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2017 Stage 2

Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Distance
62km
Climbing
1500m
Start Location
Hermanus High School
Finish Location
Elandskloof
 

 

 

A Ridge Too Far 

Stage 2 of the 2017 Absa Cape Epic takes riders north to a new race village in quaint Greyton, with some fierce climbs along the way. The day's endeavours begin with another leg-warming spin up Rotary Way and part of the Nine One One climb (the bit with the logs across it that are difficult to negotiate), but there are many more uphills.

Before long riders will get acquainted with the day's biggest challenge: Shaw's Pass. It is only four kilometres long but gains more than 220m in altitude and on one section soon after the start the gradient kicks up more than 20 percent. Later they will confront other testing climbs either side of the Caledon Kloof and in the mountains looming above Greyton.

There will be relief during the day when riding stunning singletrack sections through beautiful fynbos along the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, down the Katkloof trails at the back of Shaw’s Pass and beyond Caledon. There are also some district road bits … and finally riders will cross the day’s last ridge and drop down to the race village at Elandskloof. Bird lovers will enjoy sightings of elegant blue cranes – South Africa’s national bird – along the route as it heads inland.