In case you haven’t heard, the coolest XC type race in March is always the Cape Epic stage race. If you are reading this, then you certainly know all about this great event. I know I look forward to watching it every single year for free on youtube. Hours upon hours of the pro racers zipping through rough dirt trails in South Africa. Of the 7 stages, most are hours and hours long. Women and men have always ridden the same courses, along with the thousands of amateur racers.
The big change is of course shortening the Elite/Pro women races to match the approximate time of the men. Simple really, instead of everyone does 60 miles, now everyone does around 5 hours. The basic formula for the 2025 race was men raced for 23 hours, and the women did 29 hours. That’s a pretty big difference. What does it serve the women athletes to ride so much longer? Of course the regular World Cup races do it this way already, as do most local races. Take one less lap or whatnot, so everyone’s out there busting their legs for around the same time. Us fat old Sport men racers know that we’ll be doing 3 laps, while the fast guys are going to do 4 or even 5. And they’d still probably beat my time.
So I’m excited to see how this works as a casual viewer. Will the women’s race be even tighter, with more reason to hammer it until the end? Will it matter at all?
Oddly in my eyes, this only applies to the Elite/Pro women. Every other racer in every category young and old, does the full long course.
All I know is I can’t wait for it to start. It also happens to be about the same time each year the weather starts relenting a bit here in the upper midwest, and I do get extra motivation to get outside and start riding again.
Keller/Lill for the win…you heard it here first…Lill has finished 2nd five out of her 7 attempts (or is it 9?)…can she beat Sophia Swenson (ha ha)? We shall see.
The big change is of course shortening the Elite/Pro women races to match the approximate time of the men. Simple really, instead of everyone does 60 miles, now everyone does around 5 hours. The basic formula for the 2025 race was men raced for 23 hours, and the women did 29 hours. That’s a pretty big difference. What does it serve the women athletes to ride so much longer? Of course the regular World Cup races do it this way already, as do most local races. Take one less lap or whatnot, so everyone’s out there busting their legs for around the same time. Us fat old Sport men racers know that we’ll be doing 3 laps, while the fast guys are going to do 4 or even 5. And they’d still probably beat my time.
So I’m excited to see how this works as a casual viewer. Will the women’s race be even tighter, with more reason to hammer it until the end? Will it matter at all?
Oddly in my eyes, this only applies to the Elite/Pro women. Every other racer in every category young and old, does the full long course.
All I know is I can’t wait for it to start. It also happens to be about the same time each year the weather starts relenting a bit here in the upper midwest, and I do get extra motivation to get outside and start riding again.
Keller/Lill for the win…you heard it here first…Lill has finished 2nd five out of her 7 attempts (or is it 9?)…can she beat Sophia Swenson (ha ha)? We shall see.
