Karl Platt, five-time Absa Cape Epic winner, took a look at the 2018 route on Tuesday and pronounced himself pleased.This, he said, would be an Epic for the marathon mountain bikers, the ones who like the long distances. This — he did not quite say but you sensed he wanted to — would be an Epic for him.Nino Schurter and Matthias Stirnemann of Scott Sram won the 2017 Epic, two Swiss specialists at the cross-country distance, a shorter and sharper form of the sport. Schurter, the 2016 Olympic champion who has just won his sixth cross-country World Championship, is perhaps the dominant mountain biker of his generation."The cross-country guys were just lucky," laughed Platt, the German who won the first Epic in 2004 with Namibia’s Manie Heymans and rides for Team Bulls."I like it already. I like to race around Wellington because I train there and it’s like my home ground. The route for the first three days is long … that will suit the marathon guys, and shorter towards the end, which ma...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.