunting personal challenges and still make it to the finish line. They are truly inspirational,” says Haigh.