On a scale of 1 to 10, the 2012 ABSA Cape Epic comes in at about 19.
After the first two stages where Ray was ill, we both found our legs and began to power ahead. Continue reading
A tough year.
5
News
2012 Absa Cape Epic, Stage 4
Day 5. Ray feeling much better. Today we needed to push. Continue reading
2012 Absa Cape Epic, Stage 2
Stage 2 and Ray is still suffering from the stomach issues that plagued him yesterday. We decided to take it really easy today and hope that we could nurse his belly through the 119km. Continue reading
2012 Absa Cape Epic, Stage 1
Perfect weather conditions, cool and overcast – a much welcome start to the anticipated super-tough Stage one. That’s where our use of the word ‘perfect’ ends. Continue reading
2012 Absa Cape Epic, Prologue.
So here we are after months of preparation and we couldn’t have had a better start. Perfect weather conditions: cool, an early start (07:05:25), and no wind. Continue reading
Photographer Paul Nielsen joins Team Hansgrohe.
We’re thrilled to welcome Paul to Team Hansgrohe for the 2012 Absa Cape Epic. He’ll be digging in behind the scenes each day, capturing the pain, raw emotion and the dirt on mountain bikers’ faces. Especially the dirt. Paul has been tasked to snap the dirtiest mountain bikers, so even if you can’t be the best at the Absa Cape Epic, you could claim to be the dirtiest. Continue reading
The Hansgrohe ShowerZone starts to take shape.
This year’s Absa Cape Epic will not only have eco-friendly shower heads sponsored by Hansgrohe, it’ll also be decked out with private changing booths. So you won’t have to see any naked (and probably quite bruised) bums running around. You’ll have a quiet, private place to change. Here’s a sneak peek.
Team Hansgrohe turn to the Darkside for help.
With not much time left to go (and not much training left either, other than a long, slow taper) till the start of this year’s Absa Cape Epic, Team Hansgrohe have little left to do but twiddle thumbs and count the days as they tick on down. To all the riders reading this, it’s 15 days of trying to keep your mind busy now. Good luck and – heh – may the force be with you.
Pack some hiking boots. It’s Stage 1.
Yesterday I was loving life. The weather was glorious with no wind, just a gentle, cooling breeze. Bounding around Grabouw for the morning and then on to Oak Valley in the afternoon I had a great day out. And cheering some of the Xterra athletes on was also a great way to get into the swing of things. I went home smiling at the end of the day.
That all faded as a gallery of torture dumped a mother-load of reality in my email inbox this morning. Apparently some guys went out and rode the first part of Stage 1 of the Absa Cape Epic 2012 this weekend. What they brought back isn’t pretty. Continue reading
Absa Cape Epic Prologue: The start of a beautiful 8 days.
Up till about 6 months ago I had never heard of Meerendal wine farm. I’d spent many glorious weekend afternoons bouncing and railing around Contermanskloof but had never even considered crossing the street and heading on over to Meerendal. I’ve been missing out.