the unofficial Cape Epic thread

[Danger Dassie]

Some Lukas Baum Orbea Oiz vibes - https://off.road.cc/content/feature/bike-check-lukas-baums-2025-cape-epic-orbea-oiz-16775

[lukelockie]

1 hour ago, Spafsack said:

Lets talk bikes of the epic.

The Titan girls are doing so dam well. Does Bianka have a carbon ultimate, sid fork, wonder what specs that bike has. I kind of feel they doing so well versus international riders who have unlimited budgets for high end bikes which weigh less than 11kg, all while our ladies in red might have heavier bikes, but it does not seem to make such a difference?

On that note, i see tons of spez's and scotts, not many super calibers. The santa cruz's look cool as well. Some riders riding with inserts it seems as well, which adds to the overall weight, but rather safe than sorry.

Would be cool to know what some of these rides weigh as us normal people are always so fascinated with getting weight down on our bikes. I recon anything under 12kg with all there gear on should be just fine?

 

You can see the specs of the bike in the launch article, not sure they're listed part for part though: https://bikehub.co.za/news/safari-essence-titan-racing-team-announced-riders-bianca-haw-and-danielle-du-toit-signed/

 

[SamTaylor]

after 7 days of racing, there’s only 40 seconds splitting first and second place in the men’s GC. It’s going to be a proper race for the podium tomorrow. 
 

and only 10 seconds splitting 3rd and 4th. 
 

for the rest of us, it’s gonna be another tough day in the mud tomorrow. 

[DieselnDust]

Stage 5 update: the queen stage and what a b…. it proved to be:

rightie ho so i started in L batch with the other casualties of war. The first 3.8km was a neutral zone behind a land cruiser that took from Fairview along agter Paarl right onto the R102 and the left onto a farm road where the race began. I settled into a nice Z2 to low Z3 pace. The first 14km was gradual 3% gradient but then the little kickers started. Now bear in mind kickers in the winelands means double digit gradient %. That’s what we have been dealing with everyday so far lots of steep grades that just suck the energy from your legs.

i handled neversayneverending well. Legs felt strong and recovered but the queue was long and frankly I understand why people get frustrated. There are many riders who see the bigger picture and realise having someone breathing their fart gas is not the kind of pressure they want and will let you by. Then there are the others who wobble and meander all over the path at maximum HR trying desperately to make a race if it in 600th place. It will never change so I just celebrate the guys who are compliant and shake my head at those who aren’t. Life goes on. The descent through gum scramble to the water point at Muratie was fun but equally frustrating when I came upon a group that felt avoiding every rock with the flight attendant bikes was the fastest way down the track. I sent one through a rock garden and had a clear path infront of only to be aggressively cut off and the sworn at. I should have expected it by day 5 but the lack of skill in technically demanding terrain runs very deep into the amateur cape epic field. Lots of big talk at breakfast and supper but little action on the trails. 
botmaskop was a killer. I need to refuel desperately but there was little reprieve to even grab a bottle or a gel. I’ll have to do better in stage 6.

Bothmas kop was a real killer. It was wet, slippery and steep. 
the stage was now fast becoming a letter of survival. I had ridden myself up the field as far as G group with a few unlucky E and F riders. WP2 was a welcome sight but by now the rain was coming down again so the neck was going to be a real challenge with my 32x50 low gear. Everyone else was on 28x52 or 30x52. Yes I walked the neck not much slower than the riders but my hip flexors took a beating.

the descent was misty cold and very treacherous. Made it home in 7hr40.

not sure how I recover 

[peetwindhoek]

12 minutes ago, SamTaylor said:

after 7 days of racing, there’s only 40 seconds splitting first and second place in the men’s GC. It’s going to be a proper race for the podium tomorrow. 
 

and only 10 seconds splitting 3rd and 4th. 
 

for the rest of us, it’s gonna be another tough day in the mud tomorrow. 

