In March, we witnessed another stellar edition of the Absa Cape Epic here in the Western Cape. My long-overdue congratulations go to Nino and Filippo and Annika and Sofia on their historic victories and to all the finishers for powering through some extreme weather conditions to claim well-earned finisher medals in what was undoubtedly a tough race.
I had the privilege of attending both the Prologue and the Grand Finale, and was filled with pride seeing the race in full flight – still commanding such stature in the global mountain biking world.
I vividly remember the day I told my former Cape Epic colleagues – many of whom I had worked with for over a decade, and who are now part of the Nedbank Gravel Burn team – that I was selling the Cape Epic to the Ironman Group. I said then that the real test of legacy is whether something we’ve built can thrive long after we step away. After all, none of us are here forever. I’m proud to say that the Cape Epic has passed that formidable test. It remains a world-class event, and I want to congratulate and thank my former colleague Jonathan Meintjes, who has guided the race confidently into its third decade.
One of the key ingredients in the Cape Epic’s success has been the two-person team format. Many people have asked why we haven’t adopted that same format for Nedbank Gravel Burn – after all, the Cape Epic helped pioneer the format more than 20 years ago.
There were good reasons for introducing that structure back then. Chief among them was safety: riders on long, remote stages needed a teammate nearby – by rule – to provide immediate help if needed. While we also had a robust support network of marshals, medics, and sweep riders (the legendary Hyenas), we believed it was safest to ensure no one was ever truly alone out on course. With the countless stories the event spawned over the years, it became clear that it had other advantages. It offered amateur riders a powerful sense of companionship – they had a partner to train and travel with, as well as to celebrate the highs and weather the lows of stage racing together.
We worked with ENS Africa to draft the original rulebook for two-person team stage races – rules that were later adopted by cycling’s international governing body, the UCI.
So yes, many of us at Nedbank Gravel Burn have a long history with that format, but we’ve decided that it’s best for this event to be a solo race.
Ironically, one of the biggest factors in that decision is – again – safety. On fast, open gravel roads, bunches move quickly – often at speeds of 40km/h or more. We believe the risk of crashes increases when riders are anxiously sitting up, checking over their shoulders, or waiting for teammates. Racing solo allows everyone to focus fully on the road ahead.
Another factor is that many top gravel racers are privateers, each with their own sponsor combinations. The team format – where both riders must wear identical kits with the same sponsors – would inevitably complicate things in this space.
That said, we understand that many riders still want to train, travel, and even stay together at the event. We’ve been working on special entry packs to make that possible!
Racing solo also opens up more competitive opportunities for amateur riders who will be eligible to win their respective age-group categories, each with its own leader’s jersey. This wasn’t always possible in team formats, especially when riders of different age groups paired up, which disqualified them from age-based competition. At the Gravel Burn, every rider will race in their defined category.
We’re confident this is the right approach—and we can’t wait to welcome you onto the breathtaking gravel routes our course designers have scouted for the inaugural event.