Epic Trials

Every Year, A Select Group Of Riders Get A First Bite At The Cape Epic Route On The Annual Trial Ride. Their Job Is To Determine Whether The Course Is Challenging Enough. Four-time Epic,finisher Chris Whitfield Was One Of Those Riders, Ahead Of The 2017 Event.

When five-time champion Christoph Sauser sees the Absa Cape Epic route, he doesn’t take too much notice of the distances, or the amount of climbing. He simply asks two questions: ‘What are the surfaces like?’ and ‘What will the weather conditions be like?’ In other words, it’s difficult to discern how tough a stage (or the entire event) will be from the distance and elevation per day. However, a small group of people have some insights: the trial ride team.

The annual Epic trial ride takes place over seven days in August of the previous year, and all seven stages are scouted out on bikes. Actually, the trial team ride a bit more than the course that the Epic participants finally get to experience: they end up going up the odd hill or two that are eventually deemed unnecessary to the event. And during the Epic itself the riders have the gates opened for them – those on the trial ride have to clamber over several every day!

Each day between six and 12 riders take part. They are led by route designer Pieter van Wyk, and include Andrew White, who helps plot the route, Cape Epic race director Kati Csak, Day Trippers duo Steve and Di Thomas, and television scriptwriter and former pro rider Neil Gardiner.

Here’s the inside track on what you should know about the route in March.

STAGE 1: HERMANUS TO HERMANUS 101km, 2300m