table mountain : 74 videos

Stage 3 of the 2023 4Islands MTB Croatia was the Queen Stage of the event, featuring the best riding that the island of Cres had to offer. The main protagonists of the day were, once again, Orbea x Leatt x Speed Company as they charged up the opening climb in their true to brand style and drove the pace with BUFF MEGAMO and Team Bulls in tow. When the elastic broke, it was Egger and Baum alone for the majority of the stage once again. Egger and Baum’s winning time was 03:14:04. Second place w...

The 4th and final stage of the 4Islands MTB Croatia took place on the island of Lošinj and led the teams on a 41 kilometer loop around the island with 950 meters of altitude. Lukas Baum (GER) & Georg Egger (GER), Cape Epic 2023 runners up and 2022 Cape Epic winners take home the coveted 4Islands MTB title for their first time. After winning all four stages, except the prologue, the German duo are the well-deserved winner. Second in the overall finished Hugo Drechou (FRA) and Hans Becking (NED...

The 19th edition of the ABSA Cape Epic finished today with the Grand Finale (Stage 7) in Val the Vie Estate. The untamed eight-day African mountain bike stage race is often referred as the "Tour de France” of mountain biking. Hosted by South Africa’s Western Cape the ABSA Cape Epic is the most prestigious mountain bike stage race in the world. 724 teams of two, from 55 nations, among them multiple World, Olympic, and National Champions tackled 650 kilometer course climbing and more than 15 th...

Stage 6 marked the penultimate day of the ABSA Cape Epic 2023. For the first time in history, outside of a time trial, the entire stage was hosted by a single landowner. It was a dramatic day, as wind and rain was on the cards for the riders today. The trails were wet and soggy, which caused a dramatic shake up in the general classification. Matthew Beers (RSA) and Christopher Blevins (USA) won the penultimate stage 6 with a time of 3hours 26minutes 48seconds. SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing’s Nino Sch...

Stage 5 of the ABSA Cape Epic marked another transition stage. Today was also this year’s Queen Stage with 102km and 2450m of climbing. The route featured the long and rough Tierkop Climb and a Cape Epic favorite, Groenlandberg with its sandy and rutted trails. Riders also had to contend with the Gantouw Pass portage. Defending champions, Lukas Baum (GER) & Georg Egger (GER) of team Orbea x Leatt x Speed Company won the Queen Stage with 04hours 13minutes 6seconds. It is their first stage win...

Stage 4 marked the second time trial of the race. It took the riders around the trails of Oak Valley Estate in a short but intense day of racing with 47km to go and 875m of climbing. The course was packed with singletrack, making it a test of skill as well as fitness. Maintaining a rhythm to climb twisting trails like Berg Adder and then descend down trails like Puff Adder, Vissie’s Magic and Sounds of Silence required absolute focus. Matthew Beers (RSA) and Christopher Blevins (USA) from tea...

Today is Stage 3 and it marks the first transition, from Hermanus to Oak Valley Estate. Today’s route traverses wild country nestled within pockets of manicured agriculture. 100 brutal kilometres of raw, natural trails separate the race villages. The riders have to climb 2300 meters before returning Oak Valley Estate, ahead of the time trial on Stage 4. Today’s race was decided on the very last meters in a sprint finish between four teams. Matthew Beers (RSA) from team Toyota-Specialized-Nine...

Stage 2 of the 2023 ABSA Cape Epic marked the longest stage of this year’s race. The riders looped around the beautiful trails of Hermanus. At 116 kilometers it had everything from long grinding climbs to hair-raising downhills and technical demanding single tracks. The men’s race saw a very fast and technical race with the best end for Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne’s Matthew Beers (RSA) and his partner Christopher Blevins (USA). The pair took the win of Stage 2 after they already won the Prol...

Stage 1 of the ABSA Cape Epic was traditionally tough and tested the riders to their limits as it has been a real marathon stage. The bare numbers sat at 98 kilometers with 2,550 meters of climbing, the highest of this year’s route. After a relatively short Prologue, things were being turned up a notch as the race properly got under way. The route headed through the best of the Hemel en Aarde Valley singletracks and into the searing Overberg planes. The outbound loop trended relentlessly uphi...

The ABSA Cape Epic is back with the 19th edition of the untamed African mountain bike race. The eight-day race is often referred as the "Tour de France of mountain biking" and it‘s the most prestigious mountain bike stage race in the world. It attracts this year 724 teams from 55 nations including multiple World, Olympians, and National Champions next to aspiring amateurs testing themselves against the best. The teams of two riders tackle around 648 untamed kilometers and 15.475 meters of cli...

