A South Tyrolean in one of the toughest races in the world

Over 680 kilometers and around 17.000 meters of altitude over 8 days: The “Cape Epic” stage race for teams of two in the Western Cape was once again an “epic” challenge this year. From March 19th to 26th there was a prologue and 7 challenging stages to complete. This year's 18th edition started in Lourdensdorf and finished in Val de Vie. The route for this race changes annually.

“This time it was one of the most strenuous races ever. There was hardly a day where you could relax,” says Fabian Rabensteiner. Some days there were extreme heat, others there were heavy rains.

The 31-year-old from Villandro has already competed in South Africa in recent years and was able to impress, but a podium place in the overall ranking is still missing. A year ago he narrowly missed out on Samuele Porro. The duo from the Trek-Pirelli team took 4th place. This time Rabensteiner started with the Belgian Wout Alleman, the team is now called Wilier-Pirelli.

This time Rabensteiner (front) started with the Belgian Wout Alleman. © Wilier-Pirelli

In a starting field with many stars (Nino Schurter was also there), 7th place stood out. However, Rabensteiner had hoped for more. “We cannot be satisfied with the overall result,” said the Villandro player. His form was actually really good. “I think with the form I’m in at the moment I could even have achieved a podium finish,” explains the 31-year-old. But: It is a team race. His teammate, who had hardly ever taken part in MTB stage races and for whom it was his first ever “Cape Epic”, lacked experience. He often started too aggressively and the distribution of forces was not optimal. The big ray of hope And yet there was a big ray of hope: Rabensteiner and Alleman were even able to win the 6th and penultimate stage over 76 kilometers and 2700 meters in altitude. For Rabensteiner, it was the second stage victory in the “Cape Epic” after 2018, where he won the last stage with Michele Casagrande.

The victorious German Speed Company Racing duo Georg Egger and Lukas Baum were 54.15 minutes away. Egger/Baum won in 27:44.06 hours ahead of the German-Czech duo Andreas Seewald/Martin Stosek (+3.02 minutes) and Tristan Nortje/Carmon Mason (South Africa/Great Britain) (+10.38). In general, the stage race was, on the whole, a nice experience. And: “We are a new team that is looking to the future,” says Rabensteiner. We need to build on that. The season goals For Rabensteiner personally, the season has just begun. Highlights on the program include the European Championships in June in the Czech Republic and the World Cup in September in Denmark. Rabensteiner has already achieved top results at European Championships, such as bronze in 2018 and 5th place last year. He hasn't had any luck at world championships so far, and he's still missing a top 10 result here.

This time too it will be difficult at the World Cup, the flat track in Denmark doesn't suit the Azzurri. “The goal at the European Championships is a medal,” emphasizes Rabensteiner. He wants to defend the title at the Italian Championships, which will take place in Casella in mid-July this year.

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A South Tyrolean in one of the toughest races in the world

Part extreme heat, part pouring rain: No, it's not called one of the toughest races in the mountain bike circuit for nothing. The “Cape Epic” in South Africa, a stage race for teams of two, is tough. The South Tyrolean Fabian Rabensteiner was also there.

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