South Africa’s most challenging mountain bike race starts rolling today for the 12th time, an eight-day Untamed African Mountain Bike Race challenge for 600 cycle teams covering more than 700 km through Cape Town and Western Cape towns on its route. Its impact on the local economy of R300 million makes it one of the most significant events for our region.
The local and international media coverage is vast, with 1,1 million YouTube views, and 25000 hours of TV coverage in 175 countries. The City of Cape Town supports the ABSA Cape Epic to help position our city as the Events Capital of Africa, and to stimulate job creation and income for our region’s economy.
Getting rolling from UCT the cyclists ride to the Oak Valley Wine Estate in Elgin, to HTS Drostdy in Worcester, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Wellington, with its Grande Finale on 22 March at Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville. The After-Party will be held at The Grand Beach & Café.
Each year the Cape Epic organisers choose a different route with different towns included. The terrain is challenging, over hills and mountains, through rivers and forests. Teams of two pay just under R60000 to participate, and the participant number is capped at 600 teams. Entry is already open for the 2016 race, and is awarded via a lottery system, given the number of entries received. Team members must ride together at all times, being penalised if they are more than 2 minute apart at any stage of the race.
We wish Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant five hundred Chef David Higgs and his cycling team-mate Tsepo Nyirnda, who are riding in support of Food Cycle, the best of energy and endurance. Food Cycle was founded by Chef David as a ‘non-profit organisation, creating opportunity, feeding the city, riding for change’. On their website one can make pledges to Food Cycle.
ABSA Cape Epic, 15 – 22 March. Tel (021) 426-4373 www.cape-epic.com Twitter: @ABSACapeEpic