THE CAPE EPIC: WORTHY OF A PLACE ON THE BUCKET LIST?
To instantly label the Cape Epic a bucket list item is a big call given the plethora of quality mountain bike trails and races around the globe these days. In fact, just look at the explosion of mountain bike parks in our neck of the woods – Blue Derby and Maydena in Tassie, Wairoa Gorge in New Zealand, new mountain bike parks in progress at Belrose and Glenworth in NSW and the $11 million mountain bike development around the town of Warburton in Victoria.
The marketing hyperbole bills it as the 'Tour de France' of mountain biking. Most die-hard mountain bikers would take such a comparison with a huge dose of disdain. After all, mountain biking is worlds apart from road cycling!
The truth is the phrase 'Tour de France' couldn't be a more accurate summary of the Cape Epic. Le Tour is big, brutal and showcases the world’s best riders. The media coverage is vast, the stories incredible and the routes unique. The Cape Epic has all that but one thing it has over the famous old race is the fact that mere amateurs can throw their hat in the ring alongside the pros!
