• Cyclists compete during Stage 2 of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race on Tuesday in South Africa. Nic Bothma / EPA
    Cyclists compete during Stage 2 of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race on Tuesday in South Africa. Nic Bothma / EPA
  • Bicycles get power washed at the finish of the prologue of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race in Cape Town on Sunday. Nic Bothma / EPA
    Bicycles get power washed at the finish of the prologue of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race in Cape Town on Sunday. Nic Bothma / EPA
  • The lead peloton races during the 113 kilometer Stage 1 of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race in Oak Valley, South Africa on Monday. Nic Bothma / EPA
    The lead peloton races during the 113 kilometer Stage 1 of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race in Oak Valley, South Africa on Monday. Nic Bothma / EPA
  • Rick Reimann from Switzerland competes during Stage 1 of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race in South Africa on Monday. Nic Bothma / EPA
    Rick Reimann from Switzerland competes during Stage 1 of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race in South Africa on Monday. Nic Bothma / EPA
  • Mountain bikes are packed in an enclosure prior to being washed at the end of Stage 1 of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race on Monday. Nic Bothma / EPA
    Mountain bikes are packed in an enclosure prior to being washed at the end of Stage 1 of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race on Monday. Nic Bothma / EPA
  • A cyclist competes during Stage 2 of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race on Tuesday in Elgin, South Africa. Nic Bothma / EPA
    A cyclist competes during Stage 2 of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race on Tuesday in Elgin, South Africa. Nic Bothma / EPA
  • Robby De Bock from Belgium leads a pack of cyclists through a forest during Stage 2 of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race in Elgin, South Africa on Tuesday. Nic Bothma / EPA
    Robby De Bock from Belgium leads a pack of cyclists through a forest during Stage 2 of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race in Elgin, South Africa on Tuesday. Nic Bothma / EPA
  • A helicopter hovers above the lead peloton during Stage 2 of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race in South Africa on Tuesday. Nic Bothma / EPA
    A helicopter hovers above the lead peloton during Stage 2 of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race in South Africa on Tuesday. Nic Bothma / EPA
  • Urs Huber from Switzerland competes during Stage 2 of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race on Tuesday in South Africa. Nic Bothma / EPA
    Urs Huber from Switzerland competes during Stage 2 of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race on Tuesday in South Africa. Nic Bothma / EPA
  • Michael Potton from South Africa competes during Stage 2 of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race on Tuesday in Elgin, South Africa. Nic Bothma / EPA
    Michael Potton from South Africa competes during Stage 2 of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race on Tuesday in Elgin, South Africa. Nic Bothma / EPA

Sport

The epic scenery of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race in South Africa – in pictures

Jake Badger

March 18, 2015

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Images from the opening stages of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race in South Africa this week. The race is widely considered among the toughest in the world, with 1,200 cyclicsts riding in pairs over 700 kilometres and climbing more than 16,000 metres over eight days of racing. Click the arrows above to scroll through the photos.

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