At the UCI Rider press conference – on Friday, 14 March 2025 – IRONMAN group’s Head of Mountain Biking EMEA, Jonathan Meintjes, announced a significant increase in the prize purse for the top men’s and women’s teams. The R900 000 boost amounts to a 27% increase and takes the total payout to R3 228 000.

“The total prize money has been increased significantly for 2025,” Meintjes confirmed. “The winning UCI Men’s and Women’s teams will, now, each take home R350 000. The stage prizes have also been doubled, with positions down to 10th being paid out on each day. Stage winners in the UCI categories will receive R10 000 for their efforts this year. There is also R50 000 on the line for the winners of the Absa African Jersey competitions, for the best-placed all-African teams.”

Another exciting bonus is the introduction of King and Queen of the Mountain hotpot prizes for Stages 1, 3, 5, and 7. “A R15 000 KOM and QOM prize will be awarded to the first UCI Men’s and first UCI Women’s team over the Rhino Climb, on Stage 1, the Dryland climb, on Stage 3, at the Coetzenburg spectator spot on the Queen Stage, and atop The Neck, on the final day,” Meintjes added. “As has been the case since 2014, when the Absa Cape Epic set the trend for mountain biking events globally, the UCI Women will receive equal prize money to the UCI Men.”

This increase in prize money caught the double defending champion’s attention. “They didn’t have to increase the prize money, but it is very welcome,” Beers stated. Before joking: “We all know coffee is getting more expensive.”

For the full breakdown of the 2025 Absa Cape Epic prize money please visit www.epic-series.com/capeepic, or click here.