Multivan Merida

While José Hermida ventures on the challenge with team mate Rudi van Houts, Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå teams up with Swiss rider Kathrin Stirnemann in order to promote the concerns and activities of the World Bicycle Relief organization.

The Cape Epic stage race advertises itself as the untamed African mountain bike race. And this race indeed is a formidable challenge for all the participating teams of two riders. Within eight days the Cape Epic features a total distance of 739 kilometers and about 16’000 vertical meters of ascending. Amongst the 1200 participants in various categories are three athletes of the MULTIVAN MERIDA BIKING TEAM as well with José Hermida, Rudi van Houts and Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå. “All three will be riding MERIDA’s carbon full-suspension bike BIG.NINETY-NINE - as team manager Fabian Aust explains -. To keep to risk of flats low, we have opted for Maxxis’ ExoProtection tires with reinforced sidewalls, and we’ve also mounted a second bottle holder to the seat posts of all team bikes”.

For Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå this is the first participation at the Cape Epic stage race. But throughout her long and unprecedented career the Norwegian has been competing in stage races both in terrain and on the road.

At the Cape Epic she’ll form a team with the reigning eliminator Worldcup overall winner Kathrin Stirnemann, promoting the concerns and activities of World Bicycle Relief. “We’re not aiming at the overall standings. Much rather we intend to use the race in South Africa as a hard in-competition training for the Worldcup season that’s ahead. And if possible we’d like to win a stage”, says Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå. José Hermida and Rudi van Houts will be competing in the colors of the MULTIVAN MERIDA BIKING TEAM and with higher ambitions. Last year the two managed to win the prologue, but they were forced to abandon the race on the third day after a nasty crash of van Houts. Thus the two have a score to settle with the Cape Epic stage race, and they want to compete not only for success in stages but also in the overall standings.

This year’s Cape Epic stage race starts on Sunday with a prologue held close to Cape Town. With 600 vertical meters of descending over a distance of 20 kilometers, this stage is a first test already. An important part of the race’s ambiance is the paddock where all riders spend the night - most of them in uniform and modest igloo tents. Such is the untamed African mountain bike race.