The Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race gets underway tomorrow in South Africa, with top riders from around the globe preparing to face off against one another in an eight day event that crosses more than 685km (426 miles) of African backcountry along the Western Cape. Racers will compete as teams of two, entering in the mens, womens, mixed (coed), and masters categories.
The race officially begins with a time trial prologue tomorrow that will have the riders battling it out to the top of Table Mountain, the iconic and dramatic, backdrop to Cape Town that is more than 3560 feet in height. Teams will be staggered in 30 second intervals as they head out on to the course hoping to reach the top in the fastest time.
On Saturday the race will have its first full stage, with six more to follow, that will put the riders out on true mountain bike trails. Over the course of the week they'll climb over 14,660 meters (48,097 feet) as they cover stages that range in length from 60km (37 miles) to 114km (70 miles). Judging from stage profiles on the course page, I'd say that the shorter stages make up for the difference in length with more challenging climbs.
All told there are over 600 teams signed up for this great event. It's going to be quite an endurance challenge for everyone involved, and they'll be racing through some of the best scenery anywhere in Africa as well. What a great place to ride, and South Africa has really become one of the top spots in the world for adventure sports events.
Thanks to Lisa over at AR.co.za for sending this my way. Both Lisa and I would like to let everyone know that we're looking for a sugar daddy and a sugar momma respectively to fund our entries into all these great events. ;)
And as a side note, this post marks my 3000th entry into the Adventure Blog. I think I need to get a life. :)
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