Absa Cape Epic 2024 – The Trials and Triumphs of the Amateurs and Pros

This film captures the raw emotions and incredible stories of both the amateurs and seasoned pros participating in the 2024 Absa Cape Epic. Get ready to be inspired by their grit, determination, and unwavering spirit.
A physically grueling and mentally demanding mountain bike multi-stage race set in South Africa’s Western Cape region.
Filming solo presented its challenges, and while I couldn’t capture all sections of every stage, my goal was to provide supporters and aspiring riders with a comprehensive overview of the entire event and the dedication required to conquer it. All footage is shown in the sequence it was filmed. No drones were used. The primary focus was on the amateur cyclists.

#capeepic #absacapeepic #southafrica #untamed
0:00 Intro
1:31 Registration
3:06 Prologue
5:32 Stage 1
19:43 Stage 2
35:42 Stage 3
49:35 Stage 4
1:10:10 Stage 5
1:28:40 Stage 6
1:42:17 Stage 7

[Music] since its Inception in 2004 the Absa Cape epic has continually elevated its status now held as the tour def France of mountain biking offering participants the the world’s Premier tracks across eight exhilarating days it is one of the Pinnacle annual sporting events in South Africa offering an intoxicating blend of human drama emotion and excitement over eight Unforgettable days it draws cyclist from around the globe to the scenic Landscapes of the Western Cape each stage is meticulously crafted to push teams to their limits with a racing at a front captivating audiences worldwide while its heart lies in a remarkable stories unfolding at the back nin sh’s admiration for the event serves as a testament to the event Prestige excitement and overall appeal the 2024 Absa Cape epic marks its 20th anniversary the route features 16,500 M of climbing packed into 617 km of racing at a rate of nearly 27 M of elevation gain per kilometer from the prolock in lenford to the grand finale in stalos every stage is designed to test teams to the Limit we at the lenford wine estate Somerset West for the registration of the 20th edition of the Absa [Music] you’ve trained all these months how do you feel about this event starting tomorrow we’re crazy excited our legs are feeling particularly frisky so let’s see what what’s in store mentally you right ready very ready yeah I don’t think you could be ready but we’re as ready as we going to be from the US your first epic yes our first one couple of newbies yeah say only registration is the easy day in the C Ep uh I don’t disagree based off we we did a pre- ride yesterday and that I think that’s going to be true this this is going to be pretty demanding and pretty gnarly physically you ready yeah I feel like the hardest part was uh it’s already done all the preparation up to this so now it’s time to just have some fun mental preparation yeah a little bit uh I think the yeah we talked about kind of team motivation how we how we like to be inspired and how we like to kind of Coach each other along I think there’s going to be a onot that frankly making sure we’re on the same page and we’re listening to each other it’s it’s going to be a big communication week for sure the 2024 epsa Cape epic started with a prologue time trial in lenford wine estate after months of preparation Riders now face eight days of intense racing ahead the prologue time trial pits teams against the clock on the Steep climbs through Vineyards and Orchards as well as on the single tracks along the slopes of the halberg mountain for the pros it’s an opportunity to test form monitor other form and to obtain a yellow orange jersey for the amateurs it’s a warm up before the real test and to get a good back seating for the next dayc uh we are from Argentina but we live in Miami and I was a prologue oh it was fantastic so that was that was so excited so I chills because so it’s the dream the tri the views everything was was super nice we’re from Belgium downhills were a little bit tricky uh technical parts were I mean in the prologue you can lose a lot and gain very little so it’s better to be careful I mean still seven days to go and it’s not in a prologue that you win it or that you lose it you can lose it but not win it tomorrow as of tomorrow it’s more reality exactly fast hard just stay upright um save ourselves for one lies ahead I think Wellington and um stellos will be hard and hot so we’ve just got to keep our powder dry as we say ready for the eat yes ready for the heat all right and uh two weeks ago we were breaking ice in our chaing so uh this is this is a big shock so it’s lookas George yay stage one is a typical Absa Cape epic opening Marathon day punctuated by tough climbs and designed to shake up the field into the containers and those battling for survival from early in the race the day is marked by four significent climbs the final climb funy SP is arguably the toughest single Ascent in this year’s race for the pros it’s the first real test of form for the amatees pacing is critical on a very hard States heat could be a significant factor for the slower Riders men’s teams on GC we’re excited it’s it’s the start one day at a time one watero at a time and I’m nervous yeah so really I’m nervous it’s going to be a hard day but we’re looking forward to it exciting Adventure got a great partner can’t do anything else than just cycle and walk when we have to but uh beautiful day we’re looking forward to it first time for us uh such a a long distance and climb yeah the same for me we are a little bit scary about dist sh yeah it will be a tough one a long one but we are looking forward to today not so much today we have been here for a couple of weeks now so we we got used to it [Applause] [Applause] hang on fr [Music] [Music] doesn’t turn anymore so we just need to replace the complete wheel so far so good in total and not too hard but I think is to come now of climing climing 30% gradient apparently 8 40 okay he’s not riding is a legend H she’s done every of every K of every epic you must be frustrated right now H not real of it is it is my Portuguese is not that bad I try those things the German say good water1 banana please banana yeah I’m uh using the the pedals the pedal grip my cleat aren’t uh let’s make sure put our bikes on the right hand side appreciate now the big kids are coming up wonderful wonderful just getting my break sorted great stuff lovely trails Great weather really enjoy it bit of a stomach issue but we will get through it nothing we can overcome new start Allway with stage one how’s it feel who’s the stronger you I think my daughter been riding together for about 20 years now ah she been bad to me today no we love it to riding together and sometimes there’s just a little bit of a gap but we enjoy riding and that’s what keeps us going new experience new adventures and he’s always a a good partner to care about and uh we are a big a good team hey guys who’s a stronger one here my son by the son team thank you very much you better look after your father he of course thank you I’m from Brazil my partner failed yesterday and he thinks he broke a rib you broke a rip on the prologue yeah so you completing the Epic on your own yes he’s running ahead of me don’t leave me cycling away for your partner no I’m just pulling him up I’m pulling him out going up all the way [Applause] up no problem I’m tired lost clim very good H can be better is your wife dropping you the whole time oh caola it not used to be a strong Rider so from P Marburg Eye Hospital you guys look outstanding you’re never going to get lost afica you look great ready for the climb no choice no choice only ways up first epic amazing everything we hope for a lot of suffering dust heat you got it all guys [Applause] great how’s your first EP going oh directly from ma weather travel more than 20 hours to get here and enjoying every bit of dust it’s really epic so here we go having a blast as you know what a blast means for us right crazy people coming from Switzerland you guys must be used to this kind of climbing yeah raining in Switzerland in Winter was very hard a lot of sickness so it was not an optimal uh training before the C epic but we’re still alive first epic yeah and great is it the UN time race of Africa yeah it’s getting there especially this climate I’m certainly starting to feel that now how much longer is this hill steep as it [Applause] gets if only Erica green she’s the one okay you