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Professional Riders

Prize Money

Total Prize Purse: R2 373 200

Prize money is awarded to the professional racing teams in the UCI Men and Women Categories, as well as to the top All-African teams in these categories. Further prize money is awarded to the Exxaro Jersey winner, who is the top placed historically disadvantaged South African team.

The trophies and special awards at the Absa Cape Epic also makes it the ultimate prize in Mountain Biking. 

  • All UCI licensed teams that wish to compete for prize money and earn UCI points must present their valid UCI license at registration
  • Prize money is awarded per team
  • Teams are eligible for stage money even if they do not complete the entire race (except in the event of disqualification)
  • All prize money is in South African Rand and will be paid via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
  • Please note that unless you can provide us with your SA income tax number we are obliged by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) to withhold 15% tax on prize money. This will be deducted off the prize money due to you and paid over to SARS accordingly.

UCI Status 

The Absa Cape Epic was awarded Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) status in 2005 - the first-ever team mountain bike stage race to achieve this. At the time it was the only mountain bike race in Africa to appear on the UCI calendar. Since then the race was classified as SHC (stage hors categorie) by the UCI for the Men's and Women's categories, which is the highest classification awarded by the UCI. There are only 5 HC bike stage races in the world, the other four HC classified races being the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a España, Cyprus Sunshine Cup.

The Men's and Women's category winners receive 500 UCI XCM points per team (250 per rider). This can have a huge impact on the racing season, and compares favourably to the UCI awarding 300 points to the individual winner of a Mountain Bike World Championship

The following UCI XCM points are awarded to each rider in a team according to the following GC / overall results, with no UCI points are awarded for stage results.

Men and Women

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8  9    10 
 250  200   160   150   140   130   120  110   100    95 
 11    12    13     14    15     16     17   18     19    20  
90  85  80  78  76  74  72  70  68  66 
 21    22    23     24    25     26     27   28     29    30  
 64   62   60   58   56   54   52   50   48   46 
 31    32    33     34    35     36     37   38     39    40  
44  42  40  38  36  34  32  30  29  28 
 41    42    43     44    45     46     47   48     49    50  
27  26  25  24  23  22  21  20  19 

18 

 

 51    52    53     54    55     56     57   58     59    60  
17  16  15  14  13  12  11  10 
 

 


Prize Money

Men's and Women's UCI Licensed Teams

Each year professional mountain bikers from around the globe come together at the Absa Cape Epic start line to race for the ultimate title in mountain biking.

Position Overall Results Stage Results
1 R300 000 R5 000
2 R200 000 R3 000
3 R120 000 R2 200
4 R70 000 R1 800
5 R60 000 R1 500
6 R40 000 R1 300
7 R30 000 R1 200
8 R20 000 R1 000
9 R15 000 R 900
10 R12 000 R 800

Special Ranking Absa African Men's and Women's Jersey

Prize money is awarded for both the Men’s and Women’s Absa African jersey winners. To be eligible for this prize money, teams must finish within 15% of the GC winning times in their respective category.

Any prize money not awarded at the Absa Cape Epic will be used to support riders who are chosen to represent South Africa at the cross country or marathon World Championships.

Position Prize Money
1st R50 000
2nd R30 000
3rd R20 000

Special Ranking Exxaro Men's and Women's Jersey

Prize money is awarded for both the Men’s and Women’s Exxaro jersey winners. The Exxaro Jersey is awarded to the top historically disadvantaged South African team. For the men’s jersey both riders must be under the age of 26 and for the Women’s jersey, both riders must be under the age of 30..

Position Prize Money
1st R50 000
2nd R30 000
3rd R20 000