the unofficial Cape Epic thread

[ajnkzn]

I really think that the race would benefit from a split like Sani 2 C & Wines 2 Whales do. 
 

Enforce a minimum 3 day stage race completion within 9 months of Cape Epic start, with your percentage of winners result being taken as your seeding. 
 

Top 50% race with the elites (elites exempt from 3 day stage race seeding if they are part of an organized team entry with valid elite level results from top level races). 
 

Lower 50% of the entrants race similar, say 75% distance routes, a few days before / after the big dogs. 
 

But more of a focus on the gees and user experience as these guys are less likely to be using camper vans / Camps Bay villas. 
 

Motivates slower guys to race more, get faster and possibly return to the race if they aren’t initially “allowed” to do the “fast” event. 
 

If Cape Epic were to make the tenting and feeding an optional extra cost, I’m sure that even the bean counters in their ivory tower wouldn’t be able to argue that there’d be extra tent / setup costs. 
 

I’d love to get an accurate occupancy ratio of the tent village / dinners etc for each day. 

Edited March 25, 2025 by ajnkzn

[Bub Marley]

2 hours ago, Shebeen said:

Yeah I watched last year, and cheered for your wife. and will be next weekend again too.

That doesn't change the fact that the strength of the field in the mens cat is way deeper than the womens. By orders of magnitude.

 

I’d say this is applicable across all forms of cycling. The women’s sport is still developing whereas the mens is developed.

 

As an example for road cycling, the men are definitely more evenly matched across the peleton whereas the women I feel the variability is higher. Case in point, I have found that the ladies for instance find it much harder to control a breakaway because the strength of team is not the same. And this will ofcourse improve every year but I dont think there’s anything wrong is saying that as it stands, the mens game is far more developed.

[Stephan]

34 minutes ago, Titleist said:

Can those who participated this year please post some feedback on your training for the past 6 months so we can see what it takes?

Weekly hours, intensity, amount of rides >4 hours etc etc.

Depends what you want to achieve? Racing snake or just make the cut-off? Big difference in training focus. 

[karma]

1 hour ago, jcza said:

I thought the Bikehubbers are already boycotting the Epic with such limited participation. Was great to watch both the mens and ladies races and we all secretly wanted to be there. Entry fee is steep plus all the extras you are probably looking at R100k each as a minimum coming from outside the Cape. Seems that the race is too big now and almost out of control. Back of the field starting way too late, saw the same last year at Tulbagh with leaders coming down the mountain while the last batches not even up the first climb. 

Excuse me, you need either 0 or 3 Epic medals to have an opinion...

[The Ouzo]

59 minutes ago, ajnkzn said:

If Cape Epic were to make the tenting and feeding an optional extra cost, I’m sure that even the bean counters in their ivory tower wouldn’t be able to argue that there’d be extra tent / setup costs.

you'll probably find there is a profit opportunity for the organisers by including the tents in the price.

like a cell phone contract that throws in midnight minutes and sms even though nobody uses them.

[Pandatron]

12 minutes ago, Stephan said:

Depends what you want to achieve? Racing snake or just make the cut-off? Big difference in training focus. 

If your just aiming to make cut off or be friends with the Hyenas, should you be at Epic?

[ChrisF]

4 minutes ago, Pandatron said:

If your just aiming to make cut off or be friends with the Hyenas, should you be at Epic?

 

WOW ... why not ?

 

Doing a solid ride day after day, and managing your effort and energy to be ready for the next day.  Frankly, this is better than many prepared for this time round ....

 

Let's face it, you are in one of a few groups:

- Racers ...

- Going for a personal best 

- Fun rider .... in which case a well planned effort is worth a heck of a lot more than a blown engine mid way ... (couple of Hubbers in their race reports were clear about how they managed their effort, and made it to the end)

[Titleist]

22 minutes ago, Stephan said:

Depends what you want to achieve? Racing snake or just make the cut-off? Big difference in training focus. 

It doesn't matter what the aim is, I would like to know what each guy that commented on this thread put in.

[Shebeen]

39 minutes ago, Bub Marley said:

I’d say this is applicable across all forms of cycling. The women’s sport is still developing whereas the mens is developed.

 

As an example for road cycling, the men are definitely more evenly matched across the peleton whereas the women I feel the variability is higher. Case in point, I have found that the ladies for instance find it much harder to control a breakaway because the strength of team is not the same. And this will ofcourse improve every year but I dont think there’s anything wrong is saying that as it stands, the mens game is far more developed.

cool. So this thread branch started from me commenting that Langvad winning 6 ladies epic titles does not eclipse Platt/Sauser winning 5 each. (Those two are still at it in the masters trying to outdo each other - apparently sauser got fined for bunking the prize ceremeonies during the week, acid that he's not on top).

