For those who missed out on securing an early bird entry, there's still a chance through the lottery system, accessible on the Absa Cape Epic website - www.cape-epic.com. The first round draw will take place on March 28, 2024, followed by the second round on May 31, 2024. Should applicants be unsuccessful in the first round, their lottery application will automatically roll over for consideration in the second round.

Another avenue to secure entry is by qualifying through one of the European Epic Series events, namely the SPAR Swiss Epic in Graubünden, Switzerland; 4Islands MTB in Croatia; and the Andorra Epic in Andorra. Each of these events offers a unique and exhilarating mountain biking experience.

“After 20 years it remains as special as ever to see riders coming from all over the world and overcoming the challenge before them, proving something to themselves and inspiring many more. To have Early Bird entries sold out in such a short space of time speaks to what this event means to the global MTB community and we look forward to getting started on 2025,” said Jonathan Meintjes, Managing Director of the Absa Cape Epic.

After a gruelling eight days where over 700 teams battled the elements alongside the famed routes of the Cape Mountains, it was South Africa’s Matt Beers and the United States’ Howard Grotts from team Toyota-Specialized – NinetyOne who reigned victorious in a hotly contested UCI Men’s category and a dominant display by Anne Terpstra of the Netherlands and Switzerland’s Nicole Koller from GHOST Factory Racing to take the UCI Women’s crown. 

The 2025 edition of the Absa Cape Epic takes place 16 – 23 March 2025. For more information visit www.cape-epic.com.