Thousands of mountain bikers and enthusiasts gritted their teeth, waiting for this moment, when randomly selected applicants would have the opportunity to participate in the 9th edition of the legendary mountain bike stage race. The event will once again see riders battle the natural elements and each other in an eight day encounter starting on 25 March and concluding on 1 April 2012.
Known as the Tour de France of mountain biking, the Absa Cape Epic is currently the most televised mountain bike stage race in the world, luring top cyclists from all corners of the globe to test their physical and mental stamina. For the 2012 edition, cyclists from 55 different countries were invited to register.
These included Russia, the United States of America, Germany, Brazil, Mexico and France, amongst others.
Including the riders who have been successful in the Early Bird Entries in April, the percentage of international riders is currently standing at 38%, with the percentage of South African riders making up the remaining 62%. The percentage of ladies successful in the lottery for the 2012 Absa Cape Epic currently stands at 11% with the remaining percentage of 89% being men.
The 100 Early Bird entries, which were made available on 4 April 2011, were sold out within minutes.
This happened less than a day after the 2011 Absa Cape Epic had been concluded at its traditional Lourensford Wine Estate finish.
Participants in the 2012 Absa Cape Epic can prepare themselves for another challenging adventure, which will see them complete 800km of tough mountain biking terrain with 15 000m of climbing over eight days, beginning Sunday 25 March 2011 and finishing on 1 April 2011.
The route for the 2012 Absa Cape Epic will be announced at the exclusive route launch, being held on 26 October 2011
