The CAPE EPIC, together with our partner the Bicycling Empowerment Network (BEN), aims to alleviate poverty in the communities through which our race passes each year by promoting cycling as a means of transport. Through our charity entry programme we donate bicycles to at least 8 different communities every year.

BEN hosts bicycle skills and maintenance workshops in each town on the day The CAPE EPIC visits the town, and at night the charity teams present the bicycles at our nightly awards presentation. So far, the Cape Epic has donated more than 150 bikes for BEN projects.

The Bidding System

Charity entries are open and prospective charity teams have until 29 September 2006 to place online bids for the number of bicycles they wish to donate. The basic charity team entry fee is R13000 and the donation of 1 bicycle costs R1000; therefore your total charity team entry fee is:

R13000 + (bid value) x R1000
(If 1 bicycle is donated, the total charity team entry fee is R14000,
if 5 bicycles are donated, the total charity team entry fee is R18000.)

The bids will be closed at midnight on 29 September 2006, and the 30 teams with the highest bids will be invited to participate in The Cape Epic 2007. The bidding system aims to maximise the number of bicycles we donate to our Cape Epic stage town communities.

Successful bidders don't need to pay any money until their successful bid has been accepted, after the closing date on 29 September. Full payment on successful bids is due on 16 October 2006. The bidding process itself costs nothing.

 
How many bikes will secure my entry?

Historically, just one. But given the constantly growing demand for entries for the Cape Epic, we are sure that this number will rise in the near future. The top bid in 2006 was for 10 bikes by the Norwegian Team Centra Harvest (Christian Stabell Eriksen and Ole Kristian Silseth), but that number was trumped by local riders Gerrie Olivier and Nicom Loubser from Team Pragma, who already had a guaranteed entry but liked what BEN and the Cape Epic were doing with the charity programme and donated thirteen bikes.So what happens if you open your bidding at one bike, and are worried at a later stage that you might not have bid high enough? Just go back into the system and up your bid! We want to generate as many new bikes for this project as possible, and we can only do that through the generosity of our riders and this charity system. So go wild!


To place a bid click here to login to the supporter zone.

What can you expect for your Charity Team Entry (…over and above a standard SA Regional team entry into The CAPE EPIC 2007)

1) Recognition of your charity team entry in The CAPE EPIC Ride Guide

2) Recognition of your charity team entry on www.cape-epic.com

3) A framed photograph of your team presenting your bicycles at our nightly awards presentation

4) Special prize for the winning charity team

5) Invitation to purchase a hospitality table at the Race Finishers Gala Banquet on 31 March 2007