IMPRESSIVE: 10th ABSA Cape EPIC for Chris this year!
What’s is better than to get to swop the office desk for another week in the saddle? With a mate. In the mountains. On a bicycle. Traversing some of the best routes in the country. Finishing right here at home. Pure bliss. I was very much looking forward to this week. It was a holiday for a bicycle tour job well done. And we only got the confirmed entry 3 days before the start. Talk about last minute. This is what happened…
- Team 275-1
- Team 275-2
Prologue in Meerendal
Cape EPIC 2026 prologue in Meerendal. The shortest prologue I can remember and in that very familiar Meerendal setting. We went for a test run during registration the day before and Steven joined us to the top. The shortest stages will never be our forte and 100th in our GC category wasn’t a bother. We were waiting for the longest ones.
Stage 1 was 90km around Montagu
Cape EPIC 2026 stage 1 in Montagu. Due to heat, Stage 1 starts at 06:30. Start batches will go off every 2min30s. Check your start time in the app! Marietjie’s monster (climb and singletrack) was great. And so was the fast finish last 20kms, albeit windy! But I can’t remember it being that hot. Either way, we had a good day and moved up 30 spots on GC from 100 to 70th in masters men.
Stage 2 was 102km around Montagu
Cape EPIC 2026 stage 2 still in Montagu. A proper 2250km of climbing but the route profile was awesome because all the climbing was right at the beginning with OUBERG pass and then a gradual descent all the way to the finish from there. And an overzealous CAW old Toyota Prado would have knocked me over on the R62 before the finish if I hadn’t stopped – because he ignored the traffic cops and clearly couldn’t be bothered.
Stage 3 was 140km to Greyton
Cape EPIC 2026 stage 3 from Montagu to Greyton. Start through KOGMANSKLOOF and eventually go through STORMSVLEI. This was the stage on which I felt the best by far. Longer and flatter it suited me perfectly and when we crossed the finish line I felt like I could go another 140kms. Loved it. But as we all know, right after a peak comes a trough. And little did I expect the following to happen.
Stage 4 was 87km around Greyton
Cape EPIC 2026 stage 4 around Greyton and its singletracks. I rode with a 36T chainring and max 50t at the back and had no issues getting up and over things all week. but the stomach bug saps all your energy. After ejecting after WP1, and having to use my arm warmers (UV sleeves) for toilet paper somewhere in a lonely bush after WP2, we can probably still call it a good day seeing as I didn’t need to use Chris’ sleeves as well. But here starts the dehydration, which leads to kidney stones.
Stage 5 queen 134km to Stellenbosch
Cape EPIC 2026 stage 5 from Greyton all the way to Stellenbosch. The big one. The long one (like a double W2W stage). The wet one. And one on which I felt a whole lot better than the previous day, all things considered. We missed another WP along the way, before the portage down GANTOUW pass. And skipped the Dornier WP shortly before the finish. But got there in 1 piece and how cool is it to be back home. What a ride! A full value 5 out of 5 wheels queen stage indeed. And yes, we got wet.
Stage 6 was 76km around Stellenbosch
Cape EPIC 2026 stage 6 with a lot of climbing around Stellenbosch. Still 2500kms of climbing. This was a 4.5 out of 5 stars day. Fortunately the biggest climb was at the beginning. Pity they had the daytrippers inbetween the riders there. This was familiar territory. And we also did more or less the same stint albeit in a different direction during the TRAILSEEKER in January. The Boschendal trails were awesome and probably the fastest that I’ve gone down there. Two dropped chains, otherwise so far a technically faultless EPIC.
Stage 7 the 58km to finish in Stellenbosch
Cape EPIC 2026 stage 7 where the South Africans took the win in Stellenbosch. After the 140km day this was my 2nd best. I felt great. The week was at an end. And little did I know what was to follow on Sunday evening. But more on that later. For now the start was an easy climb to Saaltjie, then Beverending, Red Phoenix and Firehut in JONKERSHOEK. Then climb theough Coetzenburg to Eden and finish through G-spot to cross the line. 66th on master men in GC and very happy after a safe week.
*Well done Chris van Zyl on EPIC number 10. An EPIC achievement.
