Absa Cape Epic puts local cyclists to the test
Lowvelders who took on this challenging traverse of the area's iconic fynbos valleys, majestic mountains, deep ravines, indigenous forests, spectacular coastlines and flourishing vineyards in what is deemed the toughest races of its kind.
The Absa Cape Epic, billed as magical and untamed, not only attracted the biggest names in mountain biking worldwide, but saw eight local riders conquer this mammoth, 700-kilometre mountain bike race through the Western Cape.
Lowvelders who took on this challenging traverse of the area’s iconic fynbos valleys, majestic mountains, deep ravines, indigenous forests, spectacular coastlines and flourishing vineyards in what is deemed the toughest races of its kind, were: Igna de Villiers (LGE Midas), Gerrit de Vries (Tio Peixe), Lammert Oosthuizen (Tio Peixe), Giles Fourie (White River Manor), Martijn Mellart (NUK Orthodontic), Jeanette Treherne (T and T), Vivienne Turvey (T and T) and Gawie Combrink (NAD MTB).
Last-minute changes had to be made to Team NAD, seeing Combrinck partnering with Wessel Botha after Nico Bell contracted bilharzia. Despite him responding well to treatment days before, he had to throw in the towel, along with Samantha Sanders of Dormakaba, who also to had to give up her highly sought-after ticket due to medical reasons.
Matt Beers and Alan Hatherly of Team NAD took an amazing fifth place overall and became the first South African team to cross the finish line.
Combrinck, last year’s winner of joBerg2c, Mankele MTB Challenge and the Mpumalanga Tour (stage 3), took
22nd place in the men’s category and 22nd overall with Botha.
Together with first-time Epic rider, Botha, who was last year’s winner of the 947 Mountain Bike Challenge, Wines2Whales Shiraz and Trailseeker Series (#5), the duo finished the eight-day race in a combined time of 28:29:20,8.
Trehearn and Turvey rode in the women’s category and came ninth overall and placed third in the African women race. De Villiers placed 10th in the masters category, and an overall 65th place with his teammate Fanie Venter. Their combined time was 32:35:45,4.
In the masters category, De Vries and Oosthuizen finished in a time of 34:24:59,6, taking the 20th spot in the masters category, ending 98th overall.
Fourie and Donovan Roscoe finished 182nd with their time of 37:47:04.5, taking 100th spot in the men’s category.
Mellart was the 17th Grand Master to cross the finish line in 36:15:04.6, taking overall 141th with his teammate William Wertheim Aymes from Johannesburg.
