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Sunset over a vineyard and a farm dam in the Tulbagh valley, with a mountain ridge behind
Ryan Cuerden / Unsplash

Absa Cape Epic 2027 route and stages

Eight days for teams of two, 701 km and 17,150 m of climbing from Somerset West through Ceres and Tulbagh to Wellington.

March 21 to 28, 2027 Western Cape, South Africa

The Cape Epic is a mountain bike stage race in the Western Cape, first run in 2004 and rated hors catégorie by the UCI. Everyone races in a team of two, pros and amateurs in the same race, and the route is redrawn every year.

The 2027 edition opens with a 27 km Prologue at Lourensford Wine Estate in Somerset West. The race then moves inland to Ceres for two stages, crosses to a new race village at Saronsberg in Tulbagh, and the last three stages finish at Imbuko Wines in Wellington. Stage 1 is the longest day at 127 km, and it goes over Waboomsberg, the highest point the race has ever reached. Elite women ride shorter versions of most stages, 576 km in all.

The organizer has published each stage as a description, with the start, finish, distance and climbing. The full details follow closer to the event. Download each valley's map now and you can learn the passes and farm names before you ride them, and supporters can find their way between villages with or without a signal.

This is an unofficial guide: Goat Maps isn't affiliated with Absa Cape Epic. Check the official site before you enter or race.

Cape Epic course map

Every course's aid stations on the Goat Maps topo map. Each course has a map of its own further down.

Download the Cape Epic map to your phone

Save it in Goat Maps for a recce or race day. GPS shows where you are even without a signal.

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Cape Epic courses

CourseDistanceClimbingStartTime limit
Prologue27 km (16.8 mi)1,050 m (3,445 ft)
Ceres to Waboomsberg and back127 km (78.9 mi)2,450 m (8,038 ft)
Ceres and Eselfontein103 km (64 mi)2,050 m (6,726 ft)
Ceres to Tulbagh87 km (54.1 mi)2,250 m (7,382 ft)
Tulbagh valley96 km (59.7 mi)2,550 m (8,366 ft)
Tulbagh to Wellington114 km (70.8 mi)2,350 m (7,710 ft)
Wellington Queen Stage83 km (51.6 mi)3,100 m (10,171 ft)
Wellington Grand Finale64 km (39.8 mi)1,350 m (4,429 ft)

Cape Epic Prologue

A short, steep clockwise loop of the Lourensford bowl on Sunday, March 21.

Distance
27 km (16.8 mi)
Climbing
1,050 m (3,445 ft)

The course line isn't drawn yet, so the map only pins where the aid stations are.

Take this course offline

Download its map in Goat Maps and you can find the next aid station without a signal.

Open in web map

The Prologue fits 1,050 m of climbing into 27 km, so there's little easy riding. The loop goes clockwise around the bowl at Lourensford, taking in the Pinot Stairs, the N4 climb and a new descent off the Rock Wall berm. The Toyota Tough Section, the day's technical test, is at Schoeman's, and then a traverse across the valley takes you through Big Switch.

Lourensford is the only day in Somerset West. From Monday the race is in Ceres.

Rows of young vines in Somerset West, with a mountain under cloud behind
Shawn Lochner / Unsplash

Stage 1

Cape Epic Ceres to Waboomsberg and back

The longest day: a 127 km loop from Ceres over the highest point in Cape Epic history.

Distance
127 km (78.9 mi)
Climbing
2,450 m (8,038 ft)

The course line isn't drawn yet, so the map only pins where the aid stations are.

Take this course offline

Download its map in Goat Maps and you can find the next aid station without a signal.

Open in web map

Monday, March 22. The stage climbs Old Theron's Pass out of Ceres and then up Waboomsberg, the highest the race has ever been, with views across the Koue Bokkeveld. The descent runs through the sandstone outcrops of the Kaleo trails, and the way home is Old Gydo Pass.

At 127 km and 2,450 m it's the longest stage of the week. Elite women ride 103 km.

Stage 2

Cape Epic Ceres and Eselfontein

Three loops east of Ceres around Eselfontein, with the rocky Pipeline descent.

Distance
103 km (64 mi)
Climbing
2,050 m (6,726 ft)

The course line isn't drawn yet, so the map only pins where the aid stations are.

Take this course offline

Download its map in Goat Maps and you can find the next aid station without a signal.

Open in web map

Tuesday, March 23: 103 km and 2,050 m. The stage heads east from Ceres to Eselfontein and rides three loops there. There's a wide singletrack climb above Death Drop, then Dead Man Walking and Baboon's Highway. Pipeline, a rocky descent, is the Toyota Tough Section, and the last loop passes Eselfontein Dam.