I'll go a bit further, while there a few exceptions but in general (2023 I see you and your duct tape) the UCI Women's category at Epic has been rather boring. Langvad/Sofia winning every stage (i think they did, or at least they could have) is not a compelling story. They've had equal prizemoney/tv time for over ten years now.

 

 

 

 

[Pandatron]

2 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

 

WOW ... why not ?

 

Doing a solid ride day after day, and managing your effort and energy to be ready for the next day.  Frankly, this is better than many prepared for this time round ....

 

Let's face it, you are in one of a few groups:

- Racers ...

- Going for a personal best 

- Fun rider .... in which case a well planned effort is worth a heck of a lot more than a blown engine mid way ... (couple of Hubbers in their race reports were clear about how they managed their effort, and made it to the end)

I'm asking the question not making a statement.. but i will provide my own answer.

You should be arriving at ACE competently prepared in my view and have the ability to at least clear the cut off by 30 minutes.

Survival of just making it Waterpoint to Waterpoint day after day increases your risk exposure exponentially, there will definitely be days where something goes wrong and stuff happens.

But going or attempting to day after day in a completely blown state/dehydrated and then wondering why bad things happen, is doff.


 

[DieselnDust]

7 hours ago, Dappere said:

Fair – but the event still has a positive impact on South Africa. Beyond the race itself, people are booking accommodation, dining at local restaurants, and supporting small businesses. That broader ripple effect is still significant.

It seems we share a similar perspective – appreciate the clarification.

It’s a slippery slope when we prioritise economics over human health.

i doubt anyone wants the event to die. I certainly don’t. 
I don’t believe that an event should be trivialise health to gain notoriety. At the mom that is what it feels like. Kevin sort of knew where the limit was and if there was an over reach a correction would be in place the next day. By observation I’ve noticed a gradual ratcheting up of the intensity of the epic to be the toughest roughest most badass bike race. At some point you’re going to kill someone and that is not good for anyone , especially the deceased. That only benefits the bottom line of financial services. Did the event need to go up that long steep incredibly hot climb on Wednesday? My Garmin registered 51degrees C. Or could it have gone along a more flat route , cut out more climbing and got riders home ?

Debating this won’t bring anyone back. Those who were involved in comforting , monitoring , first aid, and paramedic duties will find ways to deal with their own trauma of the day and the arm chair warriors will type “but you signed up”. 
 

 

[jcza]

45 minutes ago, karma said:

Excuse me, you need either 0 or 3 Epic medals to have an opinion...

Midpacker...somewhere in between. 

[karma]

11 minutes ago, Pandatron said:

I'm asking the question not making a statement.. but i will provide my own answer.

You should be arriving at ACE competently prepared in my view and have the ability to at least clear the cut off by 30 minutes.

Survival of just making it Waterpoint to Waterpoint day after day increases your risk exposure exponentially, there will definitely be days where something goes wrong and stuff happens.

But going or attempting to day after day in a completely blown state/dehydrated and then wondering why bad things happen, is doff.


 

What's doff is, assuming everyone who struggles did not prepare well.

If you make the cut-off daily by 1 second, you still made it.

[DieselnDust]

3 hours ago, cadenceblur said:

Have to say, looking back - such a pity that much of this thread was not about the performances of the athletes and gear on display.

Did GvA finish?

[jcza]

2 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

Did GvA finish?

24th and just managed to beat Hoogerland

[Dappere]

37 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

It’s a slippery slope when we prioritise economics over human health.

i doubt anyone wants the event to die. I certainly don’t. 
I don’t believe that an event should be trivialise health to gain notoriety. At the mom that is what it feels like. Kevin sort of knew where the limit was and if there was an over reach a correction would be in place the next day. By observation I’ve noticed a gradual ratcheting up of the intensity of the epic to be the toughest roughest most badass bike race. At some point you’re going to kill someone and that is not good for anyone , especially the deceased. That only benefits the bottom line of financial services. Did the event need to go up that long steep incredibly hot climb on Wednesday? My Garmin registered 51degrees C. Or could it have gone along a more flat route , cut out more climbing and got riders home ?

Debating this won’t bring anyone back. Those who were involved in comforting , monitoring , first aid, and paramedic duties will find ways to deal with their own trauma of the day and the arm chair warriors will type “but you signed up”. 
 

 

I’ve never suggested that economics should take precedence over health, far from it. Kevin himself often spoke with pride about the broader economic impact of the Cape Epic and referenced it in many of his interviews. My point is simply that this aspect should also be acknowledged — if not celebrated — as part of the event’s overall significance.

That said, many of the responses before my initial comment seemed more like a call to boycott the event or to respond with anger or a sense of retribution. When feedback is framed in that way, it becomes all too easy to dismiss it as yet another case of ‘keyboard warriors’ complaining for the sake of it, and that does little to bring about meaningful change.

There is plenty to critique — and rightly so — but if the goal is improvement, then the way we voice concerns is just as important as the concerns themselves.