Another Cape Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race is in the history books even if few America riders crack open that book. The Cape Epic remains a relatively obscure event to America’s top endurance mountain bike racers and that fact is puzzling. Sure, the event is held in South Africa and the entry fee alone requires more than $5000 of a racer’s budget, so the travel and logistical costs may put off more than a few American challengers. That’s too bad because the Cape Epic is a challenge that any self-respecting endurance racer wants on the bucket list.
A Cape Epic rider commits to spending 8 days in a mountain bike saddle to climb about 49,000 feet while covering 430 miles, all the time working with a partner (this is a team race). I don’t know about you, but I sometimes have trouble putting up with a riding partner on a 3-hour ride. I can only image what might happen after day 5 or 6! It is amazing nobody has been charged with assault (or even murder) during the event.
Take a gander at these photos from the race promoter. If you have a partner who rides at your pace and you can depend on, you might just want to get your name in on the lottery for a 2019 entry (yes, they sell out).
