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On Friday 28 March 2008, 1200 riders from 41 countries will embark on a 9-day journey through South Africa’s Western Cape as part of South Africa’s 5th ABSA Cape Epic. It’s 966k’s from Knysna to Lourensford, climbing 18,529m, across some of South Africa’s most beautiful mountain passes. And in the mix are some of the original SAUKsters: Nick Stephenson and Wayne Keet.

Team Aero: Nick Stephenson and Shane Peters
Team Shlang Balles: Wayne Keet and Matt Godwin

Day 1 involves a 17km time trial prologue to determine their start seeding. Many of the top contenders are warming their engines for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The Men

• Bulls:- last year’s Absa Cape Epic winners Karl Platt and Stefan Sahm;
• Dolphin:- Bart Brentjens (Olympic Gold medallist) and Alban Lakata (2006 Marathon World Cup winner in Mont Saint-Anne);
• Rocky Mountain/ Cube:- Carsten Bresser (multiple TransAlp Champion) and Udo Boelts (former Team Telekom)

The Women

• Rocky Mountain Girls:- Pia Sundstedt (marathon specialist) and Alison Sydor (multiple World Champion and World Cup winner)
• Trek VW WSD:- Susan Haywood (two times Pan American Champion) and Jennifer Smith (X-terra triathlete)
• MTN Energade 1:- South Africa’s top contenders, Kevin Evans (3rd at the 2005 Absa Cape Epic) and David George (three-time Giro del Capo winner)

Nick and Shane are the tough Johannesburgers. Both Ironmanners are hard as nails and have been training in the tough streets of Gauteng’s hot and wet summer. They are both former Cape Epic finishers and will be contending for a spot on the age-groupers-with-a-real-job podium. Shane is expecting the birth of his first child the day before the race.

Keeto has lined up the Cape Epic, followed by Ironman South Africa, followed by his wedding. A tough hat-trick to pull off. Matt Godwin, Keeto’s brother-in-law to be, will be learning from the maestro. To make things exciting, this is their first mountain bike race and neither has trained specifically for this event. Training in wet and cold London was fairly impossible so both agreed to do their training in the race itself.

SAUK has sent RobbyRicc to cover the race and he’ll be sending daily updates from Team Aero and Team Shlang Balles. Watch this Space!

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