Cape Town gives Absa Cape Epic a boisterous send off

26 March 2023

The 19th edition of the Absa Cape Epic has left Lourensford Wine Estate in Cape Town after an exciting penultimate day of the week-long multi stage mountain biking race. 

After a seven-day journey that took riders from Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville and all the way to Hermanus, the riders arrived in Somerset West yesterday with just a few more kilometers before the end of the expedition. 

The 724 teams covered nearly 500 km of mountain trails and climbed over 13 000 metres of elevation since the Prologue stage last Sunday, 19 March 2023.

They added a further 78 km in a loop around Lourensford Wine Estate before traversing 80 more kilometers from the Somerset West vineyards to Val de Vie in Paarl for the finish today.

'The City of Cape Town is once again thrilled to have been able to host the Absa Cape Epic in our beautiful city. We were also excited to welcome back riders who have taken on this grueling but exhilarating journey through some of the Western Cape's towns over the last week. Cape Town showed off its gritty mountain trails and breathtaking views for the riders to marvel at during the journey,' said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

'The City's partnership with the Epic goes back a number of years and we are delighted to provide support for the 2023 edition because we understand the value of events such as the Cape Epic which brings in about R350 million for Cape Town's economy and the greater Western Cape. The event also provides over 1 200 employment opportunities annually for skilled events industry professionals, catering and other ancillary sectors.'

The Absa Cape Epic is classed as hors catégorie by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI); a status which makes it a highlight on the professional racer's calendar.

The more than 1 400 riders who participated in this year's race represented 55 countries.

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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office