2024 Cape Epic Route Announced

[babse]

8 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

so 2016

prologue @ UCT

Saronsberg 2 Saronsberg

Saronsberg 2 Saronsberg

Saronsberg 2 CPUT wellington

CPUT wellington 2 CPUT wellington

CPUT wellington 2 Boschendal

Boschendal 2 Boschendal

Boschendal 2 Meerendal

 

2024

prologue @ UCT  /Lourensford

Saronsberg 2 Saronsberg

Saronsberg 2 Saronsberg

Saronsberg 2 CPUT wellington

CPUT wellington 2 CPUT wellington

CPUT wellington 2 Boschendal /CPUT Wellington  & transfer

Boschendal 2 Boschendal/Stellenbosch2Stellenbosch

Boschendal 2 Meerendal/Stellenbosch2Stellenbosch

 

There's a transfer after stage 5, that must be a first. I'd say this route is an improvement on 2016. If I did my first in 2016, and came back this year I'd be disappointed, but for the rest this is kind of what they dish up.

 

 

2016 prologue was moved to meerendal on the last hour due to UCT protest. Pretty similar for the rest tho.

 

Also 2021 we had a transfer. Finished in goudini stage 4 and transferred to Wellington to start stage5.

[love2fly]

I'd just be happy with a shakeup in the commentary.....🙂

[DieselnDust]

pre 2009 we transferred ourselves on bicycles

[Shebeen]

1 hour ago, Zebra said:

I met with Kevin Vermaak before the 09th edition, (we were tying to assist with a VIP guest heli), and asked if they could ‘return to roots’ for TENTH Epic, but he said just not commercially feasible -

-interesting facts back then was they used the SAME water source everyday for 8 days, from Cape Town by means of water-tanker, so (esp) International entrants did not get Delhi-belly from 8 different water-sources, meaning they could CONTROL the water quality…

Would HAVE BEEN brilliant to have ONE ‘return to roots’ for the TWENTIETH edition, hell, I reckon I would have entered athat, seriously!

But that Clover-leaf course design, with multiple nights in same camp, just works for them, financially and LOGISTICALLY.

I live in hope!

Chris (‘05, ‘06, ‘07)

Logisitcally there is only one way to do this.

no prologue.

two (or three) days in knysna=>george=>mosselbay, but keep a single race village in george

transfer to ?swellendam/greyton after stage 3

timetrial stage 4, with fast riders going first

stage 5678 can end using the stages been used in the past few years

 

 

it would be a lot more expensive than the current cloverleaf, but it would be a real cool way to do it.

if they want to be called the tour de france of MTB, then maybe look at how they shift the village

[Solstice]

I think...Stage 5 will turn into a Transition stage like in 2016...

Nope, point 8:58-9:02 "ahead of the bus journey to Stellenbosch"

Edited September 15, 2023 by Solstice
Correction

[SuikerBossie]

I did it in 2016. It was hard. 2024 is very similar with some tweaks but fundamentally the same route.

[Robbie Stewart]

Having never done a Epic, and never will, all I can say is that anyone saying that this route is bland may be partially correct, not having done any trails north of Paarl myself, but that last day at Jonkers is going to be one heck of a tough day. I know from personal experience that a day out at Jonkershoek is draining to the Nth degree. Climbing Irish, descending Armageddon, then back up again to descend Red Phoenix before crossing over the valley to ascend back up the other side to Firehut is one massive ask of legs that by then are running on empty. Having done a couple of enduro events there, that trail network must not be discounted as being trivial. That will be a mistake. Also, Armageddon and Red Phoenix are not your typical green trails either, so rider take note, you will need to sharpen your technical riding skills, or you might be looking for a medic before too long.

[117]

Its not about the route. Its about the pro riders and the sponsors getting the exposure on telly, which is sold to the highest bidder with the spectator value thrown in for good tv coverage numbers... you just won't get that exposure in the eastern side of the western cape

Its all corporate

Money makes the tour go round for the overseas owners,  not the general mass riders

 

[JohanDiv]

6 hours ago, BMCfan said:

No, its about my hard earned cash.

That said, does anyone have a smart detailed summary of all the overall costs involved doing the event? Obviously its not all about the entry fee 😉

We ended up at around R170 000 for our team in 2022. That included entry, mechanics, physios, own AirBnB accommodation instead of tents, pre races bike services and in race mechanical fixes, custom kit. Probably budget around R200k for a team if you want to do it this way in 2024.

[JohanDiv]

I can probably ride 80% of this route on my R1000 Winelands Regional Permit 

[Jewbacca]

200k.... Sjoe, here I am trying to see if I have the budget to help a team out for a once in a lifetime  World Champs AR in South Africa next month for 25k

I don't. I definitely wouldn't be able to scrape 100k together for something that happens annually 

Also, if anyone has 25k lying around and wants to sponsor something rad, I know both Myself and @Shebeen would be stoked 🤪

[Tatt]

Little bit disappointed! As mentioned, basically the route we did in 2016. Was hoping for something special for the 20th!

[Headshot]

I watched the whole video...man the attempted hype generation is hilarious. How much did they pay Bart to use the TDF comparison? Why does the narrator mess up so many names? I'm all awesomed out and know that I will never measure up 😀

Edited September 16, 2023 by Headshot

[splat]

I am not an Epic rider, so cant comment on the route except that those numbers scare me. Short'ish days with crazy vert. Tough for the sake of being tough routes ? Not for me, thanks

[DieselnDust]

On 9/15/2023 at 12:57 PM, Shebeen said:

Logisitcally there is only one way to do this.

no prologue.

two (or three) days in knysna=>george=>mosselbay, but keep a single race village in george

transfer to ?swellendam/greyton after stage 3

timetrial stage 4, with fast riders going first

stage 5678 can end using the stages been used in the past few years

 

 

it would be a lot more expensive than the current cloverleaf, but it would be a real cool way to do it.

if they want to be called the tour de france of MTB, then maybe look at how they shift the village

What’s the prologue got to do with a return to the Knysna start?

we had one in 2008

Edited September 18, 2023 by DieselnDust

[BMCfan]

On 9/15/2023 at 4:44 PM, JohanDiv said:

We ended up at around R170 000 for our team in 2022. That included entry, mechanics, physios, own AirBnB accommodation instead of tents, pre races bike services and in race mechanical fixes, custom kit. Probably budget around R200k for a team if you want to do it this way in 2024.

There goes that idea ....