try with her regularly in the pain cave it’s all her fault but we’re enjoying it now thank you he doesn’t have to give the money back definitely not you find his climb the L is very hard today we decided to give one of of our Riders the the the the big tire so that they they can keep going have your tire for the team for the team yeah frerick you’re going to make it yeah it’s your third epic D yes wow so it doesn’t get easier I doubt it I think this is it this is the Toyota tough not that I lucky piece this one is tough what’s your R doing 159 this the first girl I’ve seen today cycling up here how does it feel how does it feel in the pain quite tough like a steep I’m glad of for to [Applause] so what makes you come back every year the challenge the passion the grace and is yeah does it get easier no cuz you get and you get older so I will never lose respect always stuff but that’s I think one of the reasons why you come back is we don’t go back to easy Nigel hello how do you feel at this point how do you feel the ride with a lady that I’ve done all I have been hearing about this Legend of a lady I was just thinking I’m glad I can write about hanging on to her wheel for a little bit you’ll be safe you will finish if you hang on behind Brothers yeah at the end of this we will be brothers from another mother at the end of this we will be brothers so this is a test of your Brotherhood yeah it is what it is almost done we can’t all be strong at the same time goes down then it goes up a little bit again [Applause] sh man oh man it’s actually the secret is electroly have you got you seriously need I’m serious they’re winners and they work instantly no I don’t what’s the first thing you’re going to do when you get to the Finish crack uh clean up with that wash that washcloth the cold was was cloth it’s awesome this is uh just like Colorado but without the altitude all the mountains and beautiful single track it’s awesome mountain biking I don’t know if I’m seeing it clear enough after the climb but it looks beautiful every time I get up here it feels like a first time so but it’s good we’re enjoying the ride I think for me this is being away from work friends Township and everything and it’s cool to be just riding my bikes and dressing about it all week this is still better than being at the [Laughter] office that was L man good fun at the back of the field love it yeah this is not your first epic h no no third one third one yeah yeah he’s so used to crossing fingers what makes you come back every time yeah it’s I think for me the camarad man the kid at the back you know meeting girls like Chloe and the girls laughing after 70 G how was that clown riding with a x Legend spring Stu he’s going to he’s going to medicate himself tonight don’t worry it’s going to take some some one drip on each no cold beer tonight no are you able to move me up are you okay should we call a medical [Music] team my brake fell off here while threw no it just bounced and fell off have a look so let’s just have a look here what’s wrong Samuel KN liament KN [Applause] liament stage two over 97 km with 2,200 M of climbing will be another challenging day for the Riders it takes teams up the Old Wagon Trail out of the tbar valley and down into the vur valley the single track climb will force jocking for position early in the States once in a vitber expect a regrouping before fireworks on a climb back towards TB which starts 70 km into the states the Mountaintop is exceptionally rough and eroded after heavy winter range followed by a hot and dry summer punctures and Mechanicals could impact their [Music] [Music] day they’re in position overall team [Music] for the pros each an opportunity for their leaders to establish a grip on the race containers still have time and patience may well be rewarded for the amers pacing is critical in the early part of the week and they should avoid temptation of trying to stay with a stronger Riders again heat will play a role later in the day as the the Mercury rises above 30° [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] Amazing by I need bu still tough you stay in the village yes tinted Village T yes and how do you find it h I love it the atmosphere so nice Rory yep 14 C epic that’s right does it get easier no I think you get older it gets tougher every day is tough on the AIC but you get ordinary days and you get memorable days and I’m going to make this one a memorable day hey oh it’s a beautiful day shoots up to the stormy gra how’s the scenery day too a beautiful I hope I find time to look at it we’re training in New York oh nice 0° temperatures just to get me ready for this we’re riding fireof boobies because we save lives every day and we rais awareness for breast cancer and early prevention that could save lives of South African women and women globally my name is Kil and I’m here to have fun to ride are you sleeping in a tented Village yes and how do you find it well could be better and could be worse but it’s nice we’re having fun no today is a lot better than yesterday it’s fresh start stomach is better look at this view It’s amazing sorry [Applause] F from Belgium with 14 guys a few of them for the third fourth time I’m a first timer how many months of training uh 6 months I think to step here but uh it’s heavy and where do you find mountains in Belgium yeah we have mountains but not like this one in Ard Dan we have mountains but the highest is I think 800 M so that’s nothing when you look to the mountains there that’s laa laer so far so good just this technical stuff we got to get through my partner is very strong today he’s looking good I’ve chosen the best one Fran schwart zby Strater teammate Ryan Ellis team dve spocka from Oklahoma in the US these climbs are absolutely torturous the sense are breathtaking but this race really lives up to its name we’re only a day and a quarter in and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be this really is epic Mar m I’m from Belgium I’m here with my dad today just because we make an amazing team and he’s the best partner I can imagine finish why all sorry graas I’m Yanik coming from Germany in stard and I prepared by hiking in the hills around stutgart El how you feeling ah terrible what’s wrong no yes no magic thatal pure magic woo done done as the top professional Riders start to descend down the old Wagon Trail back to the Finish they were still amateur Riders from the last starting group making their way up the pro riders move so swiftly that they had circled around the venur valley before the trailing Riders reached the summit of the [Music] bot for the amateur Riders witnessing their heroes in action was an unexpected bonus [Music] track track [Applause] track yeah I can continue just uh went over the handlebars down the cliff with my handlebar into my right eye uh little bit of visibility issues but made it to the Finish Line on stage one and cracking on on stage two doctor sorted you out well doctor sorted me out yeah thanks very much to Medic Clinic and and the good paramedics along the Route the pro riders made the rock Old Wagon Trail single track look like a groomed race St at the end of stage two what was it like seeing Nino coming past oh it’s amazing these Oaks just old don’t hold back it’s amazing to see they’ve got the skills a bonus it’s a bonus unbelievable did you expect to find Nino here on a downhill I didn’t even see him he went past me like there was no tomorrow man but it was awesome I was quite Keen to get his signature B what a bonus to see these guys I actually don’t care at this point is it a tough climb Bine oh my Wendy rode two previous epics and swore never to ride it again but her husband entered through a charity hard very hard if you f is walking you’ve got this uh Northern California Sacramento area I already Lake Tahoe and Auburn my home home Trails where’s your partner he uh broke his collar bone and his hand last yesterday so I’m Solo in it today and the cape epic organization oh is unbelievably awesome there the greatest experience ever I was the clim terrible I came off on the bik uh yesterday the start of the day ironically and uh yeah we had a little bit of a tussle bunch of us in bed together and we got nudged together locked ons and came down and that’s what it is what of Epic we managed to get through yesterday but unfortunately didn’t make the cut off had to get myself patched up at the 68 water cable get my