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Entries open 14 February

The Race with GEES

 

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  • The 2025 FNB Wines2Whales:
  • 31 October - 9 November
  • THE RACE WITH GEES

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Route

2025 Switchback: The Best Yet!

Get ready for the most thrilling Switchback to date! While the route will feel familiar, we’ve flipped the script with fresh perspective  that will create a very different riding experience going from the coast to the wines. 

Stage 1

Benguela Cove to Oak Valley Estate

We start at the iconic Benguela Cove for the first time, with an easy beginning on gravel roads offering stunning ocean views before hitting the first singletrack. The historic Katpass is the main challenge of the day, but from there, it's an action-packed run all the way to the finish at Oak Valley Wine Estate.

Stage 2

Oak Valley Estate

It’s a classic Playday filled with all your favourite sections, Vissie's Magic, Sounds of Silence, Rietvlei Magic, Pofadder and more plus an exciting new addition: the Hoola Hoop Playpark near the finish! Expect fast and fun with just the right mix of technical challenge.

Stage 3

Oak Valley Estate to Lourensford Estate

The final stage starts at Oak Valley and finishes at Lourensford Wine Estate. It includes a compulsory portage down the historic Wagon Trail (easier than going up!), weaving through Idiom, Wedderwil, and Vergelegen. We’ve switched up the last big climb at Lourensford—it won’t be part of the route this year. Instead, we’ll take you on the stunning Canal Trail for the perfect finish to the Race with GEES.

 

How to Enter

3 Days of GEES

View the Route

200 km | 4500m Climbing

Event Overview

An experience unlike any other

Recent Videos

 

Prepare for a Great Year of MTB with the Epic Series in 2025

By Epic Series 01/28/2025, 12:00am HST

You could race the world in 2025. Find out how here...

From the Absa Cape Epic, in March, to FNB Wines2Whales, in November, the 2025 Epic Series will thrill with spectacular singletracks, challenge with arduous ascents, celebrate the camaraderie of the race villages, and welcome teams home like the champions they are on the final finish lines. It will take mountain bikers from South Africa’s Western Cape and iconic vistas of Table Mountain into the high passes of the Pyrenees. The opportunities for exploration abound, from the ancient limestone trails of Croatia’s Kvarner islands to the alpine lakes of Switzerland’s largest canton, Graubünden. All these experiences, and more, await for those who choose to Race the World in 2025…

Biance Bekker: In the Words of an Epic Legend

By Epic Series 01/06/2025, 12:30am HST

Discover the joy of racing the world through the words of Epic Legend Biance Bekker...

In 2024 Biance Bekker was one of just four people to complete every Epic Series race. The South African was joined on stage by her stage race partner, Daniel Tenner, and the Buff Megamo Epic Legends Hans Becking and Wout Alleman at FNB Wines2Whales to be honoured for that remarkable achievement. Having ridden the Absa Cape Epic, 4Islands Epic Croatia, Andorra Epic Pyrenees, SPAR Swiss Epic, and all three FNB Wines2Whales races Bekker is in a unique position to speak to the challenges and highlights of each event.

The all-conquering Toyota Specialized team completed their clean sweep of FNB Wines2Whales stage victories on the final day of the 2024 Shiraz race - from Oak Valley to Benguela Cove - on Sunday, 10 November. Matt Beers and Alex Miller’s margin of victory was 7 minutes and 42 seconds.

Stage 2 of the FNB Wines2Whales Shiraz produced another dramatic day of racing. Toyota Specialized went on an early attack, but a crash with 15 kilometres to go could so easily have ended Alex Miller’s race.

Matt Beers and Alex Miller powered into an early lead and never let off the throttle on Stage 1 of the FNB Wines2Whales Shiraz.

Beers On Ice for The Last Dance of the 2024 Season at FNB W2W

By Wines2Whales 11/07/2024, 2:45am HST

The final race of the South African mountain bike racing season is upon us, but before the elite riders can put their feet up and reflect on 2024 they have one final chance to win big at the FNB Wines2Whales Shiraz race.

 

E-Bikes

RACE your E-Bike at FNB Wines2Whales

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Event Services

Transfers, Accomodation and more

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Experience riding South Africa’s favourite MTB trails

 

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Keep up to speed on the latest Epic Series event updates.

If the idea of racing your mountain bike all around the world appeals to you, sign up for our newsletter for the latest on Epic Series events, captivating trails and rider updates.

By clicking subscribe, you are agreeing to the Epic Series privacy policy and agree to receive emails from Epic Series.

FIND YOUR Start times on the APP

DOWNLOAD THE W2W APP
Rider tracking, Race updates, Spectator information, Results and Key Event information 

Stay up to date! With the official Epic Series App, you won’t miss any news. Get helpful race information, have a look at the event schedule whenever you need and enjoy the live rider tracking and the best spectator hotspots for friends & family.

Have you read the Rider Manual

The FNB Wines2Whales is three Gees-filled days of mountain biking 

To ensure you and your partner are fully prepared for the adventure, be sure to check the Rider Manual—it’s packed with everything you need, from schedules to packing tips and registration details. Clean air, freshly built bridges, world-class trails, and plenty of gees await you at the 2024 FNB Wines2Whales.

Recent Videos

2024 Rider Jersey

Introducing our Official Wines2Whales rider jersey, as voted by YOU!

Enter to get yours

CANVAS TENT AS STANDARD

Out with the old and in with the new! Each rider that chooses the standard tent option will be staying in a bigger and better canvas tent. 

View Packages

ORIGINAL ROUTE IS BACK

Our route team is hard at work rebuilding and repairing the old favourites after the 2023 flood damage. And in true W2W style, some new ones will be added. 

Men

RACING MEN

Cannondale Factory Racing
Alan HATHERLY
Simon ANDREASSEN

Amateur

Amateur Men

FAIRTREE DP WORLD CANNONDALE 1
Kusaselihle NGIDI
Damon TERBLANCHE

Mixed

Toyota Mixed

Seattle Coffee Co. Rola Motors
Darren LILL
Candice LILL

Masters

NTT Masters

Uncle Fish
Burger BESTER
Gerrit DE VRIES

Grand Masters

FNB Brokers Grand Masters

Tudor/LGE Midas
Igna DE VILLIERS
Andreas STUDER

Great Grand Masters

Great Grand Masters

Flash Great Grand Masters
Vaughan ULYATE
Jimmy MILLS

Exxaro

Exxaro Men

FAIRTREE DP WORLD CANNONDALE 1
Kusaselihle NGIDI
Damon TERBLANCHE

Exxaro

Exxaro Women

EXXARO ACADEMY LADIES 1
Refilwe MOGOROSI
Omphile MOTAUNG

Title Sponsors

Epic Series Technical Partners