Cape Town - From the iconic slopes of Table Mountain’s National Park to the craggy shoreline of the Southern Coast. And on; traversing the famous Winelands and beyond into the high mountains of the Western Cape.
The 2019 Absa Cape Epic route - proudly brought to you by Land Rover, the Official Vehicle and Route Partner - challenges, rewards and offers spectators the most revealing view of the Untamed African MTB Race yet.
Eight days, 624km and 16 650m of climbing - the bare statistics tell less than half the story. Rugged mountain trails, bone jarring dual tracks, windswept gravel roads and, yes, sand lie between the Prologue at the University of Cape Town and the Grand Finale at Val de Vie Estate. This is a reflection of modern Africa, where urbanisation spreads to the edge of wilderness - where riders will roll out of celebrated towns, straight into the hinterland where heaven and hades are the opposite sides of the same coin.
In 2019 three stages battle for the honour of being dubbed the Queen Stage. The remaining days are anything but easy however; true to form even the shorter stages pack a significant punch. Take the Stage 4 time trial for example, it is filled with Elgin’s best loved singletracks but each is linked to the next by a ferociously steep climb.
This will be an Absa Cape Epic where form, mental and mechanical preparation are rewarded. An Epic where each weakness will be magnified and luck will need to be made. For general classification contenders and riders seeking to challenge their own preconceived limits alike.
It will be a race to
remember...
Prologue
Sunday, March 17
Distance: 21km
Climbing: 600m
Start Location: University of Cape Town
Finish Location: University of Cape Town
Rating: 2.5 stars
The Grand Depart
In 2019 Cape Town’s most iconic landmark plays host, for the
fifth time, to the inaugural stage of the Absa Cape Epic. The Prologue is more
than just a scene setter though; it will provide the first shake-up of the
general classification and hints of who has prepared best for the herculean
task at hand. At 21km long, with 600m of climbing, it takes in the now
infamous “climb which cannot be named in print” grind up to the cauldron of
spectators gathered around Dead Man’s Tree and the scenic vistas of Table
Mountain Road, all forming part of Table Mountain National park. The first
section of Land Rover Technical Terrain of the race is located on the Plum
Pudding singletrack which tests bravery and skill in equal measures. Expect the
UCI men’s and women’s teams to blitz the course and the time gaps to be
calculated in seconds. But know that further down the field, surviving the
Prologue unscathed should be the aim for the day - the Absa Cape Epic really
begins on Monday in Hermanus.
Stage 1
Monday, March 18
Distance: 112km
Climbing: 2 700m
Start Location: Hermanus
Finish Location: Hermanus
Rating: 4 stars
Heaven and Back to Earth
Relentless. Attritional. A return to the Absa Cape Epic Stage 1s
of old and the Hemel en Aarde Valley. Rotary Drive, the La Vierge stairs and
the Paddocks set the tone for a day of relentless ascents before the day’s
first spectator point at Creation Wines. Then it is onwards and upwards towards
the Dimension Data Hotspot near the summit of the Katkloof Climb. Baked by the
summer sun it will be littered with loose pebbles, clinging precariously to a
shifting sand surface. In the wheat fields of Overberg, rolling roads provide
momentary respite before the war of attrition resumes on the slopes of the Babilonstoring
Mountains, then descending into the Tesselaarsdal Valley - where in 2017 many
an Epic dream was dashed. Turning for Hermanus and home it is downhill in
theory - but reality and Charley’s Babe have other ideas. The Gorge, in the
final 15km provides the day’s Land Rover Technical Terrain and one of the most
exhilarating approaches to an Absa Cape Epic finish line yet. There is still
one final sting in the tail though - the Water Works climb, designed to bring a
tear to eye of those who failed to prepare.
Stage 2
Tuesday, March 19
Distance: 86km
Climbing: 2 250m
Start Location: Hermanus
Finish Location: Oak Valley
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Enter Sandman
A teaspoon of cement is in order for the first move day of the
2019 Absa Cape Epic, as it packs challenge after challenge into its relatively
brief 86km. Tyre choice and pressure are sure to be decisive on Stage 2 where
10 arduous kilometres within the first half of the day could prove definitive.
The stage starts with an ascent of Rotary Drive before crossing out of the
Hemel en Aarde Valley to the west - into the sandman’s playground. Dubbed “The
Machine”, for the mysterious landowner known only by that moniker, it provides
a steep ascent followed by the day’s Land Rover Technical Terrain - a
rollercoaster ride along a trail carved out by motocross bikes. The key point
of the stage is a brand new singletrack cut into the Hottentots Holland
Mountains by Wildekrans’ Braam Gericke. This 6km-long climb gains over 500m in elevation and has been named the Wildekrans Tokoloshe.
Stage 3
Wednesday, March 20
Distance: 103km
Climbing: 2 800m
Start Location: Oak Valley
Finish Location: Oak Valley
Rating: 4.5 Stars
The Emerald Princess
No Absa Cape Epic sojourn in Elgin would be complete without an
assault on Groenlandberg. But in 2019 the famed emerald mountain, though the
highest point of the route, does not earn the honour of being titled the Queen
Stage. Overshadowed, slightly, by Stage 5 it still provides a stern test. The
day kicks off with the ascent of the Nuweberg, followed by the Groenlandberg
herself. For the elite riders crossing the highest point in the race, at 1 100
meters above sea level, first will yield a cash prize for the Dimension Data
Hotspot award. A white-knuckle descent follows, then it’s upwards again on the
stage’s Land Rover Technical Terrain climb to Die Nek. In the Egin Valley, far
below, a mix of rocky singletrack, concentration demanding dual track and two
more infamous climbs await. There are riding rewards on offer too, following
the last significant climb of the day, on the initially rocky but always
thrilling Lebanon trails. Then the trail home follows the easiest possible route
and includes flowing singletrack through cattle filled pastures - not a bad way
to end the day with the second largest accumulated altitude gain in the 2019
Absa Cape Epic.