derailer fixed at the 68 water table and in between that try and find my buddy who I lost so it was a tough day yesterday and I think I think my knee is worse than I thought it was cuz I’m Bing with my knees get come come come yes sh yeah come come come usually we out there for longer than longer than the cut of time so 10 11 hours generally um so the back markers are have a much harder time than the the guys in the front they cycle in the heat the pros get the cool for pretty much half of their race but the amateurs are are out there in the heat so that’s that’s it’s a lot tougher I would say for thees although they’re not going as fast but they’re out there for much longer so how many epics have you know on us H third is a hyena um but yeah I’ve been involved in the race for a long time so so it’s cool to I’ve seen it grow it’s cool to be part of it again and yeah it’s a it’s a beautiful day beats being in office man go [Applause] is that ice water yeah ice water pleas my name is Mick I live in Kenya um this is my second time volunteering with the um Cape epic um predominant volunteer so I can get a place to ride next year purely as a amateur and gives me some grounding into the event so yeah looking forward to it [Applause] good keep going woo you okay oh yeah really yeah yeah we just caught people here somebody was slow down walking so we ended up uh oh hey that’s a hole [Applause] no noap oh yeah yeah oh Cho see you at the Finish okay good luck [Applause] very rable on today’s episode of how to get a [Laughter] Sunan hit the rock twice what happened there the dob oh I just decided to go I just decided to go over the handlebars and uh yeah just went for a bit of a flyer a variety of of bike shops offer Mechanical Services and repairs to C epic participants yeah I’m leonell um and I’m involved with the Epic since 2012 as a rider and now the last few years is technical support um my job is to maintain bikes all the years I see the different epics and different weather and all the challenges as a rider and to keep bikes up and running for our pro riders and also for the amateur Riders the guys that just want to finish the Epic when uh the Riders go to sleep you guys start working 90% of our Riders is like amateurs that’s want to finish it um our last ride is like today is just before cut off 10 minutes before cut off so actually our work Starts Now last night we finish about round about just op to one his last two stages was Rocky and he’s got a lot of um casualties broken Rim Saddles handlebars this is one of the years that I’ve sort of most damaged like The Handlebar snap off the most common is is is rims that’s got destroyed not damaged uh gears uh the new electronic systems is everybody think is hazle free but not always spoken spokes like Snap handle bars after two days at TBO the race is moving to Wellington stage three presented a varying mix of surfaces and it’s the only transition stage of the 2024 race with riders Crossing ban Glo PA on tar stage three is normally the day your body is most exhausted breakfast is available to Riders from 6:00 a.m. and offers a large variety of hot and cold foods juices bottled water and coffee small I’m from vioria I’m doing my ninth epic we’re having fun but still a tough race yesterday I was feeling it even my hands were so tired I couldn’t even hold on to the animal bars food’s great this uh trying to get all this out into my stomach but uh plenty of options here out milk hot milk any milk uh eggs meat vegetables whatever you want to eat you can you can have it must say cing is good water points are well stocked we both working for 24 and we on the bike meeting so we are going up in the mountain to make sure that the cyclists are safe it’s going to be a good day today up in the it’s uh warm-ups done and uh the race starts now right at 7:15 had a good night’s race uh we slept some some bathroom you know it’s part of the part of the drill here so yeah excited any mechanical so far any issues uh well surprising it’s like a miracle we haven’t no Flats no nothing I don’t want to jinx us to knock an aluminum I guess so so far I can say h the body is tou and our legs are tired as well so they two we had a mechanic our our guys mechanic so we decided to give them our back TI so that they they they can keep going and and close the gap behind the J it’s my first so yeah very tough most pro riders opt to stay in camper V regardless of whether you choose stand ATT up marketing or a camper van all services at a c epic race Village are within a few hundred me plus entire area is carpeted with lost green grass I’m Andrea and uh this is my first epic um yeah these tents have been amazing I mean you can actually sort of stand up and uh it’s very spacious it’s going good um it’s tough thus far no Mechanicals the first thing we we do is uh to to uh clean the tube and uh go to breakfast um catch up the the bike and then we we prepare our stff BS to go to the next Camp it’s it’s it’s really hard when when you came back from the stage to to do the mechanic so it’s easier for us to to give it to a real mechanic and then yeah we can relax and recover yeah really really great everything is is there everything you need massage mechanic uh to eat uh yeah everything sanitary is perfect the t is good it’s yeah really good we’re sure going to be [Applause] fastc as we start stage three [Applause] C woman are a go it’s the team Bulls Masters Carl PL and Tommy [Applause] [Music] Misa the leaders in the grand Masters men it’s the team pedal project Oliver infeld and Thomas yaa in the white jerseys the leaders in the amateur men category it’s the team Lan WN to be sey and last night at the award ceremony they put on the green jersey of Al exaro man the team [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] kto yes you’ve got 90 seconds to go good night it is now Hub day Wednesday you’re almost halfway and you do these very interesting dance mov all those of you in here F just look around as 5 4 3 2 1 go 3 2 1 go hello to Our Heroes H Group H for happy H for hero I see some Smiles johs in the front smiling happy he’s going home just a little more sleeping his own bed you see that’s why he’s smiling his wife can cudle him and wi his tears within the first couple of kilom you have a layer of sunet lotion which is just the dust so don’t worry about s lotion three 2 one go have fun enjoy yourselves well done well done you made to stage three I still don’t want to see Nino today how you feel he’s still not my friend ready for stage three I am ready on my own but I’m ready where’s your partner he’s he’s failed it’s okay yesterday yes it’s going to be a long tough day for you no it’s going to be lacer [Music] [Applause] should do easy there’s no bombs here H Joy you some of that [Applause] one [Applause] enjoying it the t is very welcome you’ve got a strong partner here behind you how’s your partner doing oh was puff but now he’s doing well now so we hope we getting there now now I was pushing him to whole climb so he will be fine now our St three guy what SI three yeah my my partner is in front and then take [Applause] bottle all bit tough yeah little bit hot now go get there yeah good getting warmer now Grant from Johannesburg this is my third epic unfortunately I’ve had to withdraw um not feeling great at all I don’t know if it was the Heat yesterday or whatever but today has not been a good day on the bike did all the hard climbing but getting to the top of Bane’s clu now and down the other side I started seeing spots and was dizzy so I thought uh let’s rather be rather be safe than sorry um so a quick discussion with my partner and sent him on his way I’ll meet him in Wellington yeah after all the training and thinking you’re ready but uh unfortunately not not to be this year oh what a lovely day out a little bit hot some lovely climbing B Club is always a treat good to be on my bicycle not in the office hello hello loving it B was like tough long long my stop for a water P far water now f with the SC clpy and the end what a nice nice nice race oh it’s warm we had a couple of technicals today my gears didn’t make contact so I was in the high gear for like 4 wor po water Point 40% of the time so my legs is a bit broken but I’m still here happy f for a bit of a we made it up now we’re suffering again no technicals yet no technicals yet yesterday was tough but yeah we want to get past tomorrow hopefully we’re good