Maybe more based on this link: https://www.epic-series.com/capeepic-riders-liveresults#1_F1B2AF

[DieselnDust]

Stage 5:

Another day another opportunity to stuff it into the bush. The conditions were ripe for it. Saturday didn’t really dawn, heavy clouds and light rain cooled the morning air but it almost meant we would have 88km of mud plugging ahead of us. 
I started in K this morning. More IF riders present. The drop out rate is climbing. Wednesday spilled over into Friday and the DNS continue.

lets be clear , the epic is flipped hard and every year they tighten the ratchet. I , personally think they have gone overboard this year. Today started with 15km climb, follows by wet slippery single track ether had rocks protruding through the slick to catch an unsuspecting tyre. Full mud tyres were needed but none of us had them. I was surprised to see how hard some rider were going. I think everyone was concerned with creating a buffer against the water point cut offs. I stick to my pace which wasn’t great because I felt awful. I badly wanted the pain to end and would have handed in my number. By WP1 I felt crap, flat and powerless. My hip flexors were screaming at me. It was raining again but I was warm so I wanted to unzip my top. But around the next corner it would be cold. I thought better of that idea since mud down the ass crack is less than ideal.

the details of the stage are a bit of a blur but just after leaving WP2 my DPS damper shaft broke and I was dealing with a pogo stick for the next 44km. My ass hurts….

fonished the stage in 7hr07 min. Never been so glad to see the finish line. I think they cut another 20hrs teams today 

[Robbie Stewart]

4 hours ago, love2fly said:

Saw either Stützman or Porro ditch what looked like a bottle from his RH jersey pocket.....on camera nogal. The litter is there every year, the fines don't seem to work.

I saw a Biogen bottle with a red cap amongst the shrubbery

[Robbie Stewart]

I'm enjoying the interviews with Haley Preen and Bianca Haw. They are such an entertaining vibe. I hope they manage to contain the Cannondale ladies to finish on the podium tomorrow. 

[Danger Dassie]

35 minutes ago, Robbie Stewart said:

I'm enjoying the interviews with Haley Preen and Bianca Haw. They are such an entertaining vibe. I hope they manage to contain the Cannondale ladies to finish on the podium tomorrow. 

That post stage chirp "joh my oil light came on at the beginning" 

[Skubarra]

On 3/20/2025 at 7:20 PM, PhilipV said:

I’m not in the habit of asking for our conversations in writing.
I will gladly be proved wrong on this, this is people’s lives we are speculating about.
But I trust him more than I trust the epic media releases. 

Any updates from your trusted dr source? Or do we still  need our hub journo to do investigations into covered up Epic rider fatalities?

[Danger Dassie]

3 hours ago, lukelockie said:

You can see the specs of the bike in the launch article, not sure they're listed part for part though: https://bikehub.co.za/news/safari-essence-titan-racing-team-announced-riders-bianca-haw-and-danielle-du-toit-signed/

 

Incoming, that may be Danielle du Toit's bike. Got some stuff on Bianca Haw's fiets after yesterday's stage, some slight differences. 

[Sepia]

Jussus Diesel, we have never met, chatted or whatever but Wow, ride the Epic under the most trying conditions and then write a very good informative factual report after the days racing...?????.is truly fantastic!  You managed to bring a bit of the race to my laptop.

Well done and thank you.

 

[Mamil]

1 hour ago, Sepia said:

Jussus Diesel, we have never met, chatted or whatever but Wow, ride the Epic under the most trying conditions and then write a very good informative factual report after the days racing...?????.is truly fantastic!  You managed to bring a bit of the race to my laptop.

Well done and thank you.

 

Agreed ja. They should interview @DieselnDuston the finish line. 

 

[babse]

Anyone confirm route shortened and later start? 

[love2fly]

18 minutes ago, babse said:

Anyone confirm route shortened and later start? 

Also wondering....

[babse]

Eish... Hopefully this doesn't kill the overall GC fight