The Cape Epic 2007 route has been announced:

Knysna - Lourensford

Total distance: 886km
Total ascent: 15045m

Stage 1: Knysna - Uniondale
Distance: 101km
Ascent: 2660m

The Jewel of the Garden Route, Knysna, once again hosts the start of the Absa Cape Epic, with the route heading out on familiar roads into the lush indigenous forest for over 50km. The first new element in the 2007 route will see the riders heading north instead of west at this point, hilly open-road riding replacing the cool cover of the forest. The major obstacle for the day will be the 12km-long Prince Alfred pass - complete with a gut-wrenching false crest two kilometres short of the real thing - and then it is into the heat of the Klein Karoo, finishing over the historic Wagon Trail into Uniondale.

Stage 2: Uniondale - Oudtshoorn
Distance: 132km
Ascent: 2245m

The start out of Uniondale is a gentle, rolling affair on open roads as the Absa Cape Epic follows the Kamanassie River. For some forty kilometres, riders will be able to enjoy the scenery, before they turn right and begin their assault on the Kamanassie Nature Reserve. 35km of back-breaking off-road riding follows, starting with a twelve kilometre rocky jeeptrack climb that gains over 800m at an average of 6.6%. After a treacherous loose rocky descent, the final 50-odd km into Oudtshoorn are fast and fun, and if the wind is favourable will push the riders all the way home after the Absa Cape Epic 2007’s longest day.

Stage 3: Oudtshoorn - Ladismith
Distance: 128km
Ascent: 2425m

Oudtshoorn bids the riders of the Absa Cape Epic farewell, and almost immediately they are faced with fast jeeptrack through arid, ostrich-filled plains, a mild start to the toughest climbing day of the 2007 event. The speedy start grinds to a crawl after 40km as Fielie’s Folly ascends 430m at an average 14%! The good news is the fun, fast, open descent on the other side and almost 30km of recovery time before the Calitzdorp Crusher looms, offering another 3km of brutal stony jeeptrack, before the riders descend to the foot of the Huis Rivier pass. 8km of grind on the tar later, the route turns onto pleasant jeep tracks through picturesque orchards, followed by 30 km of rolling open graded roads to the finish in Ladismith.

Stage 4: Ladismith - Barrydale
Distance: 121km
Ascent: 1285m

After arguably the hardest start in Cape Epic history, day four is a relative rest day, but still holds its own challenges. The roll out of Ladismith is tarred for 6km, before the riders turn right and head onto the farm roads of the area. Wide open roads, short climbs and little in the way of technical obstacles will give the Epic entrants to regroup and recuperate, before entering the Leopard Rock game reserve, where sandy jeeptracks and perplexed wildlife await. Then it is onto more rocky terrain for the final 25km into Barrydale.

Stage 5: Barrydale - Montagu
Distance: 102km
Ascent: 1590m

The route out of Barrydale promises to be spectacular with the first 40km crisscrossing the farms in the valley, before the riders of the Absa Cape Epic are asked to find their climbing legs once more as they head up a challenging 5km singletrack climb to the top of the Op De Tradouw pass. From this summit, all roads point down until the race enters the moonscape valley leading to the Wolfieskop Pass, which climbs 430m in 7km, before sending riders on a helter skelter ride down the other side on the best descent of the 2007 route. The roll into Montagu is fast and not too taxing and the welcome will be warm.

Stage 6: Montagu - Villiersdorp
Distance: 111km
Ascent: 1565m

After a blistering 5km tar start through Cogmanskloof, the race heads into the farmlands of the lush Robertson valley, and the rolling hills and fun descents are riddled with thorns, so riders best come prepared! Exiting the farmland, the riders have a scenic 25km tar section before heading up the day’s big challenge, a 6km hike-a-bike section riders will remember from the 2005 Epic, followed by open roads and fast descents all the way to the foot of Rooihoogte. Locals beware: in true Epic tradition the route does not take the easy way over the tar road to the finish in Villiersdorp, but a more tortuous route to the radio mast above the town, before descending for a good night’s rest.

Stage 7: Villiersdorp - Kleinmond
Distance: 116km
Ascent: 1990m

Leaving Villiersdorp on the Cape Epic can only mean one thing: a visit to one of its favourite sons, Groenlandberg. The good news for 2007 is that the riders in the Absa Cape Epic will only face about two thirds of this monster climb before turning left and enjoying a long stretch of rolling jeeptrack through natural fynbos. A gradual climb takes the riders up and over the mountain before they can enjoy a helter skelter descent into the Lebanon forest area where fire roads and shady forests await. After the all-too-short forest section, a quick dip under the N2 and soon you will be rewarded with a sea views before descending into the sleepy coastal town of Kleinmond.

Stage 8: Kleinmond - Lourensford
Distance: 75km
Ascent: 1285m

The final day of the Absa Cape Epic 2007 starts from Kleinmond crossing the Palmiet River in a short and fast tar start, before turning right into the Kogelberg nature reserve riding alongside the Palmiet river on jeep track Up and over the mountain, and then the riders get into the apple orchards of Elgin and Grabouw as the route works its way to the summit of Sir Lowry pass. Here, riders will be forced to portage their bikes for about a kilometre down slippery rocks that still bear the marks of the Voortrekker wagon wheels, not for their safety, but because the Gamtou pass is a national heritage site and special permission has been given for the first time to descend this historic track. After dropping onto the railway line for a fun, bumpy few kilometres, it is into the magnificent Lourensford Wine Estate for the all-new Absa Cape Epic finish, where riders will collect their medals, and return, for a year, to a life outside the Absa Cape Epic.