to go today’s Trail is much smoother than yesterday yeah way smoother you can compar today’s Trail to yesterday yesterday was a a rock show this is really really tough it’s hot but we’re enjoying it it’s awesome don’t say it out loud but no issues so far flat Wheels no nothing we’re trying to be CAU this course is for all the hard kids was born with hard defects in South Africa one in every 100 is a is a hard defect and it’s a huge stress with stress on the parents we trying to raise some money for for for the kids parents where they stay where they’ve got accommodation and and food and stuff just to help them not you know it’s a I’ve been there I’ve done that um my little one’s Bor with a big AR effect and was operated at 6 days a year and a half and 3 years so I know what stress all those kids are going through now now’s your epic R so far difficult I’m running alone my partner H his back on the prologue so riding between all these people is really low it’s not there’s a lot of there’s a lot of riders in they all friendly and stuff but it’s still lonely um so yes any Mechanicals you couldn’t fix yourself nothing you service your bike yourself I’ve got a mechanic and it looks off my bike really really well juban has the best mechanic in the Old ST Bush any message for your wife at home love you lots love you lots love you lots what a partner yeah it’s like a Siberian Death March P except a lot hotter yeah yeah she’s struggling in the heat Swiss don’t like the heat too much not that we like it much either in Australia we just have to deal with it yeah it’s okay here we go we’re going down well done good luck he all of the best uh my name is Isaac s I’m from bav South here in Cape Town um I’m my first year in this epic Cape epic uh this morning I had to stand up like in 4:00 just to be here like in P 6 27 I had to be at my point to keep the the rider safe control the traffic and I’m passionate about this I love it my first time oh tough day today warm Mechanicals but my partner emotionally supported me a lot wasn’t it for him and that’s what’s important get the right partner people we from stum boss yeah like a he throws as a s like a today was our day the start was very windy managed to get over the first climbs had a small crash nothing like nothing too serious muzzle talk is a wonderful conratulations ah was good but hot very hot every day very stage 4 is the queen stage of the 2024 Absa cap epic featuring more meters of climbing than any state in recent years due to extreme temperatures race organizers reduced stage 4 to 73 km despite this the queen State still present a challenging course with four audio climbs and a tricky yet spectacular particularly beautiful Cliffhanger near the end Riders will be rightly proud of themselves for completing the queen stage four day Queen stage uh We’ve ridden the route before so we looking forward to the fun we’re going to have today I’m excited for the single track especially the one right at the end it’s going to be good fun um feeling a little bit tired today but excited to start the queen stage and get P stay far it’s been hot all week so feeling climatized to the Heat what’s wrong I’m waiting for my mate my teammate my teammate is a little bit sick and but we want to finish this cape epic then I’m waiting for him and try to survive a stage by stage and try to support him like uh his head to don’t get down and don’t think about to stop yesterday was super hot and also it was the four day in a road uh riding a bike in a good Pace in a good Tempo and yeah that make your your body uh to go low and yeah for him it couldn’t recover well and today he woke up dead like the face like uh swelling I I see the pros and I envy them but for me the heroes are the the ones the the amateurs the ones who share H uh The Passion of the cycling with the family with the jobs and try to to to take time from nowhere to train and all the the excitement to come in a race like cap epic and it’s amazing what they what they do and yeah I check the times because we are living in the in the camp and I check the times of my neighbors and it’s nice because it’s the same parkourse for everybody but everyone has an history and different history how do you find the all event organization it’s amazing uh to make a small town like uh they make uh with all the the camp the hospital we are unlucky that we we saw the hospital already but to have an Hospital restaurant uh food trucks I think it’s an amazing Ambience and it makes a different to other races like you finish the stage to go and go to your own hotel here you share the experience with everybody and it’s so nice to see people from around the world you know H we we are from Spain and it’s nice to see Spanish Colombian Peru Venezuela it’s amazing no to to be here and to share this experience with everybody the K pepic is lercker come [Music] Lucas no the Cliffhanger Trail built by Peter for and his Willington team is arguably the most spectacular Trail in South Africa the Cliffhanger has 30 cork screw switchbacks in his descent the Riders will need a head for Heights as much as bike handing skills to conquer it for the pros the single track packed route and 3,000 M of climbing means the strongest will prevail for the amers it’s a day to be conquered and ticked [Music] [Applause] [Applause] off come the S come on you’re looking good come on all the way all the way well done well done you got this you got this one more minute one more minute and you there come on boys come on stomp those pedals you’re making it look easy I’m going to come back next week I’m going to ride it just like you guys come on now let’s go let’s go come on Candace come on girl you got this keep it up keep it up well up [Applause] what an unbelievable climb and a view 360° view it’s amazing and the Daniel is a bit sketchy so we’ll just make sure we get down safely but what an amazing day and I’m amazing throw just loving it thanks for the support and thank you Cape [Applause] epic yay yeah yeah yeah yeah all the way now the way come on all the way now let’s go let’s go on amazing thank you what do I have here I’ve been waiting for you guys all week all week come on my boy yeah my boy come on hold [Music] on Bre Bre you don’t need this come on let’s go let go [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] feel T woo love being out here I mean look at these views even though we’re suffering I think it’s one of the best ways to suffer in nature in Wellington in 37° C let’s go my teammate struggled in stage two it was really rough really long long struggled from dehydration um but we hope that he can go on but he didn’t finish yesterday so he’s blue board riding it at the back of the pack so I’m soloing so if anybody wants to assist come and out I need it we riding for abolishing slavery 821 anti-human trafficking anti-sex slavery we’re raising funds for their free hotline for a year so that anyone can phone and Report anything suspicious to save children well any form of slavery slavery still exists even though it’s 2024 there we [Applause] go [Applause] beautiful the day was going great until I got to Cliffhanger this is absolutely disastrous it is extremely really hot we are very tired and a message for Peter that b go well Peter needs to get his head checked out this is really not a trail that we should be trying to climb the switchbacks are too sharp um it’s extremely rugged terrain but uh but I guess it’s the Epic after all it’s the best of the best that are riding and clearly that now that I’m walking I’m not one of the best but uh but yeah I just hope to finish it I just want to get across the finish line now because I can I have fun and I make since last year all my T ons with the speedo the photograph have fun yes and I’m strong here and and I have a nice s so we are riding for cupcakes for kids for cancer and uh shining the light for God on our way and uh unfortunately my partner um hurt his foot and he couldn’t continue but I’m still here trying my best credit to the guys who put in all the hard work to build this beautiful Trail in this beautiful place it’s hard but we enjoy it wa it’s absolutely epic for the Epic it’s my wedding anniversary today thank you dear for allowing me to be here 21 years today luckily our marriage is much easier than the the queen stage but I’m doing it for you my queen love you and Peter to the incredible trail that you built here all all thanks