The Absa Cape Epic is the world’s premier mountain bike stage race. The route changes every year, leading aspiring amateur and professional mountain bikers from around the world through 658 Untamed kilometres of unspoilt scenery and up 15'775m of climbing. The Absa Cape Epic is the most televised mountain bike race in the world and classed as UCI Mountain Bike Marathon Series (SSR) by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI); this official UCI status makes it a highlight on the professional ra...

The Absa Cape Epic is the world’s premier mountain bike stage race. The route changes every year, leading aspiring amateur and professional mountain bikers from around the world through 650 Untamed kilometres of unspoilt scenery and up 16 000m of climbing. The Absa Cape Epic is the most televised mountain bike race in the world and classed as UCI Mountain Bike Marathon Series (SSR) by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI); this official UCI status makes it a highlight on the professional ra...

Stage 6 marked the penultimate day of the 2021 Absa Cape Epic. Steep but mercifully short vineyard climbs started the day before the Wild Boar Rollercoaster provided singletrack thrills. District roads and farm dual tracks, through iconic wine farms demanded complete concentration. Upon exiting the reserve, the climbing began in earnest.

Stage 5 was short and brutally steep, a major physical and psychological hurdle for the riders on their trail to Val de Vie. The climbing started virtually instantaneously. Leaving Wellington, the only way was uphill on the lengthy Hawequa Climb. The descent from the summit started on dusty dual track, before slipping into the Brooklyn Bridge singletrack.

After three days of racing it was time for a transition stage from Saronsberg, in Tulbagh, to the Slanghoek valley. The early kilometres ticked past with unnerving ease, but once the surface began to roughen the challenges came. Brutally uneven dual tracks through a private game reserve provided a sudden shock.

With two converging mountain ranges to explore, Stage 3 of the 2021 Cape Epic was not short on climbing. Nestled in the nook between the Groot Winterhoek and the Witzenberg Ranges the Tulbagh Valley was not hasty to reveal its rewards.

With two converging mountain ranges to explore, Stage 3 of the 2021 Cape Epic was not short on climbing. Nestled in the nook between the Groot Winterhoek and the Witzenberg Ranges the Tulbagh Valley was not hasty to reveal its rewards.

The Witzenberg Valley was undoubtedly one of mountain biking’s most challenging playgrounds, making Stage 2 a fitting holder for the title of Queen Stage. Sheets of sandstone provided the ultimate testing ground for the riders. Crossing the Ceres Valley was the first step on the journey, followed then by the Old Gydo Pass. On the Bokkeveld plateau the dual track climb gave way to singletrack.

The Witzenberg Valley was undoubtedly one of mountain biking’s most challenging playgrounds, making Stage 2 a fitting holder for the title of Queen Stage. Sheets of sandstone provided the ultimate testing ground for the riders. Crossing the Ceres Valley was the first step on the journey, followed then by the Old Gydo Pass. On the Bokkeveld plateau the dual track climb gave way to singletrack.

8 days. 647 kilometres. 15 550 metres of vertical ascent. Rugged mountain dual tracks and rocky singletracks through pristine fynbos. Sandy farm road between manicured orchards. Bone-rattling descents off ancient mountain ranges. This is the 2020 Absa Cape Epic route. Wild and untamed. The pinnacle of mountain bike stage racing. The Race That Measures All. From the iconic slopes of Table Mountain National Park to the luxury of Val de Vie Estate, the route for the seventeenth edition will chal...

With 70km and 1 800m of vertical gain standing between Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing and overall victory on the Champs-Élysées of mountain biking at Val de Vie Estate, you could’ve forgiven them for playing it safe and cruising to the finish. Nino Schurter and Lars Forster went into the final stage from Stellenbosch University to Val de Vie Estate with a comfortable eight-minute lead over second-placed Cannondale Factory Racing.

With 70km and 1 800m of vertical gain standing between Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing and overall victory on the Champs-Élysées of mountain biking at Val de Vie Estate, you could’ve forgiven them for playing it safe and cruising to the finish. Nino Schurter and Lars Forster went into the final stage from Stellenbosch University to Val de Vie Estate with a comfortable eight-minute lead over second-placed Cannondale Factory Racing.

