Last year’s second-placed finishers Alban Lakata of Austria and his Czech teammate Kristian Hynek (Topeak Ergon Racing) will probably start as most people’s tip for a win.

the Austrian powerhouse won the Marathon World Championships in 2015 and has finished sixth, fifth, fourth, third and second in previous Cape Epics. He is desperate to add a win at the world’s premier mountain bike stage race to his palmares.

Platt has teamed up again with Swiss strongman Urs Huber, and the former’s canny racing strategy combined with the latter’s power makes for a compelling combination.

Sauser retired as a professional rider at the end of last season after a record fifth Cape Epic win and Team Bulls’s Karl Platt of Germany, a four-time winner, will be going all out to draw level.

An unsung pairing, but one with an excellent pedigree, is the German combination of Markus Kaufmann and Jochen Kaess (Centurion Vaude by Meerendal).

In 2014 they showed that they have the firepower to win the event before succumbing to a broken frame. Kaufmann has been struggling with injuries recently but if he arrives at the start in good shape on March 13 they will be serious contenders.