to you it’s incredible never seen anything like it I’ve ridden in a lot of places in the world including br Columbia and this is incredible fantastic thanks so [Applause] much flip epic Queen St well done good job good job good job it’s a tough time it’s hot at least we have a bit of a wind that’s helping us pull off but the sweet tracks are quite harsh on the tide legs but we’ll get there you eat the elephant bet by bet eh I’m stepan this is re my partner we’re riding for charity for Community Keepers absolutely loving it a few years ago I would not have thought it is even possible to go up a mountain like we are today with a bicycle but it is tough It’s proper epic loving every bit of it we convince you to come around [Music] the B [Music] [Applause] [Music] woohoo what’s wrong he’s busy this is our third one and this and they just get better and better I’ve never done so much single track sending in my life I’m not sure I want it anymore in my life but this has been pretty amazing which country are you guys uh well we’re from England but I live in Switzerland so I’ve seen my first share of mountains but they’re pretty good here worth traveling for today tough day and they eat really really tough yeah yeah I mean even though they shortened the stage it was still a massive challenge um Richard Allen suffered from heat stroke and was unable to descend the mountain his teammate Magnus M asked me to take Richard’s bike to get medical assistance from The Medic Clinic team lower down the mountain hey I’m made it in 7 hours 658 is that the L of the rid no I saw yaku Nicholas price W Miller and Lou from Peru every day at the back end of the states spending 8 to n hours in scorching he to complete it I couldn’t help but wonder whether they would make it to the end of State seven how you doing you going to come with us I thank you so much I appreciate say flip okay thank you news what’s good news but you going to keep going I thought you were going to say that the uh the race is quite a tough day I lost my partner so he had to to back out and um then I just went on and had a technical I had to go back to the previous water point 45 minutes to sort the technical and since then I’ve just been riding to not miss the cut off the all of the Hina helping you the carry on yeah Matt was behind me he was waiting where we fix the technical and um I think he’s a a little while back sorry um but yeah it outed to know that there’s support behind me and seeing Rich it here now and I know the the trial so I just need to bite fast tell me yeah so um I just heat strike it’s just so hot out there just pushed it too hard and got too hot and is your partner Contin he’s continued yeah my pleasure thank you very much it’s stage four the aftermath of the queen stage which was um made shorter and with slightly less climbing as well so kind of the princess stage not truly the queen stage um and and I think I think the field will be very grateful that um I think 4 450 M was cut out and I think about 15 km cuz it was a very very hard day uh there’s a hell of a lot of climing and incredible descending I mean I’ve done this is my 12th Cape epic and I still think that this is probably one of the most complete epic days uh just in terms of all of the trail riding that’s on offer it’s it’s you know a little bit of really rough you know kind of um raw epic terrain that the epic’s known for as well as some beautifully groomed uh and constructed Trails out at the top of the mountain um and that Cliffhanger Trail is absolutely world class I mean I don’t think there’s anything like it anywhere else on the planet one piece of advice for any amateur wanting to do this would be pick your partner um nothing else really matters um my bike’s over 13 kg and it’s not slowing me down um and yeah look I mean we have moments out on the bike but I’ve got a very good mate who I would do anything with and we just happen to be doing the K epic and we’re friends from before the Epic will’ll be friends after the Epic and it’s just an amazing experience together right what is your role in this this partnership I’m Pete carlitz riding my sixth epic here with my mate Nick and um my role this week is the nail to Nick’s Hammer but um but we’re in it together and it’s hard it’s been very hot but it’s been uh it’s been good we haven’t uh had any mechanical issues we haven’t had any crashes we finished we break a chain we have we did break one chain but you know five minutes last fixing a chain uh it helps if you know what you’re doing um yeah it’s been very tough but we’ve crossed the line Nick dad has been at the line waiting with a nice ice cold beer for us every day which is his one job and he’s come through every day so it’s it’s a great epic and your advice for any future Riders planning this yeah I mean Nick’s Nick’s on the money with with choosing your partner but just yeah don’t come in uh underprepared um it’s the best advice I can give just uh you know be ready to to spend long days on your bike Stage 5 could be seen as an easier day as it’s a shest stage of the 2024 race with a fewest meters of accumulated elevation gain it will be one the elite and amateur Riders alike used to recover before a big weekend coming com up in change last minute uh technical adjustments yeah all the time yeah I think the battery down cool down in the night what time are you starting in about 5 minutes hey B what WR the batteries I think it was cold T night and then it went down there no more power so I don’t know what’s going on what dides it say yeah he’s looking for one he has one take his race number yeah 617 Almost sure yeah how did you team up with a Swiss guy he SP couldn’t get a visa for South Africa and last minute call wedn let’s go let’s go let’s go I’m on I’m on your wheel Ronnie are you ready I’m excited for today also a little bit scared cuz there’s no day is the easy day at the Epic but um yeah happy to be as far as I am if you are considering participating in a cap epic you are about to hear good advice from someone who has seen over many years what can go wrong I’m Dr Darren Green the event chief medical officer for Medic Clinic southern Africa and we are really proud to provide the medical support of the abser cape epic since its Inception 20 years ago so what that means is that we’ve been on this journey with pro athletes and amateur athletes that has brought us to a place now where we can use the learnings from the past and Implement them to help you ride your safest race and give you some good advice so let’s get into some of those tips first off I think for people that are not pro athletes you need to understand that adequate preparation is key for this race you have to have 6 months to prepare and you’re looking at about 15 to 20 hours a week with the with anyone that’s done this race will tell you that’s what you’re looking at at setting aside so prep your loved ones prep your family prep your children and and and and your some of your social life as well uh and then maybe socialize with people that enjoy the culture of mountain biking as well along with that from a medical perspective getting back to some of the serious stuff the preparation is key with environmental conditions so you must remember that we we take this race to different locations every year and that means we take you through environmental conditions that are sometimes extreme extreme on the sense of heat wind rain muddy conditions and you put through your Paces I mean it’s not called the race that measures all for nothing so what does that mean physically to you and your training schedule that means that to fuel the engine which is this meatbox body of yours and its muscles to get the level of high performance out of it you need to understand what the key components are so we start off firstly by understanding your training schedule and program uh that needs to be done by Consulting a professional in terms of the timeline involved you also need to consider things like your bike setup and the mechanical work that needs to be done bike setup is a major cause of uh injury soft tissue muscle injuries even uh excess load on certain tendons leading to problems like knee pain back pain and ankle pain for example crucial so bike setup understanding the mechanics of the bike don’t forget that one when it comes to nutrition and the fuel you must understand there’s maintenance fuel that you need for every day and now you’re