With 70km and 1 800m of vertical gain standing between Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing and overall victory on the Champs-Élysées of mountain biking at Val de Vie Estate, you could’ve forgiven them for playing it safe and cruising to the finish. Nino Schurter and Lars Forster went into the final stage from Stellenbosch University to Val de Vie Estate with a comfortable eight-minute lead over second-placed Cannondale Factory Racing.

Special moment after eight tough stages trough the Western Cape for these two participants crossing the finishing line: Father and son, Gustav & Retief Joyce are the last finishers of this year’s Absa Cape Epic.

7C CBZ WILIER soloed to victory on the penultimate stage of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic on Saturday. Louis Meijato and Johnny Cattaneo seized the initiative after Trek Selle San Marco suffered a disastrous mechanical, to win the brutal 89-kilometre challenge around Stellenbosch, in a time of 03:49:21.

7C CBZ WILIER soloed to victory on the penultimate stage of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic on Saturday. Louis Meijato and Johnny Cattaneo seized the initiative after Trek Selle San Marco suffered a disastrous mechanical, to win the brutal 89-kilometre challenge around Stellenbosch, in a time of 03:49:21.

Creative way to fix your bike: Simon Schneller (GER) from BULLS youngsters Team had to deal with a broken back axle during the race. His solution was to take what nature gives you and stabilise with some wooden sticks he found on the ground. Later he wrapped some tape around the crucial spot in order to finish stage 6 of the Absa Cape Epic.

Renaissance men Matthys Beukes and Philip Buys shrugged off a disastrous first five days to win The Queen Stage of the Absa Cape Epic from Oak Valley Estate to Stellenbosch University. The PYGA Euro Steel pair is the first South African team to stand on the top step of an Absa Cape Epic stage podium since they performed the same feat way back in 2015.

Renaissance men Matthys Beukes and Philip Buys shrugged off a disastrous first five days to win The Queen Stage of the Absa Cape Epic from Oak Valley Estate to Stellenbosch University. The PYGA Euro Steel pair is the first South African team to stand on the top step of an Absa Cape Epic stage podium since they performed the same feat way back in 2015.

Renaissance men Matthys Beukes and Philip Buys shrugged off a disastrous first five days to win The Queen Stage of the Absa Cape Epic from Oak Valley Estate to Stellenbosch University. The PYGA Euro Steel pair is the first South African team to stand on the top step of an Absa Cape Epic stage podium since they performed the same feat way back in 2015.

Dax Jaikel of 7C Wilier portages down the Gantouw Pass during stage 5 of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held from Oak Valley Estate in Elgin to the University of Stellenbosch Sports Fields in Stellenbosch.

After a flat tire in yesterday’s race, the dominant Scott-SRAM MTB-RACING duo is back on top. Nino Schurter (SUI) and Lars Forster (SUI) annihilated the course in a time of 01:38:41 to eat nearly 90 seconds into Cannondale Factory Racing’s overnight lead. They now sit poised some 1:13 behind Henrique Avancini (BRA) and Manuel Fumic (GER), potentially setting up one of the closest ever Absa Cape Epic finishes.

After a flat tire in yesterday’s race, the dominant Scott-SRAM MTB-RACING duo is back on top. Nino Schurter (SUI) and Lars Forster (SUI) annihilated the course in a time of 01:38:41 to eat nearly 90 seconds into Cannondale Factory Racing’s overnight lead. They now sit poised some 1:13 behind Henrique Avancini (BRA) and Manuel Fumic (GER), potentially setting up one of the closest ever Absa Cape Epic finishes.

After a flat tire in yesterday’s race, the dominant Scott-SRAM MTB-RACING duo is back on top. Nino Schurter (SUI) and Lars Forster (SUI) annihilated the course in a time of 01:38:41 to eat nearly 90 seconds into Cannondale Factory Racing’s overnight lead. They now sit poised some 1:13 behind Henrique Avancini (BRA) and Manuel Fumic (GER), potentially setting up one of the closest ever Absa Cape Epic finishes.

Nino Schurter (SUI) and Lars Forster (SUI) lost their leading position in the overall ranking and they haven’t made it back up yet. But after the flat tire yesterday, they were able to secure the win in the time trial of Stage 4. The excitement of the riders was easy to spot while the swiss duo showed of some tricky air jumps in front of the crowd.

It’s not over until it’s over. A disastrous rear-wheel puncture saw Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing concede the Yellow Jerseys to Cannondale Factory Racing on Wednesday, proving once again that the Absa Cape Epic is won only when you cross the finish line at Val de Vie Estate during the Grand Finale. Cannondale Factory Racing put on a tactical clinic for the rest of the field on Wednesday’s brutal 107-kilometre Stage 3 and ended up not only taking the stage win, but also moved firmly into first on the...

