The towns

Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3 (Start)

Past appearances: 
2005, 2007

Official Website:
www.montagutrails.co.za

For the first time in 19 years, the Absa Cape Epic returns to Montagu – and it’s about time. This small Karoo town sits where dramatic rock formations rise like ancient cathedrals, carved by wind, water, and ridden by Lycra-clad masochists. It’s famous for its hot springs, fruit orchards and sandstone cliffs that glow orange at sunset. But in mountain-biking circles, Montagu is remembered for its rugged, remote riding – the kind that made the early Absa Cape Epics the legendary riders they are. 

The trails here are not polite. They’re rocky, dusty and in your face, rewarding fitness and punishing arrogance. Riders will snake through the Keisie and Koo valleys, grind up jeep tracks that feel endless, and bomb down descents that leave forearms quivering. It’s terrain with character – harsh but heart-stirring, framed by the kind of Karoo vastness that reminds you how small you are. 

Off the bike, Montagu’s charm is pure South African country hospitality. The main street is lined with Cape Dutch cottages and coffee shops where time moves at half speed. There are hiking trails, climbing crags and thermal baths to soak away the lactic acid. For supporters, it’s a photographer’s dream – every corner a postcard, every vista an Instagram filter waiting to happen. Montagu’s comeback is more than sentimental. It’s symbolic. It’s a return to the Absa Cape Epic’s roots: raw, remote and untamed.