Days in the saddle, Robe lighting S.R.O is proud to announce that Team Spiider finished 86th in the general classification (GC) and 17th in the ‘Masters’ of the 2017 Absa Cape Epic, an exceptionally tough mountain bike stage race.
It was held from 19th to 26th March in South Africa’s beautiful Western Cape Region with up to 650 competing teams of two riders.
Described as the “Untamed African mountain bike race”, Team Spiider’s Pierre Griffioen (owner of South African entertainment technology rental company Pure Event Gear) and Fritz Pienaar, were certainly a crowd pleaser!
They received many positive comments about their awesome riding kit and ‘Fit Fritz’ was well known for popping wheelies and entertaining the crowd with his bike skills.
“The 2017 Cape Epic is done and dusted,” said Griffioen “A big thank you to our sponsor Robe lighting and DWR Distribution. Fritz was an awesome partner and we had such a good time. Things can go pear-shaped quickly if two personalities clash in a race like the Epic, having fun is essential to survive the endurance. Thanks to everybody for their support!”
While the Absa Cape Epic is defined by incredible landscapes and multiple adrenalin rushes, the riders had to dig deep into their tank to pull it off!
It’s a race of highs and lows, similar to the landscape.
One of the longest race days covered an impressive 112km! The hottest days peaked at over 40˚C – which was Stages 1 & 2, with a drop out of 17% of the teams!
On some days the wind blasted relentlessly, and on certain evenings rain fell gently on the tent. It was an adventure that attracted two-person teams from around the world, and while many were forced to pull out, Team Spiider was thrilled to push through.
“Pierre and Fritz did so well!” said Duncan Riley of DWR – Robe’s highly proactive South African distributor. “Saying this race is ‘tough’ is an understatement, fitness and having a good head space are imperative. Pierre and Fritz kept us updated on Facebook with photos and feedback, which made it really exciting to cheer them on. It was a real honour and felt so good to be associated with their journey.”
“Thank you for this opportunity and a big thank you to Robe CEO Josef Valchar for the sponsorship. We all appreciate your interest in South Africa and in our industry.”
The Absa Cape Epic must be completed by both members of a two-person team with only 650 teams and 1300 entrants allowed to ride the race. The route changes every year, attracting aspiring amateur as well as professional mountain bikers worldwide through 700 km of breath-taking unspoilt scenery with around 15,000m of accumulated climbing over some of the most magnificent mountain passes in South Africa.
It’s the only eight-day mountain bike stage race classed as hors catégorie by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), and this official UCI status makes it a highlight on the professional racer’s calendar. It is a full-service race, so everything is taken care of from the start – all riders need to think about is riding.