Stage 4
Thursday, March 21
Distance: 43km
Climbing: 1 000m
Start Location: Oak Valley
Finish Location: Oak Valley
Rating: 3 Stars
Just Like Clockwork
After three marathon stages the 2019 Absa Cape Epic route
provides some relief in terms of distance, but the singletrack filled race
against the clock will certainly not ease up on the difficulty. The allure is
rather one of a shorter day in the saddle with more recovery time. Taking in
the best of Oak Valley and Paul Cluver’s plethora of world class trails, but
linking them with savage climbs the mid-race time trial provides a test of
power, speed and concentration. Trails like Pine Singles, Tranquillity, Nürburgring,
Mamba, Vissie’s Magic, Sounds of Silence, Wonderland and the Greenhouse Effect,
are linked by climbs like Tierkop, Ma se Gat, Berg Adder, Puff Adder along with
a 350m-long beast. For the fans the time trial provides the perfect
vantage point at the Paul Cluver Amphitheatre. The route forms an irregular
figure of eight, crossing over at the Paul Cluver Bike Park. This provides
spectators with the chance to see their favourite riders at kilometres 6 and 20
without having to move locations.
Stage 5
Friday, March 22
Distance: 100km
Climbing: 2 850m
Start Location: Oak Valley
Finish Location: Stellenbosch
Rating: 5 Stars
Newton’s Queen
Overcoming gravity and fighting to maintain momentum are the
orders of the day on the Queen Stage of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic. Though similar
statistically to Stage 3, in reality Stage 5 is by a considerable distance the
toughest stage of the race. Rugged terrain and brutally steep climbs ensure it
has the topography to prove decisive in the battles to be crowned Kings and
Queens of the Absa Cape Epic. Out of Oak Valley the Nuweberg sets the scene for
a challenging day, before the A to Z trails lead riders to the summit of the
Gantouw Pass. While portaging down, heed the wagon wheel scars cut in the stone
and acknowledge how easy life has become since those pioneers hauled ox wagons
over the mountains. At the foot of the pass the hidden Lourensford Valley
provides the chance for on-the-bike recovery before the toughest climb of the
race. Snaking its way up the Helderberg, King’s Climb could work its way into
Epic folklore in a single outing. At the summit the Dimension Data Hotspot
awaits, followed by the Land Rover Technical Terrain - down the scintillating
Helderberg Trails singletrack. Four sapping vineyard climbs separate Helderberg
Farm from Stellenbosch, but the Dornier and Mont Marie trails provide respite
in between; before G-Spot caps a day well spent in the mountains.
Stage 6
Saturday, March 23
Distance: 89km
Climbing: 2 650m
Start Location: Stellenbosch
Finish Location: Stellenbosch
Rating: 4 Stars
Death, Taxes, Singletracks & Vineyard Climbs
The old saying goes that there are only two certainties in life:
death and taxes. When mountain biking in Stellenbosch another two can be added:
singletracks and vineyard climbs. Play day, or earn the right to play day;
Stage 6 of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic starts with Heart Break Hill inside the
first kilometre. Then it is onwards and upwards, because Botmaskop needs to be
conquered in order to earn the right to swoop down Skyfall. No circumnavigation
of the Banhoek Valley is complete without Nik Naks, a technical climb and
descent. The climb to Tokara on the Simonsberg follows, before descending into
Rustenberg Wines. An inexorable grind with a name stolen from the singletrack
at its summit – Never-Say-Neverender - traverses Rustenberg, Quoin Rock,
Delvera, and Uitkyk where after the Simonsberg Trails reward with singletrack
descents. Across the valley Klapmuts Kop and the stage’s Land Rover Technical
Terrain awaits, on a rocky but flowing switchback descent. The route back to
Stellenbosch takes a lower line but still requires climbing all the way back to
Botmaskop, where the final thrill of the day is provided by the revitalised
World Cup Downhill track from the late nineties.
Stage 7
Sunday, March 24
Distance: 70km
Climbing: 1 800m
Start Location: Stellenbosch
Finish Location: Val de Vie
Rating: 3.5 Stars
The Grand Finale
No procession through the Winelands, the final stage of the 2019
Absa Cape Epic still provides opportunities for general classification
shake-ups. From Stellenbosch to Jonkershoek the asphalt road surface provides a
deceptive lull, but do not be fooled once in the reserve the typical Absa Cape
Epic terrain resumes with vengeance. A dual track climb thins the field for
Bosluis. Then it is across the valley to climb Never Ending Story. The best of
Jonkers is showcased by Bennet’s Red and the Land Rover Technical Terrain:
Armageddon. From the valley floor the only way is up, on Fiona’s Beast, beyond
a fairytale castle to Botmaskop and through the culvert to the slopes of the
Simonsberg. Vuurberg’s dirt jumps, which the route weaves between, lead to
Boschendal’s Inferno and Sugar Bowl trails. One final climb and a brand-new
section of singletrack ensures riders will enter Val de Vie Estate, the
Champs-Elysées of the Absa Cape Epic, with a smile, but in need of those last
few - mercifully flat - kilometres to gain their composure. Emotions are sure
to spill over still; rolling across the finish line - as a 2019 Absa Cape Epic
finisher.