Tough moment for Matt Beers and Alan Hatherly of SpecializedFoundationNAD – the leaders in the Absa African Men ranking. Beers crashed early in the race and had to overcome the pain while finishing the race. You never know what the road will throw at you and you’ve always got to remain tough. Matt Beers proved that today.

It’s not over until it’s over. A disastrous rear-wheel puncture saw Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing concede the Yellow Jerseys to Cannondale Factory Racing on Wednesday, proving once again that the Absa Cape Epic is won only when you cross the finish line at Val de Vie Estate during the Grand Finale. Cannondale Factory Racing put on a tactical clinic for the rest of the field on Wednesday’s brutal 107-kilometre Stage 3 and ended up not only taking the stage win, but also moved firmly into first on the...

The all-Swiss pairing of Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing won the 111km Stage 1 of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic in emphatic fashion on Monday 18 March. Nino Schurter and Lars Forster finished in a time of 04:24:04 to extend their overnight lead to 3.33 over Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini of Cannondale Factory Racing, who finished second. The Team BULLS Legends outfit of Alban Lakata and five-time champion Karl Platt, rounded out the podium. There was a tacit admission from their nearest rivals that the m...

The all-Swiss pairing of Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing won the 111km Stage 1 of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic in emphatic fashion on Monday 18 March. Nino Schurter and Lars Forster finished in a time of 04:24:04 to extend their overnight lead to 3.33 over Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini of Cannondale Factory Racing, who finished second. The Team BULLS Legends outfit of Alban Lakata and five-time champion Karl Platt, rounded out the podium. There was a tacit admission from their nearest rivals that the m...

The all-Swiss pairing of Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing won the 111km Stage 1 of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic in emphatic fashion on Monday 18 March. Nino Schurter and Lars Forster finished in a time of 04:24:04 to extend their overnight lead to 3.33 over Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini of Cannondale Factory Racing, who finished second. The Team BULLS Legends outfit of Alban Lakata and five-time champion Karl Platt, rounded out the podium. There was a tacit admission from their nearest rivals that the m...

The all-Swiss pairing of Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing won the 111km Stage 1 of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic in emphatic fashion on Monday 18 March. Nino Schurter and Lars Forster finished in a time of 04:24:04 to extend their overnight lead to 3.33 over Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini of Cannondale Factory Racing, who finished second. The Team BULLS Legends outfit of Alban Lakata and five-time champion Karl Platt, rounded out the podium. There was a tacit admission from their nearest rivals that the m...

Crucial moment for team Investec-songo-Specialized: At around 74kms Sam Gaze washed out his wheel in a sandy section and went down hard. He was able to recover the rejoin the chase, but by then though Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing and Cannondale Factory Racing had already opened a gap on the chasing teams. In the overall standings still placed third, Jaroslav Kulhavy (CZE) and his partner Sam Gaze (NZL) continue their journey at the Cape Epic with a more than six minutes big gap in regards to the ove...

Team Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing won the Prologue of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic on the slopes of Table Mountain ahead of Cannondale Factory Racing and KROSS-SPUR on Sunday 17 March. Cross country specialists, Nino Schurter and Lars Forster finished in a time of 00:43:41.5, some 41 seconds ahead of Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini to claim the Yellow Leader’s Jersey. Conditions on the day were cloudy and cool with some rain early on, making for fast racing (the winning time was two minutes faster tha...

Team Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing won the Prologue of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic on the slopes of Table Mountain ahead of Cannondale Factory Racing and KROSS-SPUR on Sunday 17 March. Cross country specialists, Nino Schurter and Lars Forster finished in a time of 00:43:41.5, some 41 seconds ahead of Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini to claim the Yellow Leader’s Jersey. Conditions on the day were cloudy and cool with some rain early on, making for fast racing (the winning time was two minutes faster tha...

Following the leaders Forster / Schurter for most of the five time checks closely, when the disaster struck less than two kilometres from the finish, in the form of a puncture.The setback saw them eventually finish fifth overall, behind Cannondale Factory, KROSS-SPUR and 7C CBZ WILIER. “Bit of a lapse of concentration there,” said Matt Beers afterward. “We were going super hard and I hit a rock. It was close to home so we decided to just nurse it home for the final two kays,” he said. “Just b...