This challenging 75km route is renowned for its difficulty and features around 3000 meters of ascent. The race derives its name from the five significant climbs, known as the ‘Big Five,’ situated in the Hawequa mountains surrounding Wellington.
“The Imbuko Big Five route will form part of the queen stage of the Cape Epic, so I’m sure there’s gonna be a lot of riders wanting to come recce the route and find out what that stage is gonna feel like,” explains Team Imbuko’s Marco Joubert who finished third in 2023.
While Schurter is an evergreen crowd favourite and the racer all other riders fear, also in the mix will be his 2023 Cape Epic partner and 2023 Big Five defending champ, Andri Frischknecht. ‘Frischi Junior’ knows the route well and will no doubt be eager to replicate his performance from 2023.
“Nino is Nino,” says Marco. “He’s the GOAT of mountain bike racing, so it’s just going to be a hard day in the saddle, that’s for sure.” Joubert is relishing the challenge, however, and looking forward to racing on his home trails. “The plan is to go hard and try to hang onto the Euros and see where we fit in. We’ve got big goals for Epic, so it’s a good test for us.”
Joubert believes that decisive moves could come at various points but feels that the singletrack on Canetsfontein Organic Wine & Fruit Estate (a section that was introduced in 2023 could split the field). The start of the third climb takes riders across Bainskloof Pass and up the classic “Aap d’Huez” trail, down a short descent on’ Full Monty 3,’from where riders will climb to the summit on singletrack before joining onto the Cliffhanger trail. This climb will take riders up to 1000m above sea level before descending via expertly crafted switchbacks through a spectacular, narrow gulley.
While all eyes might be on SCOTT-SRAM, don’t discount the likes of cross-country expert Alan Hatherly. The South African favourite will be eager to test his early-season form in an Olympic year. Another rider bound to be among the main protagonists is Namibian Alex Miller. Racing for Toyota Specialized in 2024, Miller has started the year with two big wins, both in long, tough races. Also, keep an eye on the riders such as Tristan Nortje, Team Bulls’ SimonSchneller and Filippo Colombo, who finished runner-up to Frischknecht in 2023.
One thing is for sure, the racing is bound to be fierce. Follow all the action from the day by tuning into Imbuko Big Five MTB Challenge and WILD AIR Sports’ Instagram channels.
Source: Jazz Kuschke
