The details
The Absa Cape Epic is the world's most televised mountain bike race and the only eight-day mountain bike stage race classified as hours categories by the Union Cyclist International (UCI); its official UCI status makes it a highlight on the professional racer's calendar. The Absa Cape Epic also draws aspiring amateur riders who want to compete against the best. It is a full-service race, which means that everything is taken care of from the start, leaving riders with only the task of riding.
The race must be completed by both members of a two-person team, and only 680 teams are permitted to compete each year. Every edition takes a different route, taking aspiring amateur and professional mountain bikers from all over the world through 700 untamed kilometers of unspoiled scenery and up 16 000 metres of vertical ascent.