The 2017 Absa Cape Epic route has been revealed!
In 2017 the Absa Cape Epic returns to an old favourite seaside venue for a spectacular Stage 1 … and finishes at a new Grand Finale venue.
Route profiles added below
After the Prologue at Meerendal Wine Estate the riders, crew and supporters will transfer to Hermanus for the first staging of the race in the coastal town since 2008. In the intervening years the area has been turned into something of a mountain biking mecca, with a network of trails snaking across the nearby hills and valleys.
A week later the event will finish for the first time at the renowned Val de Vie Estate near Franschhoek.
The 2017 route will take riders through 691 km of Western Cape countryside and up a lot of hills: the accumulated vertical gain over the eight days will be 15 400m.
The Prologue will again be held on the Meerendal Wine Estate trails and include parts of neighbouring Hoogekraal. Then it is on to Hermanus, where the 101km opening stage starts and finishes at the local high school.
Meerendal Wine Estate
26km, 750m
Hermanus High School – Hermanus High School
101km, 2 300m
Stage 2 sees riders bidding farewell to the whales and heading inland to Greyton for two nights. Stage 3 starts and finishes in Greyton and includes most of the many trails around the quaint town.
Hermanus High School – Elandskloof, Greyton
102km, 2 350m
Elandskloof, Greyton – Elandskloof, Greyton
78km, 1 650m
Stage 4 is another transition day, this time from Greyton to Elgin and the race village at the Oak Valley Wine Estate. Stage 5 takes riders on a circular route around the Grabouw/Elgin area and lots of singletrack.
Elandskloof, Greyton – Oak Valley, Elgin
112km, 2 150m
Riders will be well advised to enjoy Stage 5’s relatively short distance and great trails: the next day they will be confronting the 2017 route’s Queen Stage – 103km with an eye-watering 2 750m of elevation gain. This could well mean that the 6th stage could be decisive in the race for overall honours.
Oak Valley, Elgin – Oak Valley, Elgin
84km, 2 100m
Oak Valley, Elgin – Oak Valley, Elgin
103km, 2 750m
Stage 7 takes rider to the new Grand Finale venue – the sumptuous Val de Vie Estate near Franschhoek – and a well-deserved finisher’s shirt
Oak Valley,Elgin – Val de Vie, Franschhoek
85km, 1 350m
Source: Cape Epic Media
