This year's edition of the Absa Cape Epic looks like a perennial duel: German Karl Platt against Swiss Christoph Sauser. Platt will compete in the tenth edition of the Absa Cape Epic with his partner from last year, the Swiss Urs Huber in Team Bulls. Christoph Sauser (Team Meerendal Songo Specialized) has a relatively inexperienced off-road partner at his side: ex-road pro Frantisek Rabon from the Czech Republic. However, Sauser rates his new partner as extremely strong in terms of fitness.

Other favorites on the start list for the Absa Cape Epic, which has more television coverage than any other mountain bike race, are top international riders. South African Phillip Buys, who will be competing in a team with Swiss cross-country world champion Nino Schurter (Scott-Odlo), has high hopes of a podium finish. Strong competitors are Team Multivan-Merida with Jose Hermida (ESP) and Rudi van Houts (NED), Team Topeak-Ergon with Robert Mennen (D) and Kristian Hynek (CZE) and Team Centurion-Vaude with Markus Kaufmann and Jochen Kaess (GER).

Chances of victory for Swiss women too
There is also a Swiss woman in each of the top three women's teams on the list. Two-time mixed winner Ariane Kleinhans will ride as Team RECM2 with Denmark's Annika Langvad in the women's classification for the same prize money as in the men's classification. As a novelty at the Cape Epic 2014, the women's prize money is just as high as that of the men, and at the same time it is the highest in cycling history: 690,000 rand, around 50,000 euros, is on offer for the women.

As a team, Ariane Kleinhangs and Annika Langvad are already familiar with each other. They competed together in the Cape Pioneer Trek in October 2013, another eight-day stage race in the north-east of South Africa, which they won with aplomb. The strongest competition for RECM2 is the duo of Esther Süss (SUI) and Sally Bigham (GBR) in Team Meerendal 3. Milena Landtwing is another Swiss rider on the start line, aiming for a podium place with her Dutch partner Hielke Elferink (Team Meerendal/Wheeler 18).

For the first time at the Absa Cape Epic, each of the 1200 riders can be followed on their way via the Internet. The company Tracker Business is equipping all participants with electronic transmitters that make their position available at any time via a web app. Weighing just 79 grams, no additional burden is placed on any mountain biker. An SOS button on the tracker increases the safety of the participants.

The prologue next Sunday, with a view of Table Mountain, will cover 23 kilometers with 700 meters of elevation gain. The other seven stages, four of which are over 100 kilometers long, will ride the teams through the rugged landscape around the towns of Robertson, Greyton, Elgin and to the traditional finish in Lourensford, a vineyard in Somerset West.