Absa Cape Epic

Singletrack Heaven for 2016 Absa Cape Epic Riders

News Release / 14.10.2015

The 2016 Absa Cape Epic route has been revealed and will contain more singletrack than ever before in the race’s 12-year-history.

A total of 110km of the 647km route will be made up of singletrack trails as the eight-days of riding takes riders from Table Mountain to Tulbagh, Wellington, Stellenbosch and Durbanville.

Although the 647km is shorter than previous years it includes more climbing per each of those kilometres than ever before. In 2016 riders will climb 14950m during the Prologue and seven stages.

That means riders will be ascending 23,1m per kilometre, even more than this year’s 21.4m per km.

Race director Kati Csak, who rode the entire route on the official trial ride in August and September, said riders would be making a mistake if they were to read too much into the shorter distance.

“There is a lot of climbing, a lot of singletrack that will require skill and concentration, and some unstable and difficult surfaces,” she said. “It will test the skills of riders as much as any of the 12 previous races.”

The 2016 race will also introduce the daily Land Rover Technical Terrain sections, where riders’ skills, capability and composure will be tested on tricky descents or challenging singletrack.

The world’s premier mountain bike stage race returns to the iconic slopes of Table Mountain on March 13 for the 21km prologue, which again starts and finishes at the University of Cape Town.

They will then transfer to Tulbagh and lots of exhilarating new singletrack on Stages 1 and 2. Stage 3 runs south from Tulbagh to Wellington and the next day’s Stage 4 will be spent on the legendary trails of Welvanpas. Stage 5 includes five rugged climbs between Wellington and the new race village at Boschendal Wine Estate in Stellenbosch. Stage 6 will introduce riders to the mountain biking delights of Stellenbosch before Stage 7 takes those still left in the race to the Grand Finale at Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville … and the well-deserved status of Absa Cape Epic finisher.

* The 2016 Absa Cape Epic mountain bike stage race takes place from 13 to 20 March and the much anticipated route can be viewed here.  The 2016 race will host the 100th stage in the history of the event – the EPIC100 –  on Tuesday 15 March. 

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