The Untameable 2025 Absa Cape Epic
The stage is set for the 16th of March as 1300 cyclists get ready to embark on one of the world’s toughest mountain bike races, the Absa 2025 Cape Epic. The beautiful Cape Winelands set the perfect backdrop for this gruelling epic mountain bike race.
This race is not for sissies and takes place over eight days with a combined elevation gain of 16,500 meters over 603km. The Cape Epic is one of the four races that make up the Epic Series. The Epic Series takes mountain bike riders to unique destinations around the globe. The other races are the Andorra Epic, SPAR Swiss Epic and the 4Islands MTB in Croatia.
The Cape Epic is made up of five divisions
These include; Grand Masters for riders over the age of fifty, Masters division for riders over the age of forty, Mixed Division for teams made up of a female and male riders, Women division and Men’s division.
Prologue
The prologue on the Cape Epic is on the 16th of March and starts at the stunning Meerendal Wine Estate. This is a looped route of 26km consisting mostly of single tracks, some tough climbs and has elevation gain of 700m.
Stage 1
The Meerendal Wine Estate is the start and finish point for Stage 1 on the 17th of March. Riders will navigate through the Tygerberg trails with a marathon through some of Durbanville’s wine farms. Stage 1 also has an elevation gain of 2,450m over 96km.
Stage 2
Meerendal is also the starting point of Stage 2 in Cape Epic on the 18th of March. The distance travelled is 58km on the day with 800m elevation. This stage has point to point time trials within and finishes at Fairview in Paarl.
Stage 3
Stage three starts and finishes at Fairview in Paarl on the 19th. This demanding route is a loop around the Paarl Mountains offering ascents and single tracks. Riders will do a distance of 90km with 2600m gain.
Stage 4
Fairview once again hosts the start and finish to Stage four. This stage is a technical terrain where riders have to navigate through the granite domes of Paarl. Elevation gain is 1750m over a 74 tough kilometres.
Stage 5 of the Cape Epic
Stage 5 is the last time that riders will start Fairview on the 21st. This stage is also known as the Queens Stage and is the longest and arguably the toughest day of the race. Cyclists will have done 3050 elevation gain and 103km when they finish at Lourensford Wine Estate.
Stage 6
Stage 6 on the 22nd incorporates natural beauty with famous Lourensford sections. This challenging stage also has cyclists climbing 2850 over a 92km distance.
Stage 7
Stage 7 is the last day of riding which does a loop around the Helderberg Dome and the final dash the finish line. The race starts and finishes at the Lourensford Wine Estate. It is a bit milder than the previous stages with 68km of racing and elevation gain of 2250m.
It’s hard to say which riders will have the grit and willpower to conquer and make it through the finish line first. Here are some strong contenders in the Woman’s and Men’s category.
Cape Epic Woman’s Division Riders
South African duo Candice Lill and Mariske Strauss riding for Faces CST have had multiple podiums and aims to be the first SA woman’s team to win since 2007.
Janina Wüst and Rosa van Doorn of Buff Megamo from Europe are both making their debut at the Cape Epic but have experience counting in the favour.
Five time winner Annika Langvad partners up Sofiia from Argentina for Toyota Specialized. These are also two strong cyclists to look out for.
Riders for Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM, Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda joins forces. The Namibian Vera Looser won the race in 2023 and will be looking for another podium position.
Claudia Peretti and Katazina Sosna riding for Torpado Kenda FSA both hail from Europe and will be hoping the cement their names in the history books.
Cape Epic Men’s Division Riders
The combined experience of Matt Beers (3 time champion) and Keegan Swenson makes them one of the favourite pairs to win the Absa Cap Epic 2025.
Ten time world champion Nino Schurter and Filipo Colombo will bring the heat in the men’s as they aim to ride away as the champions for 2025.
Last but not least we have Lucas Baum and Georg Egger riding Orbea might surprise as they are the underdogs in the race.
The Absa Cape Epic has never under delivered and therefore promises to be one of the toughest mountain bike races in the world. Why not have a look at the odds by our Bookies to see who their favourites are. Some of the best betting sites are Hollywoodbets, as well as Supabets and Betway. Keep your eyes pealed for the next race in the Epic Series and other events in our March Sport Preview.
