The ABSA Cape epic mountain bike challenge: Impacts and legacies

The Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race is held in and around the mountainous areas outside Cape Town, in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, since 2004. The 700km-plus race, along farm roads and mountain tracks, extends over an eight day period. The race is limited to 600 two-person male and female teams, and regularly attracts Olympic and World cycle champions, and is rated as hors categorie by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The primary objective of the study was to establish the impacts and legacies of the event, therefore the study was an in-the-field action, supported by a relevant literature search and supplemented by key-person interviews; with emphasises on the economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts as well as the technological developments, and legacy of the event. This study further highlights the need to establish the economic and tourism impacts of the race on the local towns and communities where it takes place.The research was supported by a Marie Courie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme Fellowship within the 7th European Community Framework Programme. Kati Csak, Race Director of the Cape Epic. x The ABSA Cape Epic for the diagramme data and photograph. x Ernst Viljoen, Cape Epic competitor and mountain bike race organiser, and x The Centre of Tourism Research in Africa of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Tow