Get ready to enter for the 2017 Absa Cape Epic

[Sharkie 2]

It will keep in being a success because people rave about the toughness etc. Dates of the event is also quite spot on I believe. Cost will never be an issue because the majority of the contenders are big earners and have the moola to spend

[FCH]

You can make it a 100k, (not unlikely by next year) it will still be sold out in seconds.

Nah, saving up a bit and heading for Trans Alps instead.

[jcza]

'We' would that be the same for everyone?

"We" = Grand Master mid packers.

[dev null]

Mostly big earners and company head honchos that have the moolah for this.  I have written this race off.  I would have to save 5 years for this race to be able to afford it.  That and the fact that I don't have a regular riding partner.  Me and my wife would kill each other every second day if we ever did this together.  She is way too competitive.

 

Nahh, for under 1K I can ride most of the awesome singletracks which they rode.  I see the Nissan Trailseeker Race 1 is at Boschendal.  Welvanpas I can do whenever I want, and most probably some of the tracks at Tulbagh also.

 

BTW, they should get back to finishing at a farm in the Boland.  The last stage this past 2 years to Meerendal has been such an anticlimax with regards to the scenery.

[Kranswurm]

Tour de Tuli costs 25K single entry for 4 days......

[EmptyB]

Clicked on It as soon as it was 15:00. Got nothing. So now I had to enter the Lottery System...

So if you do get in, how much time do they give you to pay and secure your entry?

[raptor-22]

For early bird they require immediate payment.

 

So they generate R6.7million is working capital in less than 10sec. I should tell me my boss I have this great scheme to generate quick easy money for my project. The. Leave the problem up to the marketers to solve but they have a whole year before anyone is expecting something

[Lexx]

So if you do get in, how much time do they give you to pay and secure your entry?

Early bird immediately.But if they pick your name out of the Lottery,then its like 3-4 weeks I think...

[Jocklaw]

I can understand the frustration because there were a lot of steep, tough climbs to master.

There were also a few organisational things I did not like and thought to be better in 2014.

 

But IMHO this year's route was fantastic. Scenery and the single tracks were absolutely amazing and will be difficult to top.

Only the last stage was everything mountainbiking is not about - long stretches of farm / district roads into a headwind. Not my cuppa of coffee.

w

I agree the scenery was amazing.

 

Please understand I am not complaining about the many rideable 18-20% gradient climbs. Those are expected and completely normal for Epic. I don't like the fact that there were far too many climbs, which I am sure were unrideable for 95% of participants.

[Carmichael]

I am not the best nor the near the best of the amateurs and i only walked day 2 up the mountain on parts. Welvanpas we cycled and waterfall climb we cycled 95 percent. What day you talking about? As 2013 we walked every day for a while

Edited March 21, 2016 by Carmichael

[Grogs]

Don't know why they bother with the "early bird" entries. Getting an entry at 15h00 when they're all gone in seconds is a lottery anyway.

[EmptyB]

Early bird immediately.But if they pick your name out of the Lottery,then its like 3-4 weeks I think...

Best you find that sugar mommy then

[dev null]

If you really want to do the Epic, think long term.  Then try to join as a volunteer.  That way you get an idea of what goes on behind the scenes and then get the option to enter for the following year.

[raptor-22]

Still need to fund it

[TheJ]

In the first year(s) of the Cape Epic, I believe they started in Knysna those years, There was a different overnight spot every night, you raced from Point A to B, sleep. B to C, sleep, C to D, sleep, etc. So what's that, 7 race villages? And if I remember correctly the 2004 entry fee was just over R10k?

 

This year...

 

A to A

B to B

B to B

B to C

C to C

C to D

D to D

D to E

E to A

 

Less race villages, yet the entry fee has increased roughly 600% ? And that is WITH big name sponsors probably paying premium to hang their banner on the fence as well?

 

I wouldn't enter this race, ever, even if someone else pays. Purely out of respect for the other person's money.

Edited March 22, 2016 by TheJ

[raptor-22]

In the first year(s) of the Cape Epic, I believe they started in Knysna those years, There was a different overnight spot every night, you raced from Point A to B, sleep. B to C, sleep, C to D, sleep, etc. So what's that, 7 race villages? And if I remember correctly the 2004 entry fee was just over R10k?

 

This year...

 

A to A

B to B

B to B

B to C

C to C

C to D

D to D

D to E

E to A

 

Less race villages, yet the entry fee has increased roughly 600% ? And that is WITH big name sponsors probably paying premium to hang their banner on the fence as well?

 

I wouldn't enter this race, ever, even if someone else pays. Purely out of respect for the other person's money.

 

 

I hear your frustration and feel your pain. Unfortunately this is how big business operates.

When a business is growing its very customer focussed and value oriented. Once it grows beyond a fledgling business, growth becomes the objective whilst customer satisfaction may still be the objective, delivering more value is not necessarily the objective anylonger.

 

With this event it's clear the target market is the top 5% of earners globally. The brands the event wants to associate with is moving upmarket and therefore leaving the people that helped to promote and support its growth from formative to SME behind and now focussing on a platform to bring captains of industry to the table.

 

Even my boss is surprised that I MTB because he associates it with being a sport beyond what middle manager employees should be able to afford. When I tell him my MTB history he's more surprised because to him its a sport that sprang up 5-6years ago!!