the unofficial Cape Epic thread

[DieselnDust]

1 minute ago, Shebeen said:

great race report from the field.

 

So what next?

*Epic take this on board and look to find the sweetspot on making the bulk of the amateur field happy to be there with a few more luxuries, while still bankrolling the whole affair?

*races that fell away - 7 day joberg2C/7day pioneer come back to fill the void

had a quick squizz at Cape pioneer. currently in year two of a 5 stage relaunch with 2 race villages. about 140 teams (some single riders) so probably 200 riders in 2024. entry is R21k pp early bird for a team. accom ranges from R2k for a tent up to R43k if you run a hedge fund. or arrange your own.

If I was their marketing guy I would be punting this race HARD right now.

 

naaaaah, the name is toooo bloody long

[andydude]

1 hour ago, Lynskey said:

I always look how fast the winning time is. To me that represents if it is getting easier or harder. After every year the people swear that it was the hardest. Just my 2c!

Your wish is my command!

2014: 1st 30:31:59 2nd +10:23 3rd +13:26

2025: 1st 23:12:39 2nd +1:31 3rd +12:58

That is quite a big difference in winning times!

Edit: Just on that they went 24% less time in 2025. Would be a bit less if you add the shortened stages, time. But not much.

Edited Wednesday at 08:43 AM by andydude

[ajnkzn]

19 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

great race report from the field.

 

So what next?

*Epic take this on board and look to find the sweetspot on making the bulk of the amateur field happy to be there with a few more luxuries, while still bankrolling the whole affair?

*races that fell away - 7 day joberg2C/7day pioneer come back to fill the void

had a quick squizz at Cape pioneer. currently in year two of a 5 stage relaunch with 2 race villages. about 140 teams (some single riders) so probably 200 riders in 2024. entry is R21k pp early bird for a team. accom ranges from R2k for a tent up to R43k if you run a hedge fund. or arrange your own.

If I was their marketing guy I would be punting this race HARD right now.

 

Joberg2c lives on as Go2Berg!

[DieselnDust]

9 minutes ago, andydude said:

Your wish is my command!

2014: 1st 30:31:59 2nd +10:23 3rd +13:26

2025: 1st 23:12:39 2nd +1:31 3rd +12:58

That is quite a big difference in winning times!

Edit: Just on that they went 24% less time in 2025. Would be a bit less if you add the shortened stages, time. But not much.

then 2008 was by far the hardest at over 36 hrs for the winning time

[andydude]

10 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

then 2008 was by far the hardest at over 36 hrs for the winning time

Sheesh that was hectic!

2008	2008 Absa Cape Epic: 28 March to 5 April. 966 km & 18 529m climbing, from Knysna to Lourensford

[Spinnekop]

1 hour ago, andydude said:

I think somebody mentioned how the Epic has changed to shorter but harder/more climbing, and I checked 2014 vs 2025 from official pre published routes. I know this doesn't take everything into account, e.g. type of climbs, techincal, etcetera, but still interesting.

2014: 729 km 14850 m elevation

2025: 591 km (-19%) 16350 m elevation (+10%)

I did the 2006 Epic.  When it was still fun and adventure.
940km with 16605m elevation

Winning time of Christoph Sauser and Silvio Bundi was 34:41:41

2025: 
37% less distance.  1.5% less elevation.

🤪

Edited Wednesday at 09:15 AM by Spinnekop

[Spinnekop]

Question to people that perhaps did the other Epics abroad.

Are they just as hard?  Just as grueling?
 

Edited Wednesday at 09:16 AM by Spinnekop

[Underachiever]

1 hour ago, Shebeen said:

great race report from the field.

 

So what next?

*Epic take this on board and look to find the sweetspot on making the bulk of the amateur field happy to be there with a few more luxuries, while still bankrolling the whole affair?

*races that fell away - 7 day joberg2C/7day pioneer come back to fill the void

had a quick squizz at Cape pioneer. currently in year two of a 5 stage relaunch with 2 race villages. about 140 teams (some single riders) so probably 200 riders in 2024. entry is R21k pp early bird for a team. accom ranges from R2k for a tent up to R43k if you run a hedge fund. or arrange your own.

If I was their marketing guy I would be punting this race HARD right now.

 

I've done 2x 7 day CPTs a few years ago.  Did the Epic back in 2009.

CPT was the better (and harder) race.  Took much better care of the riders.  

I think the 5 day CPT is a nice compromise, and perhaps a good seeding event for the Epic hopefuls? 

