Absa Cape Epic, live.

Eight days, 701 km, teams of two

The Absa Cape Epic is an eight day mountain bike stage race in South Africa's Western Cape, raced in teams of two on a new route every year.

The organiser calls the Cape Epic the world's most televised mountain bike race, and the UCI classifies it as hors catégorie. Riders race in two person teams, and each year the route is new. The 2027 edition runs from 21 to 28 March, over 701 km with 17,150 m of climbing.

It opens with a 27 km prologue at Lourensford Wine Estate in Somerset West on 21 March. Stages 1 and 2 are loops from Ceres, 127 km and 103 km, before stage 3 moves 87 km to Saronsberg in Tulbagh. Stage 4 is a 96 km loop there, and stage 5 crosses 114 km to Imbuko Wines in Wellington.

The last two days stay in Wellington. Stage 6 is 83 km but carries 3,100 m of climbing, the most of the week, and stage 7 on 28 March is 64 km to the final finish at Imbuko Wines. Elite women race a shorter version on several days, 576 km and 13,900 m overall.

The organiser describes it as a test of skill, fitness, partnership, equipment and mettle, raced by professional and serious amateur entrants from across the planet. The race moves from Somerset West to Ceres, Tulbagh and Wellington, and stage 1 climbs Waboomsberg, the highest point in the race's history.

On Livebib you can follow a rider who chooses to share their own live position from the phone they carry. This is not the organiser's timing, and the official results come from the Absa Cape Epic.