Stage 3

Cape Epic Ceres to Tulbagh

Over Old Gydo Pass and the Bokkeveld Plateau to the new race village at Saronsberg.

Distance
87 km (54.1 mi)
Climbing
2,250 m (7,382 ft)

The course line isn't drawn yet, so the map only pins where the aid stations are.

Take this course offline

Download its map in Goat Maps and you can find the next aid station without a signal.

Open in web map

Wednesday, March 24: 87 km and 2,250 m, and the first move of the race village. You cross the Ceres valley, go up Old Gydo Pass again and over the Bokkeveld Plateau to Skurfberg in the Witzenberg. Then it's the Slagboom and Welgemeen valley, the climb to Die Eike and the Witzenberg Ridge. The Toyota Tough Section is the technical Wagon Trail descent, before the run to Saronsberg.

Elite women ride 56 km.

aid stations

kmWhereCutoff
0Ceres (venue not yet named)
87Saronsberg, Tulbagh
A rugged sandstone range near Tulbagh catching the last light, above dark scrub
Ryan Cuerden / Unsplash

Stage 4

Cape Epic Tulbagh valley

Five climbs and five descents from Saronsberg, under the Groot Winterhoek and the Witzenberg.

Distance
96 km (59.7 mi)
Climbing
2,550 m (8,366 ft)

The course line isn't drawn yet, so the map only pins where the aid stations are.

Take this course offline

Download its map in Goat Maps and you can find the next aid station without a signal.

Open in web map

Thursday, March 25: 96 km and 2,550 m, starting and finishing at Saronsberg. The climbs include Oakhurst and the one to God's Window in the Groot Winterhoek, and one of the descents is a newly built set of switchbacks. You also ride the Kilprivier trails, Schoonderzicht and the Bone Trail.

aid stations

kmWhereCutoff
0Saronsberg, Tulbagh
96Saronsberg, Tulbagh
A white church among vineyards near Tulbagh, below a rocky mountain range
Brent Ninaber / Unsplash

Stage 5

Cape Epic Tulbagh to Wellington

Out of the Tulbagh valley and across the Swartland to Imbuko Wines.

Distance
114 km (70.8 mi)
Climbing
2,350 m (7,710 ft)

The course line isn't drawn yet, so the map only pins where the aid stations are.

Take this course offline

Download its map in Goat Maps and you can find the next aid station without a signal.

Open in web map

Friday, March 26: 114 km and 2,350 m. After a sharp climb out of the Tulbagh valley the stage runs on open gravel roads through the Swartland, exposed to the wind. It passes Riebeek Kasteel, climbs Kasteelberg and Eight Feet, and goes through the Toyota Tough Section on Riebeekberg. Patatskloof comes before the finish at Imbuko Wines.

aid stations

kmWhereCutoff
0Saronsberg, Tulbagh
114Imbuko Wines, Wellington

Stage 6

Cape Epic Wellington Queen Stage

The most climbing of the week, 3,100 m in 83 km, with the Cliffhanger at Canetsfontein.

Distance
83 km (51.6 mi)
Climbing
3,100 m (10,171 ft)

The course line isn't drawn yet, so the map only pins where the aid stations are.

Take this course offline

Download its map in Goat Maps and you can find the next aid station without a signal.

Open in web map

Saturday, March 27. The Queen Stage climbs Hawequa and descends the Scout Trails. Seven Peaks, Cool Runnings, Aap d'Huez, Angel's Tears, DNF and Brandslangnek come next. The Cliffhanger is on Canetsfontein Wine Estate, and after it you ride Full Monty, Route 66, Unhappy Hog and the Golden Mile.

Elite women ride 65 km with 2,500 m.

A road cyclist on a pass road near Bainskloof, Wellington, above a sea of cloud
Kevin Benkenstein / Unsplash

Stage 7

Cape Epic Wellington Grand Finale

A last 64 km over Groenberg and the Welvanpas trails to the finish at Imbuko Wines.

Distance
64 km (39.8 mi)
Climbing
1,350 m (4,429 ft)

The course line isn't drawn yet, so the map only pins where the aid stations are.

Take this course offline

Download its map in Goat Maps and you can find the next aid station without a signal.

Open in web map

Sunday, March 28: 64 km and 1,350 m. The day's big climb goes up Groenberg to Luislang. Then come the Welvanpas trails, including Bull Run and True Grit, a pass through Doolhof Wine Estate and the Blazing Saddles descent to the finish at Imbuko Wines.

