As the global leader in mountain bike stage racing, the Absa Cape Epic is an event that has continually innovated since its inception and consistently led the field in athlete experiences. 2026 will see another pioneering adaptation, which is designed to foster more strategic and competitive racing in the Elite Women’s category. This, along with a shift in how the broadcast is presented, will provide increased coverage of the race for the Orange CIOVITA jerseys.
At the core of the change is the desire to bring stage racing in line with the norms of cycling more generally. This will see the Elite Women race for the same duration, rather than across the same distance as the Elite Men. The adjusted distances will encourage earlier attacks, smaller time gaps, and closer competition.
“The change to parity in race time will sharpen the spectacle,” Shannon Valstar, Race Director for the Absa Cape Epic, promised. “This innovation follows naturally from the granting of the UCI HC status to the Elite Women’s race, prize money parity, and the institution of a separate start.
The 2026 edition will feature dedicated Elite Women’s routes, where the course will deviate from the general Absa Cape Epic route, reducing the total distance to align the expected winning time of the Elite Women with that of the Elite Men.
On point-to-point stages, the Elite Women will enjoy a separate remote start. While on stages that loop back to the same start/finish venue, the Elite Women will deviate from the general route to maintain time parity with the Elite Men. The Elite Women will race the general Prologue and Grand Finale routes, due to the fact that the racing duration falls within the time parity outlines set by the event’s management team.
These initiatives will only be rolled out in the Elite Women’s category and will not affect the Open, NTT Masters, or GIC Grand Masters Women’s competitions, nor will they impact the women taking part in the Toyota Mixed category.
“2026 will be a landmark year for Elite Women’s mountain biking,” Jonathan Meintjes, the Global Head of the Epic Series, predicted. “On behalf of the Absa Cape Epic, the event sponsors, and the women who will be contesting for the title, come March, I’d like to invite you to tune in to the live broadcast. It will be a thrilling race!
“And I look forward to the stories that will unfold and the new heroines the race will introduce us to. While cross-country lap racing is undoubtedly exciting, it cannot rival the untamed beauty of the Absa Cape Epic, or the platform it provides for riders to tell their own stories and connect with fans. Parity in time on the broadcast may well prove to be the biggest impact of this change for the Elite Women’s competitors.”
Support from Legends of the Absa Cape Epic’s Elite Women’s Field:
Vera Looser | 2023 Absa Cape Epic Champion: “This race has always been the toughest. The one that tests, defines, and inspires. But the greatest races don’t just endure. They evolve.”
Annika Langvad | 6-time Absa Cape Epic Champion: “We were brought into this process by a team who did the work — who asked the right questions, studied the data, and listened to the riders, experts, and industry opinions. We’ve been part of the conversations, and we stand here because we believe in what’s coming next.”
Ariane Lüthi | 3-time Elite Women’s and 2-time Toyota Mixed Category Absa Cape Epic Champion: “This isn’t about softening the race – it’s about sharpening the spectacle. It’s about parity, fairness, and creating a competition that lets women perform at their absolute peak.”
Candice Lill | 5-time Absa Cape Epic Silver Medallist: “This is how we grow the field. How we invite more women from more disciplines and more countries to this start line. This is about raising the level, deepening the rivalries, and pushing the sport forward for years to come.”
Source: Absa Cape Epic