putting this extra load of 15 to 20 uh hours a week on the body which means you need to fuel the muscles they love uh energy obviously in the right form that gives you a sustained slow release of energy so protein low GI Foods Etc next up is hydration how do you know how much water to use on the bike how much do you how much water do you drink well it’s related to your your lean body mass you start off initially with about 35 m a kg just for low demand people that don’t exercise but when you exercise you have ongoing losses exposed to the Sun the wind the environment so what we we do what and we advise what’s called The Sweat test where you go on a similar ride to conditions you’ll be riding in you weigh yourself naked you then consume water on the bike and then you’ll notice after that ride with that distance in those conditions this is what your weight is and so you can then see how much fluid you have lost and how much you are behind with fluid for that case next up we look at some of the medical preparation for the race so in the conditioning with your professional trainer your program your hydration your nutrition plant your mechanical your bike setup we need to look at what do you need to look for to be able to successfully participate and finish the race what we seeing from track records for years and years at this event with the amateur group as well the big one is they don’t know what the do Nots are some of the do Nots are things like anti-inflammatories so if you take anti-inflammatories for pain and back pain and muscle pain that you think is going to be coming for the Long Haul on the seat what you’re doing is impairing the kidney function the kidneys blood supply is challenged when you take anti-inflammatories and secondly direct damage to the kidney cells can happen leading to kidney failure and that in dis disables your body’s ability to control it its temperature which we call ther regulation so heat stroke heat illness come about when people pop anti-inflammatories on multi-stage endurance events raise obviously the metabolic demands from the muscles over time and then the kidneys can’t cope and then what happens is when you behind on fluids you get kidney failure your body starts eating its own muscle as a source of energy and you get muscle breakdown which leaves your urine a funny color Coca-Cola colored urine a major major life-threatening Emer mergency and a sign that the muscles are being broken down due to kidney impairment and insufficient energy demands being met next up we have to consider things like your uh your adequate preparation in terms of your overall health so if you’ve got any chronic conditions like high blood pressure for example asthma you can imagine being exposed at these altitudes climbing 3,000 m a day uh you’ve got to prepare adequately to get your body firstly into a neutral position before you exercise so getting your medical checkup done checking your heart out checking your blood pressure your sugar those control issues are m in this event you can’t also erase if you’ve got a a gastrointestinal problem in terms of an infection why I believe gut health plays a major role in your ability to conquer this race so what that means is you shouldn’t be taking things during race week that you haven’t trained on if everyone feels anxious and and loses the discipline about what they put into this pie hole when it comes to race weak because you’re desperate for help a little bit of a crutch a mental boost so you take energy gels you take caffeine gels for example and you haven’t trained with them if you haven’t trained with something under similar conditions as you have in race week don’t take them I see the effects of that in the race hospital being things like osmotic diarrhea in other words when there’s sugar in the gut it pulls a lot of water into the gut and gives you diarrhea so you don’t have a tummy bag you’ve got sugar induced diarrhea so a lot of people don’t know about that for example and then of course we’re out in the bush in a peripheral uh Hospital in a peripheral environment infection control is crucial when you’re here you need to be aware of all the touch points the hands the fingers especially before putting nutrition into your mouth make sure your hands are clean take your gloves off wash them before dealing with food the event organizers put in so many contingency plans to minimize infection control of to Consulting with us and learnings over many years but they’re looking to provide you with uh you know the safest practices hand washing sanitizing stations throughout the village Etc but particularly around at meal times be careful for that other than that I think what you need to do is have fun the brain thrives on feel good hormones and dopamine so you need to focus on your small winds don’t bite off too much you eat the elephant one bit at a time so with this race I think it’s essential when you are here the amateurs need to view it as one hour at a time don’t go look at the full uh eight eight stages but you you basically attack one hour at a time on the road and then you get to one day at a time and then you celebrate that and the rewards are great the camarad is amazing and the sense of belonging and community and the character behind the abser cave epic is something that you will never forget making memories for you and your loved ones so make it worthwhile and hopefully these tips will help you looking forward to finishing yeah we still here BR so that means we are still in and alive and surviving so been good so far managing our bullets starting at the back every day going nicely we’re riding for bares Army um and we’re raising some money for some of our recipients who’ve been paralyzed from rugby so trying to get them some motorized wheelchairs the cape epic Hena serve as the race sweeps Richard McMartin and Matthew Carter start 50 minutes after the last bats they act as the eyes and ears of the race organization offering invaluable support they provide essential course updates monitor cut off times and offer encouragement to those at the back to reach the Finish Line safely so when you’re not the hos what do you do for a for a living as little as possible uh I’m an engineer I run a event called the torpedo [Music] suan spread through yesterday and that really was a tough stage as magnificent Swit downhill together buo sitting in that group up there you know sh and the Le from World B fish 91 in count autographs there top five teams are still off the back the KTM boys going through there they you know they [Music] Spanish I’m thean burer from Bel WI um it’s always nice having the Epic coming through the farm uh being a mountain biker myself uh and my kids uh it’s it’s always nice having them here on the farm uh it’s a pleasure watching all the top Pros coming through and yeah it’s it’s always in the future we’ll we’ll give epic to come through or any mountain bike race um we we always open the guides for them hi my name is Alex uh Munch and this is my nurse sister Gail deploy and we are from I love boobies um ABAC Cape epic has asked us to do breast screenings uh along the Route and this is one of the places we’re coming to this is Val Bak uh and today we’re going to be checking them for breast cancer iab’s charity is about uh bringing breast health to women in disadvantaged areas a little bit more of the rural area and the farm m s and um giving them access to healthare that they would normally have and the key word here is like our detection that we can save [Music] lives let’s find out how two pro riders experience the cape epic how did your epic go to date quite smooth for us so far um really a solid uh epic um started off quite conservatively but I think um it’s going to play in our favor uh it’s a hard epic a lot of climbing Teran is also very physical so it’s just very good to um save something in the tank for the last two stages coming up what do Pros do immediately after the race to be ready within 20 hours to to be race ready again we normally try not hang around too much after the the Finish we get there maybe have a Coke have some water um and then a recovery check soon after and we always try and do a little bit of a spin so in Wellington we just like rode from the Finish back to our accommodation um extra 10 minutes just to kind of spin down the the legs and then yeah we would get back it was obviously quite hot the last few days so I had to