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Has the ABSA CAPE EPIC lost its appeal or is it just too expensive?


bolt67

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For the OP. A friend of mine had to pull out due to injury which left his partner pretty miffed. Anyway, the partner found another guy to ride with, but both of them have paid up entries,so what do they do? They pester the race office until they relent and give my friend a refund on his full entry, minus R 2500. They bought the entry back. Moral of the Story: forget about selling through the Classifieds. Call the Epic office and hound them for a refund, it can be done!

This happened last week.

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I found this short article in the Financial Mail interesting:

 

http://www.fm.co.za/Article.aspx?id=164532

 

Seven questions - Absa Cape Epic

Running the Absa Cape Epic

 

Max Gebhardt

Thursday, 9 Feb 2012

 

Kevin Vermaak, founder and organiser of the Absa Cape Epic

 

 

 

FM: Is running the Absa Cape Epic a full-time job?

Vermaak: I have 17 permanent staff for whom organising the Epic is their full-time job. My full-time job is managing this company.

 

FM: What is the budget?

Vermaak: Approximately R40m.

 

FM: Do you organise other races?

Vermaak: No.

 

FM: Who decides the route?

Vermaak: Typically the stage towns are nominated by my office 18 months in advance. Eight months before the race, a 95% complete route is presented to us by route designer Leon Evans. We ride every stage over and over again until December to make small adjustments.

 

FM: Have you competed?

Vermaak: During the actual race, it’s impossible. But I always test ride most of the stages. In the early days, I’d make a point of completing every kilometre of the route in a trial ride.

 

FM: Is the Epic aimed at the professional or amateur rider?

Vermaak: It’s aimed at both the serious amateur and the professional. Our stated mission is to be the world’s premier mountain bike race in which every serious amateur mountain biker desires to participate and every professional mountain biker aspires to win.

 

FM: Your advice to a novice rider?

Vermaak: Follow a training programme. Finishing the Epic is achievable for anyone who sets their mind to it and puts in the hours of required training.

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I am doing it this year- could not sell my entry - heard the route is a killer and maybe it will be the last straw in terms of on going appeal to the masses. I have done two already but organisers need to understnad that it should be challenging but not to the point that people wont come back. Let's see what 2012 Epic brings,.,.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Whether it's lost it's appeal or not...I now need to get my hands on an entry.

 

Guess I have left it to the last minute but this happens when you make stupid bets...and LOSE them. :blush:

 

Please DM me if you have an entry into the Epic. In good shape and raring to go...now to convince the Mrs! :ph34r:

 

PB

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