The 10th ABSA Cape Epic is just days from starting – but those with a season plan will also have an eye on what is beyond the HCS ranked Stage Race in the Western Cape. Mountain Bike Stage Races can be all consuming events, especially at one as prestigious and arduous as the Cape Epic. With eight days of hard mountain bike racing, there are countless outcomes for riders. Injuries, fatigue, illness, supreme fitness, increased strength but diminished top end fitness – there are so many potential outcomes. And that doesn’t even go into what can happen between team mates if all doesn’t go to plan!
And so races that fall in the weeks after big events like the Cape Epic have that curious mix of racers who ‘have’ and those that ‘haven’t’. Who is fresh, and who is on stunning form?
The MTN Tulbagh ultra-race and marathon (13 April) is in all probability going to boil down to a battle between the riders who competed in the Absa Cape Epic and those who have not.
According to Tim Fair, route director for Advendurance, the routes for both these races will be very similar to the route that will be used during the Absa Cape Epic (17-24 March).
“It is, therefore, to be expected that some overlapping of the routes will occur. Personally I think that the MTN Tulbagh races will be quite a challenge for the riders who do not compete in the Epic, because they will not know what to expect.” But, on the other hand, not racing the Epic will not necessarily be a drawback. It could actually be a blessing in disguise, because those riders will start the race well-rested. Eight days of racing the Epic drains much energy from any rider and it is debatable whether a rider can recover sufficiently within three weeks to be racing fit and fully competitive again.
A marathon after a stage race – it can just end up a bit too much. The post race hangover is epic.
Another big race on soon after the Cape Epic is the Roc Laissagais, in Laissac, France. This is a UCI XCM round, and was contested in cold conditions on the easter weekend in 2012. With UCI points on the line, and the potential for racers to qualify for the Marathon World Championships, it is an important race for some people to target. Both Will Hayter (Subaru-MarathonMTB.com) and Rachel Fenton from the UK will be traveling to France to see if the Cape Epic has given, or taken away.
In Australia, the biggest Marathon right after the Cape Epic is the Wombat 100, on 14th April. It will only be a concern for a few riders, but when one of them is XCM and XCO National Champion Peta Mullens – it’s worth considering. And more than that, the National XCM Championships is on the following weekend in Atherton, Queensland. Fighting fit or just fighting? Only time will tell!