BORA-hansgrohe MTB teammates Ben Zwiehoff and Lennard Kämna hit the road this weekend, taking their cycles off the beaten track and onto harsh terrain. It’s all happening in South Africa’s majestic Western Cape at the gruelling Absa Cape Epic from 17-24 October.
The eight-day, multi-stage MTB race is the largest full-service MTB race in the world and has universally been dubbed “The race that measures all’. This physically demanding and mentally taxing event is a relentless ride through rugged but picturesque terrain.
The challenge is widely viewed as a rite of passage for mountain bikers around the world. The journey spans eight days and it’s made up of mountain dual tracks and rocky single tracks, intermittently peppered with farm roads and pristine orchards.
It’s the journey that counts
BORA – Hansgrohe teammates Zwiehoff and Kämna will not necessarily be aiming for top spots in the race. Their focus is on gaining experience and opening themselves up to new challenges. For these riders, it’s an adventure trip of sorts, and the goal is to tackle more off-road projects in the future.
‘’We don’t have any concrete plans yet, but I think it’s important to give the riders the chance to experience something different from their daily professional routines,” says Ralph Denk, Team Manager. He adds, “Sports tend to become more and more professional and you have to work harder and more meticulously. So, it’ll be good to see something different for a change, to clear the mind. We want to support that”.
The team will cover roughly 700km with 16 000 meters of climbing along the planned route, which changes every year, and is a closely guarded secret until only a few weeks before the starter pistol fires. But majestic mountains, fynbos forests, magnificent coastlines and vineyards are a guaranteed perk.
The varied and harsh terrain includes a rollercoaster of technical decent, steep rock climbs, river crossings and forest trails. The two-person team race is a drawcard for amateurs and professionals alike and tests a combination of fitness, skill and teamwork, while exploring some of the Western Cape’s beautiful historical towns that are far flung from the traditional tourist map.
An unlikely duo
Zwiehoff is at home off road, and participated in the UCI World Cup XCO circuit (placing 23rd in 2019) prior to signing with the Bora-hansgrohe professional road cycling team for 2021.
“This will be a journey back to my roots in a way,” says Zwiehoff . He adds, “The last time I was on a mountain bike was pretty much exactly a year ago, and now I’m able to go back off-road for an anniversary of sorts. I’m also looking forward to experiencing this together with Lennard. The courses have become technically quite demanding over the past few years. It’s going to be fun shredding the trails on specialised bikes for sure”.
In contrast, Kämna is a newbie when it comes to off-road, and is riding a “knobby-tyred” bike for the first time this year.
“For me, this is a completely new challenge,” says Kämna. “I come from the north of Germany and only sat on a mountain bike for the first time this year. Of course, I have a lot of respect for the Absa Cape Epic and I’m also looking forward to it. My preparation was okay, but I definitely have some technical deficits, which doesn’t matter so much in the end, because it’s more about having fun,” he enthuses.
Zwiehoff was injured in 2020 during the Swiss Epic Mountain bike stage race. At the time, he was sitting in second place. But this didn’t break his tenacious spirit. Following a broken collarbone, he recovered just in time to complete the Vuelta a España, his first career grand tour performance. As a result, provided all goes well in The Cape next week, he will become the first rider to complete both a road grand tour and the Absa Cape Epic in the same season.
To find out more about the iconic race and where to follow the riders, visit https://www.cape-epic.com/.
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