Best rider experience must still be between Sani and Berg & Bush?

Edited Wednesday at 09:25 AM by Underachiever
spelling

[bolt67]

Lets be honest you don't get value for money at the Epic. Race villages, water points, facilities  and food / drinks are not great post Woolworths withdrawal. I would guess that the majority of the field don't care as they don't stay in the village and don't eat there. They rock up in the morning, ride and leave.

The ones getting screwed are the tent guys - SANI, Berg and Bush , W2W, Cape Pioneer are way ahead in terms value add.

 

Did the race in 23, think its completely overhyped in terms of value. Sneaked an ABSA VIP invite last minute into their facilities, was a classic case of polar opposites, we were treated like royalty while my mates got a brown paper bag with a wrap, a juice and some fruit that had been lying around on a table in gazebo all day. A far cry from the Woolies days. 

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 09:43 AM by bolt67

[Shebeen]

1 hour ago, ajnkzn said:

Joberg2c lives on as Go2Berg!

https://www.go2berg.co.za/ride-2025-overview/experience-go2berg-in-2025-entries-are-open/ this is quite lekker.

and 6 days of riding, is R25k per pair in a tent.

[BMCfan]

20 minutes ago, Spinnekop said:

Question to people that perhaps did the other Epics abroad.

Are they just as hard?  Just as grueling?
 

Spinnekop.....

 

Ek het my Cape Epic gedoen in 2013, en n Swiss Epic in 2022...

Bear in mind, ek het in 2012, nadat ek ingeskryf het my eerste 29er MTB gekoop. Tot dan was ek n full out roadie wat n 16kg 26er in die winter gery het vir fun en koffie.

 

Die CE was die hardste ding wat ek nog gedoen het! Ek sal sonder om te skroom teruggaan om die Swiss Epic te doen! Dit is of OP of af, maar amazing. Ek het dit makliker gevind as die CE. Roetes is nie so erg technical nie en (ek dink in my geval) die weer in Augustus in Switserland is baie lekkerder as Maart in die Kaap.

Die stages is wel korter, maar beslis meer klim (ek sal hieronder n opsomming maak tussen die twee)

Ek is bevoorreg om volgende maand Croatia toe te gaan, sal laat weet hoe dit was 😉

 

CE 2013 // SE 2022

P  23km 700m

1  103km 2500m // 59km 2250m

2  145km 2350m  // 79km 2600m

3  92km 1950m // 63km 2200m

4  106km 1900m // 100km 2400m

5  75km  1800m // 58km 1850m

6  100km  2950

7  54km  1500m

T  698km 15650m  // 359km 11300m

 

My calc se 22.42m/km vir CE en 31.47m/km vir SE

[Ozzie NL]

58 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

then 2008 was by far the hardest at over 36 hrs for the winning time

For what it's worth I use drop out rate (defined as 1 - (No of teams finishing stage 7/teams starting prologue) as proxy for how hard the edition is, see graph below

[Lynskey]

3 minutes ago, Ozzie NL said:

For what it's worth I use drop out rate (defined as 1 - (No of teams finishing stage 7/teams starting prologue) as proxy for how hard the edition is, see graph below

I don't think that is a good way to look at it. In earlier days it was more affordable and therefore had a better class of riders. So a better finish rate. The people who can afford it now are not the same type of rider. They have money not riding skills. Buying a sworks won't make you finish. 

[andydude]

6 minutes ago, Ozzie NL said:

For what it's worth I use drop out rate (defined as 1 - (No of teams finishing stage 7/teams starting prologue) as proxy for how hard the edition is, see graph below

Interesting, thanks! Definitely a change from 2022, but also wondering how much more corporate entrants there are that gets free company entries and not taking it as seriously?

[MongooseMan]

10 minutes ago, Ozzie NL said:

For what it's worth I use drop out rate (defined as 1 - (No of teams finishing stage 7/teams starting prologue) as proxy for how hard the edition is, see graph below

This is team dropout rate, correct?
Ie, if one person from a team drops out, that counts as the whole team dropping out?

[Ozzie NL]

6 minutes ago, MongooseMan said:

This is team dropout rate, correct?
Ie, if one person from a team drops out, that counts as the whole team dropping out?

Yes, team drop out rate

 

According to me the main difference from 2022 onwards is the percentage of single track as opposed to gravel road riding ... that also gels with less distance but more elevation

OK fire up the flame throwers as to why I an wrong