swim every day um and shower eat lunch and we have a massage normally um chat to the mechanic about the bike um to any any issues or anything to kind of look out for um try have a little little nap have like a kind of late afternoon lunch second lunch again um and then yeah really just like as little as possible maybe looking at the Dot from the day and um what’s coming up tomorrow we have a early dinner and we try and be in in bed by 800 and then starts all over again off past 4 what do you eat during the stage and how do you manage to to eat with uh with you guys going uh full gas all all the way us um stages is around about 3 to 4 hours um so we just focus on corbs and we get that in the form of energy gels and energy bars uh obviously also have car drinks in our bottles and we’re lucky to have barin um which has got a a nice variety of product that we can choose from um but I especially if it’s warm I just tend to just go for jels I struggle to eat um and then yeah just bottles get the fluids from from the bottles and maybe if it’s really really warm I’ll stop at the last feet just for some cool water um I just sometimes feel like I’m craving water and it just boosts the moral and um yeah it should end end up working out um 90 to 110 carbs grams of carbs per hour um but I’m sure for for the back markers they would yeah longer days you need might need some protein as well um so it’s it’s depends on a lot on on the time you’re going to be on the bike for are you two equally strong any off days that the one partner had to support the other one um I had a bit of a bad day on on Wednesday but I think we we managed it well um yeah it’s kind of an epic you’re not you’re not going it’s impossible to have eight Amazing Days um so it’s kind of how you handle those bad days and how much time you lose and yeah mat is a really good partner he able to help us get to the line as quickly as possible and yeah our bad day was 24th which really isn’t isn’t that bad for the future amateur newbies any any piece of advice that you can give them as uh as pro riders that have done this a couple of times train prepare well get a coach that knows what he’s doing um and I would say if you if you start from scratch the sooner you start training if it’s even if it’s a year in advance don’t fall into the chle thinking you’re going to leave it for December to start training with only 3 months to go I would say biggest thing don’t change anything big in in the coming weeks it’s easy to kind of get caught up and kind of want to change things last minute like stick to what you know nutrition wise um and yeah just even saddle bike setup shoes don’t change things like that couple of weeks before do it a month out and your fuel today for tomorrow great thank you guys and good luck with the remaining two stages thank you very much after Stage 5 in Willington Riders were transitioned to stalos for the final two stages the evening dinners in a race Village is a highlight the leading riders in each category are introduced on stage and an overview of the next day stage [Applause] is on pretty much every and finally they got stage win today as well let’s hear from the 2024 Champions why the cap epic should be on your bucket list hi yeah I think I think for for any Rider looking for an incredible experience to to see an incredible landscape and experience some Trails the cape epic is is a good one to choose yeah I mean if you really want to challenge your your general cycling skills and ability this is where you need to come and um get addicted properly because this race definitely draws you back every year and um yeah it’s a challenge and it’s something you’ll remember for the rest of your life for sure like every epic I’ve done there’s this very special part of it that I remember and um yeah it’s it’s an adventure so Riders on stage six of the Absa Cape epic enjoyed a cool morning in stalos a welcome change after the dry and hot weather of the first 6 days the 87 km route features 2,300 M of climbing and some of the spectacular single track trails from the wiland trail Network in the greatest alos area the stage passed through morati wine estate twice before heading for stalos with the idas Valley Trails providing a treat before the final test up the Bas cop a deceptively difficult day with Qui of nice go I’m Cory Muller local dentist in stenos and in my off time I love to B Trails it is actually a very big honor if a big race like that comes and they ride over your Trails one in yuk uh is actually called the dentist by the head of specialized South Africa it’s not that easy to ride on your own but it is doable what happened your partner uh dehydration which St stage two two days to go Mason how you feeling Peter two days going to be a yeah heartbeat climbing today in Daniels your wife yeah stage CHS has arrived lot of climbing lot of rewards looking forward to it one more day and we’ve got our medal we worked hard for this one thank you epic 20th anniversary you made a count well done oh your husband have been supporting you on this epic oh man best partner ever he’s pushed me pulled me motivated me being a general but he’s good he’s been amazing I can’t say much I’m out of breath we’ve had issues every day yesterday we had a technical so we had to run and then the other 3 4 days before that were like super hard so yeah it’s a tough race and she’s coping so talk to me tomorrow but sister what’s her age difference 20 years no one already knows like what our thing is is she our mom she my sister your mom been supporting you all the way my mom has been a great supporter she she made me do it this one is a bit of a Redemption ride for me I need to complete this one but we’re almost there yeah yes no no no this is my third one and I’m bringing my son back to finish his first one so I’m going for my basy and what’s the age difference between US 20 30 years 30 years yeah we saw Wendy there on a cliffhanger with the H with her thought she’s not going to make it but tell us about it uh well mat looked after me all the way up and it was it was rough for me to just hold in this is how AIC works you just got to keep on moving like everything in life just keep moving going forward you made it before the cut off how how many I made it by 39 seconds the official cut off and then when I got to the last water table right said you got to get there before 10 5 had to dig so deep to get that last 8 km in and I got to the end i’ made it just one step at a time chip chip was hard work but you know there’s only one way to get to uh get to the Finish Line on uh Sunday and that’s to cross every other Finish Line so I just got to keep going today’s stage we’re blessed with very good weather otherwise morati would have been a beast but rustenberg sorted us out like this luckily we closed to the first spectator point we see the family get some energy tonight you allowed to get beer HH for sure how many then I just won thanks for doing the work behind the camera documenting all the people’s stor does make a big difference it’s not just about the front guys the back markers suffer Sam from Switzerland I’m just having my first cap epic so far yesterday was my 50th birthday and I had a huge day thanks guys I’m 66 66 you were ly my ninth epic and this one I’m doing for my myself I’ve got stage four prostate cancer and they told me I can’t do this so I’m doing it and I love it that’s it man that’s it what’s wrong with your bike hey you want to go faster no free will no free buddy from 9 km if you want to go faster I’m screaming but I’m not going faster I see water point it’s just 1 kilm close by they’re going to yeah hopefully they got a new specialized s Works waiting for me two banana want banana special people on the side by [Music] riding with your son yes I do it it’s a big adventure for [Music] us have a good day thanks a lot goe thank you so much byebye bye these guys are the best in their life here now this is a great photograph hopefully we’ll get going in the next 5 minutes thanks these guys are getting me back have a good ride my friend so with the first of our heers having made their way [Music] into Mar yes I’m M from dirtopia we at morati estate we’ve been building trails in the area for about 20 years intensively for the last 10 I think it’s our fourth epic visit um always a great excitement and opportunity to build some new stuff to show the guys um happy it’s got cooler today but