A route of 647 kilometres and 15 550 metres of climbing had been laid out, race villages had been erected, and the world was ready for the Untamed action of The Race That Measures All, but on the evening of Friday 13 March, the 2020 Absa Cape Epic was cancelled.

The 2020 Absa Cape Epic TV highlight show looks at how amateurs and professionals react to the cancellation of this year’s race due to the growing Coronavirus pandemic. The world’s best mountain bikers also talk about the importance and standing of the Absa Cape Epic and what makes this 8-day mountain bike stage race in South Africa so unique and challenging. They look back at last year’s race, reliving the key moments, and also reminisce about their all-time Cape Epic race highlights. The show includes interviews with defending Absa Cape Epic men’s champion Nino Schurter (SUI) and women’s champion Annika Langvad (DEN), as well as team Cannondale Factory Racing with Manuel Fumic (GER) and Henrique Avancini (BRA), team BULLS Legends with Karl Platt (GER) and Alban Lakata (AUT), team Andermatt Spur with Ariane Lüthi (SUI) and Alice Pirard (BEL) and South Africa’s best mountain bikers Matthew Beers (RSA) and Candice Lill (RSA).

The Absa Cape Epic Documentary will be available to watch on the following platforms - please refer to your broadcaster's schedule for the airing days and times:

TV Broadcasters

Supersport 10 (RSA): Monday 6 April, 18:00 (GMT+2)
ORF Sport (AUT): Thursday 9 April, 19:00 local time

SUI/LIE

Social Media

YouTube

2019 Absa Cape Epic Men's Highlights Show

2019 marked the 16th edition of the Untamed African MTB Race which pitted riders against a battle of 624km and 16 650m of climbing on the Western Cape’s most beautiful, yet unforgiving trails.

In the Men’s category race it was reigning World Champion Nino Schurter and his Swiss compatriot Lars Forster of Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing who took the fight to the field and ultimately dominated the racing, despite a mid-week mishap that saw the Yellow Leader Jerseys find their way onto the shoulders of fan-favourites, Cannondale Factory Racing. 2019's racing was as much a tactical encounter as it was a physical one and what may have been potentially race-winning strategies were employed by a number of teams. At the end of the day Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing claimed the overall victory by 7 minutes 36 seconds over second placed Cannondale Factory Racing; rounding off the podium was Trek Selle San Marco’s Damiano Ferraro and Samuele Porro.

2019 Absa Cape Epic Women's Highlights Show

The 2019 Absa Cape Epic Women’s category race was an out-and-out domination by Investec-songo-Specialized’s Annika Langvad and her Absa Cape Epic newbie partner, Anna van der Breggen. The racing was a display of power and precision as Annika and Anna won the Prologue, Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 6, and Stage 7 which earned the pair the overall women’s title by a massive 30 minutes. In doing so, Annika Langvad joined the likes of Karl Platt and Christoph Sauser with 5 Absa Cape Epic wins. Second place, including a hard-earned Stage win on Stage 5, was claimed by Summit Fin’s Candice Lill and her German partner Adelheid Morath; rounding off the podium was Ariane Lüthi and Maja Włoszczowska.