Getting an entry

Entries sell out, and the usual way in is the Rite of Passage waiting list: join it, and riders are picked at random and invited to register. When the route was revealed on October 1, 2026, the organizer released a small batch of reserved entries. Charities also sell entries at a higher fee, and three Epic Series races (the 4Islands Epic, Andorra Epic and SPAR Swiss Epic) each give 14 team entries for the next Cape Epic, 9 on performance and 5 by draw.

A team costs ZAR 165,900, or ZAR 125,900 if both riders are South African with an SA ID number. Entry fees aren't refunded if you withdraw. Riders must be 19 by December 31 of the race year, and the youngest rider's age sets the team's category. Elite riders need a UCI Elite licence, and everyone else a national federation licence or a Cycling South Africa day licence.

Getting to the start and between villages

Somerset West is about 45 km east of Cape Town on the N2. The organizer puts Ceres about 150 km from Cape Town and Wellington 45 minutes away.

In 2026, accommodation wasn't included before the Prologue, and riders had to get themselves from the first day's riding to the first race village unless they bought a package. From Stage 1 the race moved rider bags between villages. Check both for 2027. Bring rand in cash: the race villages don't take foreign currency, and the only ATMs are at the Prologue and the Grand Finale.

Supporters and race rules

A white church among vineyards near Tulbagh, below a rocky mountain range
Brent Ninaber / Unsplash

The race rules bar supporters from helping riders on course, and the organizer's spectator guide says even holding a bike while a rider pumps a tire can earn a penalty or disqualification. Don't park along the route.

Partners must stay within 2 minutes of each other. If you don't finish a stage you may ride the next day, but you won't be an official finisher, and a second missed stage ends your race. If your partner drops out and you keep going, you can still finish, though outside the rankings. In 2026 each rider got a canvas tent in the race village, breakfast and dinner, a bike wash and a guarded bike park. Every village has Wi-Fi.

Weather in March

A road cyclist on a pass road near Bainskloof, Wellington, above a sea of cloud
Kevin Benkenstein / Unsplash

Late March is still hot in the valleys. In Paarl, next to Wellington, March averages a high of 28.6 °C and a low of 14.6 °C, with about 26 mm of rain, by Climate-Data.org's figures. The organizer's travel guide says rain is unusual but not unheard of. In 2026 the heat moved the Stage 1 start to 6:30 AM.

In 2026 each stage had up to three full-service water points and one hydro point, depending on its length. The 2027 positions aren't out yet.

Cape Epic aid stations and GPS coordinates

For crews and spectators: each place on the map in decimal degrees, latitude first. Paste them into any map app or add them as waypoints in Goat Maps.

  • Lourensford Wine Estate, Somerset West

    -34.07176, 18.88866

  • Ceres (venue not yet named)

    450 m (1,476 ft)

    -33.36833, 19.30917

  • Saronsberg, Tulbagh

    -33.24632, 19.11737

  • Imbuko Wines, Wellington

    -33.67562, 19.02190

Cape Epic FAQ

When is the Cape Epic 2027?

March 21 to 28, 2027. The Prologue is on Sunday the 21st at Lourensford in Somerset West, and Stage 7 finishes at Imbuko Wines in Wellington on Sunday the 28th.

How long is the 2027 Cape Epic?

701 km with 17,150 m of climbing over a Prologue and seven stages. The longest day is Stage 1 from Ceres, 127 km. The Queen Stage, Stage 6 in Wellington, has the most climbing: 3,100 m in 83 km. Elite women race 576 km with 13,900 m.

How much does the Cape Epic cost?

ZAR 165,900 per team for international riders and ZAR 125,900 per team for South Africans with an SA ID number. You can pay in three instalments, and the fee isn't refunded if you withdraw.

Can you ride the Cape Epic solo?

No. Every entry is a team of two, and partners must stay within 2 minutes of each other. If your partner abandons, you can carry on and be classed as an individual finisher, outside the rankings, as long as you finish every stage within its time limit.

Can you qualify for the Cape Epic at another race?

Yes. The 4Islands Epic, Andorra Epic and SPAR Swiss Epic each give 14 team entries for the following year's Cape Epic, 9 to the top teams in their categories and 5 by draw. Otherwise it's the waiting list and a random invitation.

Is there a GPX of the 2027 Cape Epic route?

Not yet. The organizer's route page has each stage's description, distance and climbing, and says the full details will follow closer to the event. Until then, the stage maps on this page show where each day starts and finishes.

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Or open the web map

Updated . An unofficial guide, from the organizer's published information. Coordinates from the organizer's course and OpenStreetMap contributors. Photos from Unsplash. Organize a race? We help with course files.