Celebrities from the world of sport like Luis Enrique and Vincenzo Nibali have been sharing an immense sporting challenge far from Europe for five days. That unlikely cast is for the Absa Cape Epic in South Africa, considered the toughest mountain bike stage race in the world. We are talking about 648 km and 15,475 m of elevation gain to be covered in eight successive stages, from March 19 to 26. One thousand four hundred and forty runners from all over the world (720 pairs) including 60 teams from the International Cycling Union (UCI) embarked on this merciless course around Cape Town, with a start every morning from 7 am. In this little game, and without real surprise, the former coach of La Roja, finisher in 2013 and 2018, battles as much on his bike as in an unsuccessful attempt to deceive Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou during the last World Cup.
Three stages from the end, the ex-player and coach of Barça (330th) has already spent more than 24 hours on the South African trails and he points this Thursday at 6:40 a.m. to the leading tandem, where we find the impressive Switzerland Nino Schurter. The former winner of the Tour de France 2014 Vincenzo Nibali is on the other hand in the game, in 9th place with a delay of thirty minutes. Like them, about twenty French people wanted to live this extraordinary adventure in South Africa. A cross-country enthusiast, Baptiste Roussel (18) is the youngest of the event. Alongside his trainer Rémi Crinon (36 years old), this Staps student has above all “put himself into full” mountain biking since the first confinement.
“It’s our Champions League”
In his Val-d’Oise, he struggles to find elevation during his dozen hours of training per week, but that did not prevent him from ranking 64th in the elite runner during a recent round of the Coupe du world in Switzerland (120 km and 5,000 m of D +), then 44th last month on the Andalucia Bike Race and its race in six stages (336 km and 10,000 m of D +), which acts as an appetizer for the Absa Cape Epic. Both sick and victims of numerous mechanical problems, they are 98th in the general classification and cling to their objective of finishing this monstrous challenge.
“It’s our Champions League, our Tour de France, summarizes the young runner. There is no longer event in the world, it is truly a legendary race. It’s weird to feel like you’re in the big leagues. Becoming a finisher of the Absa Cape Epic commands respect. Fourteenth in the 2022 edition and currently 21st alongside the Belgian Sébastien Carabin, Pierre Billaud also had a hell of a misadventure on Monday, having to struggle the last 20 kilometers of the stage without a saddle (broken). However, for him too, the enthusiasm is still just as strong.
There is nowhere in Europe such an atypical stage race format, in eight days, and so complicated for organizations to collect. Especially since we are coming out of our winter climate and we are getting 35°C. Fortunately we have a partner because it allows you to push your limits even further. Even the guys who are at the front of the standings have in mind first and foremost to finish the race. There are many times when you want to rock the bike during these eight days but it’s always in the extreme that we enjoy the most. It’s our Holy Grail of the season, it’s like a real amusement park for us. »
Three helicopters mobilized and a YouTube channel
Substantial resources are planned to make this mountain bike circuit event even more essential: three helicopters and e-bikes constantly film the event, and the organization offers a live broadcast on its YouTube channel. However, even elite runners like Pierre Billaud do not necessarily live from their passion. Working for an equipment manufacturer in the world of cycling, he says: “In our sport, you can be a French champion and an amateur. We finance ourselves, it’s resourcefulness, and this race represents a large part of our budget for the year. But we are amazed in these settings, finally more by watching the videos than live. »
Because the difficulties are such, on extremely technical courses, that there can be no relaxation. Hugo Drechou (31 years old) is one of the rare French professional riders, within Team Buff Megamo, and he is currently 20th overall (1h03 behind) alongside the Spaniard Enrique Morcillo Vergara. This former reference in cross-country, vice-champion of France in 2014 behind Julien Absalon, trains twenty hours a week in the Perpignan region. “It’s a legendary race, he enthuses about his second participation. There are four stages beyond 100 km. Imagine: 100 terminals on the road is already tough, but then in mountain biking on such courses, pfiou… Last year, I felt cramps as soon as I woke up on the last three days of racing. »
A surreal budget to plan for the non-elite
If Pauline Ferrand-Prévot distinguished herself in South Africa last year by winning three stages and by offering herself a fine third place for the first participation of her career, a tricolor podium is not a priori on the program for this season. But the main thing is elsewhere, according to the financial sacrifices made by some mountain bike lovers who do not belong to the elite category.
Count a flat rate of 7,500 euros per pair to benefit from registration, food and accommodation… in a tent during the eight days of this event. To listen to Hugo Drechou, the Absa Cape Epic almost deserves such madness: “Every day there are new courses and new landscapes. Attending the sunrise with the dust of the helicopters, it gives a fantastic atmosphere. Come on, this modest 102 km stage, selling between Oak Valley Estate and Lourensford Wine Estate catches your eye.