The Absa Cape Epic has long held a reputation for being a brutal test of endurance, both mental and physical. But wherever the rider goes, so must the bike. This eight-day stage race through the raw and rugged hills near Cape Town, South Africa has earned itself the reputation as a bike burial ground, with many repeating the mantra – “what survives the Epic, will likely survive anythingâ€.
I had viewed this statement – as you may well do – with some suspicion. How can this one event be so brutal compared with other races, or more general riding? However, recently attending the Epic for the first time has opened my eyes to the true enormity and difficulty of this multi-day stage race – think Tour De France intensity, shorter, yet far dirtier.
I managed to get out on a stage myself with Day Trippers, a tour company that runs in conjunction with the race for riders not keen on sampling the full 'experience'. I only rode half of the 113km first stage, which saw 2,800m of ascent for those actually racing. Despite my lack of ‘giving it a go’, the combination of thick sand, endless dust and a heavy shower meant that my new SRAM XX1 drivetrain was soon throwing its chain from the narrow-wide chainring. Now consider riders who were pushing far harder than I, covering twice the distance and with another six days ahead of them – it's not hard to imagine their bikes being ready for the morgue in short order.
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With this in mind, the pro riders each have their own mechanics working tirelessly every evening and night rebuilding bikes and replacing what needs to be replaced before the next day.
Businesses can pay to be at the Epic – these are just a handful of the shops that were at the event all week. Private mechanics took a whole other section
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