Every Year, A Select Group Of Riders Get A First Bite At The Cape Epic Route On The Annual Trial Ride. Their Job Is To Determine Whether The Course Is Challenging Enough. Four-time Epic,finisher Chris Whitfield Was One Of Those Riders, Ahead Of The 2017 Event.
When five-time champion Christoph Sauser sees the Absa Cape Epic route, he doesn’t take too much notice of the distances, or the amount of climbing. He simply asks two questions: ‘What are the surfaces like?’ and ‘What will the weather conditions be like?’ In other words, it’s difficult to discern how tough a stage (or the entire event) will be from the distance and elevation per day. However, a small group of people have some insights: the trial ride team.
The annual Epic trial ride takes place over seven days in August of the previous year, and all seven stages are scouted out on bikes. Actually, the trial team ride a bit more than the course that the Epic participants finally get to experience: they end up going up the odd hill or two that are eventually deemed unnecessary to the event. And during the Epic itself the riders have the gates opened for them – those on the trial ride have to clamber over several every day!
Each day between six and 12 riders take part. They are led by route designer Pieter van Wyk, and include Andrew White, who helps plot the route, Cape Epic race director Kati Csak, Day Trippers duo Steve and Di Thomas, and television scriptwriter and former pro rider Neil Gardiner.
Here’s the inside track on what you should know about the route in March.
STAGE 1: HERMANUS TO HERMANUS 101km, 2300m
This story is from the January 2017 edition of Bicycling South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 2017 edition of Bicycling South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
6 WAYS TO BEAT THE HEAT THIS SUMMER
TOP TIPS TO KEEP YOU COOLER AND RIDING STRONGER... NO MATTER WHAT THE TEMPERATURE.
RAGE AGAINST THE LYCRA
WHY MOUNTAIN BIKING IS WAY MORE SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE THAN BEING A ROADIE.
6 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT CHAINS
To help you get the most out this crucial drivetrain component, and celebrate just how impressive your loop of metal links really is, we've rounded up six things you might not know about the bike chain.
EVERYONE KNOWS 52X11 IS BIGGER THAN 48X10. EVEN THOUGH IT ISN'T.
\"The human threshold for 'least noticeable difference' is generally on the order of 10 per cent change of a value.\"
A CELEBRATION OF JUNK MILES
\"No longer dreading my next bunch sprint, I felt like I belonged on my bike again\"
KONTREI KUDOS
YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRAVEL FAR TO FEEL SOUTH AFRICAN WARMTH. BUT SOMETIMES YOU CHOOSE TO.
THE EASTERN CAPE PASSES ADVENTURE
SOME OF THE HIGHEST PASSES IN SOUTH AFRICA ALL IN ONE HELLUVA RIDE!
CAFFEINE - THE EXPERT'S PED*
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR EVERY PART OF YOUR RIDE LIFE
THE RACES ARE FASTER. ARE THEY CLEANER? AND DOES IT MATTER?
THE LAST TWO EDITIONS OF THE MEN’S Tour de France were among the three fastest.
Perfect Timing
THE SOUTHERN CAPE IS LITTERED WITH EXCELLENT RIDING AND EVEN BETTER COFFEE.