Endurance athlete Renier Louwrens and cyclist Maree Verhoef will be competing in the Absa Cape Epic from March 15 to 22.

The Absa Cape Epic is an eight-day, 692km long MTB race, set through vast, treacherous, technical terrains with 15 900m of elevation gain, that will humble even the most well-prepared and test the unstoppable. It will set off from the Meerendal Wine Estate, Montagu, and end in Stellenbosch.

“It is the most challenging race in the world in mountain biking,” said Verhoef.

Stages are around five to seven hours of cycling a day, according to their planning, but can even go beyond 12 hours on some of the longest rides.

Teammates who start together must end together in order to complete the race. They also can’t be more than two minutes apart from each other.

This will be both men’s second time competing. They finished the race in 2024, however, not without hiccups. Verhoef ended up with a stomach bug for two days.

“We have learnt and changed a lot. We are training much more efficiently and are stronger than the previous time,” said Verhoef.

The cycling enthusiasts had two months of training when taking on the 2024 event. This time around, the race is more intentional, and the men are more prepared for what to expect.

“Our number one goal is to finish. Last time around, 31% of the field did not finish, either from heat exhaustion or injuries. I am convinced we will finish. If not, then it would be because of something that’s out of our control,” said Louwrens.

He said they are both super competitive, good for each other when competing and have the willingness and ability to bring out the best in one another.

“We have a unique sense of competitiveness, grounded by a base of support for the other one,” said Louwrens.

Although their ultimate goal is to finish, the men, sponsored by Seeff’s Billy and Annelize Fick, are doing this for local orphanages.

Louwrens said collaborating with the Ficks was a no-brainer because their hearts are in the same place as theirs, and that is by supporting local orphanages.

“We came to them because we know their heart is for the word of God. We knew they would be interested in spreading the good news and helping local orphanages. Even after the Absa Cape Epic, we will continue. It is not the end of the road,” said Verhoef.

Seeff’s Epic for Orphans creates awareness and raises funds for local children’s homes through races and relays.

“They told us the story of the previous Epic, what it was like working together while pushing and supporting each other to finish the race. In businesses, it is easy for people to give up, but as a team, we can do better than just one person on their own,” said Billy Fick.

The next Seeff Epic for Orphans relay is on October 10. Companies are encouraged to sign up to support the orphanages.

For details or to sign up, email annelize@seeff.com 

For more on the Absa Cape Epic, visit https://www.epic-series.com/races/capeepic/route