uh I think Riders are probably underestimating how many meters we’ve got here we got a lot of single track of slow going um so yeah tough day despite the coolness meanwhile back in stalos the Riders loue is still empty as the first Pros complete St six at the end of stage six Toyota specializ 91 Matthew be and [Applause] Howard conratulations racing Victorious seven from seven one day to go world champion the C Champion second of the World Championships Candace L fighting every day fight and G [Music] [Applause] [Music] was happy I say it’s a bad day to have a bad day it’s a good day to have a good part Le how are you I’m just waiting for my son to I’m just going to hold one of these little fellas One of these little Jack blacks Peter coll and Nicholas Leon still exactly P welcome to p and Nick position but he’s Dad here to welcome and give him a h so good and there we combination Rio along with [Music] [Music] [Music] awesome [Applause] [Music] we’re nearly 10ks from the home we’ve made another stage can you see that M I can feel it I really enjoy that CL it was nice I think the reason it was extra nice is the end of the day and we’ve got a couple K left partner’s now made it to the top of the hill hopefully we just get safely down exting up of the world my name’s Rob I’m from the UK uh my friend asked me out for a holiday to come to join the cape epic to volunteer to help Marshall my motorbikes so here I am another day at the top of the hill cheering on the crowd here they come come on guys nearly at the top once more bump to go the good news is you can see the pub from here looking good keep it up pop close by we like on the beer f see hold on yeah I cracked my rips number two three and four on stage four uh getting one of the switchbacks fell into the Rocks so yeah we battling up the single tracks trying to get to the end uh my name is so I work for St Trail fund St Trail fund is an NPO that looks after the stush trails we are 13 members that maintain this trails and also all our trails are freely accessible but we solely reliant on the donations soti with the race for here behind us and over 50 International countries representing the cape epic how does that make you feel um extremely honored actually to welcome the all the Riders around the world to come and experience the trails that to be built day by day and we’ve prepared them especially for them at this 20th epic Edition any of the trail Builders participating in the Epic this year uh not this year not this year but 2022 and 2023 myself and temp we did participate in the Epic then you also involve uh coaching a team yes myself and Christin we are managing the kandale uh DP world uh racing team here in stush and three of our teams are ipating this year and L and Demon are actually second on the EXO category this year and the ladies are leading the ladies entity data as you enjoy stage six at the doctor at the Portman scope and I would like you to as well to enjoy the iconic g spot right at our doorstep that will make you to come back even more and more on the de Cape epic the grand finale in 2024 is packed with Adventure a tough final day with opportunities to to gain or lose time on the trails of yuk kber and Mont Murray the final stretch through Eden and G-spot is possibly the best way to Ender an 8 day mountain bike stage race for the pros as in 2022 and 2023 stage 7 is anything but a pro session it will have to be raised in order to win the 2024 ABS cap ready for State seven ready hope I’m cisil Munch from breast cancer charity I love boobies um the I love boobies concept really was born um from us and a group of friends riding these beautiful races in the beautiful environment of the Western Cape uh abser cap epic and wi to Wales and such races and we rode through many communities of really wonderful people that were cheering and supportive and we thought who brings uh Health Services to you and the most important of all the health services that we could come up with was was uh the breast cancer breast cancer charity or the breast cancer challenge that particularly women have um one in8 of all women communities will uh will experience breast cancer in their life time and there is such a thing as early detection that will actually give the woman much more chance and much more remedial choices um if they’re detected early so we’ve take nurses into rural environments to actually do an early detection and uh teaching and early detection um breast examinations and teach ladies how to do it for themselves and we have a referral route that goes through private Radiology all the way to the hospital if if it’s so such required and that’s what the whole team does and all of our energy and all of our initiative and all of our creativity goes into making uh making the breast cancer uh screenings and and examinations available to the women in the local populations [Applause] my name is k and uh I’ve been following this whole week the Epic and it’s amazing seeing what my my son Bena Luts and his nephew um Michael Brown is doing they are so fit they I know the youth is behind them cuz they are recovering so so quickly uh running from spectator point to spectator point and yeah it’s tough for the for the spectators as well hey it’s good man woo fun stuff hey the legs are Ed so he the way really try I’m feeling good but I’m happy that it’s the last day looking forward to the Finish it’s your first epic you’re about to complete it in an hour or two what advice can you give to Future amateurs that going to come and ride this event train hard and ride within your limits and enjoy it [Applause] [Applause] no no [Music] last stage best [Music] supporters had a bit of a pool today [Music] [Music] wow [Music] [Music] a R Done H the last lioness as H gets another lion EV is in the house 547 boys was suffering after the heat stage and um also was with my stomach and yeah but I’m glad that I’m here well done John that’s 20 now how was it fantastic thank absolute Joy please all about it it’s been highs and [Music] lows Rock white shorts boy well done thank [Music] you very other people also want to here please here come one of our former friend for you boys as you welcome Forever Young team that was a tough day thank you that was very tough bad for but I’m here now col H slippers zz2 R up [Music] [Music] [Applause] well [Music] done did you do it today did you do woman and have delivered second base today a very nice gentl we have just on finishing thank you congratulations all of had a tough day I lost my partner and since then I’ve just been riding to not miss the cut off so I just need to bite fast and L along withan and Gary 79 Simon Davies along with David Knights are in the house what a gentlemen winning the amateur women competition in the ex doing it round writers thetion to and showing great success John on way so there are F beautiful stuff we celebrations but will everybody that’s on the course the 30 in fact 29 Riders now are out on the course there’s a lot of going lovea Mara that is a deserved H from our two of our special ladies of the CH t Team incredible incredible words incredible pictures on our ping we are so proud of you s b Bing 4 months ago decided she was going to take on the ab epic and the children they made it [Music] through okay you made it you made it with 3 minutes spare they call the last one in his class in makeup schol see you Legends you’ve made it with literally 90 seconds left on the clock for well done one minute to go the clock on 40 seconds to go come on it’s one of them well done to our whole bunch of riders n you’ve done it the guys have they missed it by seconds the comms are going to let us know Miss it nichas 6 hours and 15 minutes is the official time on the dot and thega you made it you’re 6 hours 30 minutes 0 you’ve made it on the dot for completely 10 seconds too slow second stage so official last finisher the last finishes of the 2024 [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] so Nick might make it but y mind missed it just looking at the time welcome home thank you so much you just outside next stage 50 seconds your applause they deserve to be cated thank you our last two Riders of the 2024 epic and Vincent they miss out by 6 minutes and 47 seconds it has been a dramatic it has been a beautiful it has been a classic AB epic thank you for celebrating two exposed the cape epic the TW shared these seven reflections [Music] [Music]