Lüthi is one of the best female marathon racers in the world. Of the eight times she has taken part in the Absa Cape Epic, she has finished on the podium five times. So there is hardly another woman in the field of riders who has more Epic experience than LüthiThis experience will be important to successfully guide her team colleague through the race at her first Cape Epic start. However, Wloszczowska does not need any tips for the long distance itself. After all, she finished third at the 2018 Marathon World Championships and, at the age of just 20, she became the first ever female marathon world champion in Lugano in 2003.

It remains to be seen how the untested team will fare at the Cape Epic. Both Lüthi and Włoszczowska are extremely positive about the announcement: "Well, when I saw that Jolanda Neff was leaving the team, I took a leap of faith and asked Maja if she would like to ride the Cape Epic with me," says Lüthi, explaining how the team came about. "Maja reacted very positively to my message and then the wheel started turning. I feel incredibly honored to be riding with such an accomplished rider like Maja and to have the support of the Kross Racing Team in this challenging race."

For Włoszczowska, the Absa Cape Epic is a prestigious event. An experienced teammate was key to her decision to make her Epic debut. "It's a race that you have to do at least once in your life," says the Pole. "In my eyes, the Cape Epic is like the Tour de France or the Ironman. If you win, you're a hero. Actually, you're only a hero when you finish it," she smiles.

"Of course, I've also heard that it's the hardest race you can do. But I try to forget about that," laughs the Polish cross-country champion, adding: "As I like challenges, I decided to take them on; especially when I had the opportunity to ride with three-time winner Ariane Lüthi. I believe that thanks to her I can avoid many 'rookie mistakes'. The biggest challenge is to ride eight days without any technical problems and to get the best possible recovery between stages. Ariane's experience will be invaluable. Last year we rode against each other in the marathon world and European championships. In both races I was only slightly ahead of Ariane. I hope I can help her a lot in the first part of the race, and then she can help me survive the second part. But of course it's not just survival that we're aiming for!"

The 2019 Absa Cape Epic will take place from March 17 to 24.

www.cape-epic.com