Unlike previous years, where Oak Valley Wine Estate has featured towards the end of the route, in 2015 riders will spend their first few nights at the lush Elgin property. In every other aspect, though, Stage 1 is a dip into the deep end - after 20km of traversing the rutted dual track above the Eiekenhof Dam riders are confronted by the Groenlandberg, perhaps the most notorious of all Absa Cape Epic climbs. The rugged road up the mountain rises more than 600m along 9km of rocky, sandy climbing - the average gradient is 7% but sections occasionally tilt up to over 20%. Shortly before the mast at the summit riders veer left on to a rocky and rutted descent and should watch out for the washed away sections. More rocky trail follows across the back of the Groenlandberg as well as another tough climb on an unstable surface before a sweeping descent, a bump or two and some short single track takes you to Water Point 2 at Houw Hoek Inn. Crossing under the N2 it is time to explore the south side of the Grabouw region. Riders will loop through the Kogelberg Nature Reserve - one of 400 unique biosphere reserves in the world - and private farmland before heading back under the N2 via Lebanon's flowing single track trails. The last climb from Thandi Wine Estate takes riders back to Oak Valley and another burst of single track fun before the finish.