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Cycling · South AfricaAbsa Cape Epic training plan
The Absa Cape Epic is 60 km, held in Western Cape. Most athletes need about 21 weeks of structured training for it. The block below is a real 21-week plan generated for a club athlete on 45 km a week with a 1:55 half marathon behind them, building to 0 km in the peak week with volume rising no more than 10% a week and every fourth week coming down.
Build my own Cape Epic plan — freeFree to build. The first week is yours to train on before you decide.
The race
| Distance | 60 km |
|---|---|
| Where | Western Cape |
| Altitude | 300 m |
| Next edition | Sunday, 21 March 2027 (expected — not yet confirmed with the organiser) |
We have not had this confirmed by the organiser, so it is shown as expected rather than fact. Dates were last checked on 2026-09-11. Check the official entry page before you book anything.
Eight days of mountain biking, ridden in pairs. A stage race, not a one-day event.
A 21-week block
Generated by the same engine that builds your plan, for a club athlete on 45 km a week with a 1:55 half marathon behind them. Nothing here is illustrative — it is the actual output, and the rules that shaped it are published.
| Week | Phase | Hours | Load | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Base | 1h 22 | 0 | |
| 2 | Base | 2h 22 | 55 | |
| 3 | Base | 1h 22 | 0 | |
| 4 | Base · down | 1h 22 | 0 | |
| 5 | Base | 1h 22 | 0 | |
| 6 | Base | 1h 22 | 0 | |
| 7 | Base | 1h 22 | 0 | |
| 8 | Base · down | 1h 22 | 0 | |
| 9 | Build | 1h 22 | 0 | |
| 10 | Build | 1h 22 | 0 | |
| 11 | Build | 1h 22 | 0 | |
| 12 | Build · down | 1h 22 | 0 | |
| 13 | Build | 1h 22 | 0 | |
| 14 | Build | 1h 22 | 0 | |
| 15 | Build | 1h 22 | 0 | |
| 16 | Build · down | 1h 22 | 0 | |
| 17 | Peak | 0h 27 | 0 | |
| 18 | Peak | 0h 27 | 0 | |
| 19 | Taper | 0h 27 | 0 | |
| 20 | Taper | 0h 27 | 0 | |
| 21 | Race · race | 5h 51 | 540 |
Load is Training Stress Score: hours × intensity factor² × 100. It is the unit that lets running, riding and swimming be added into one number, which is the only honest way to manage an athlete doing more than one sport.
The paces behind it
For a club athlete on 45 km a week with a 1:55 half marathon behind them, the bands come out as:
| Pace band | Per kilometre |
|---|---|
| Easy — the ceiling, not the target | 6:19 |
| Marathon pace | 5:41 |
| Threshold | 5:22 |
| Interval (VO₂max) | 4:51 |
Computed from VDOT 38.3, derived from that time trial using Jack Daniels' model. Your own numbers will differ — the plan builds these from a time trial you enter.
What this plan says out loud
The tests you are missing are in week 2 of the plan rather than left as a suggestion, because a suggestion does not get done. Your FTP is 95% of that 20-minute average, and every watt target in the plan comes off it. On a trainer is easier than on the road; a climb is easier than the flat.
Common questions
How long do I need to train for the Cape Epic?
About 21 weeks from a reasonable base. Less than that is possible but the plan stops being about building fitness and starts being about arriving intact — six weeks before a long race, no meaningful aerobic fitness can be added, and any plan that claims otherwise is selling you something.
How much should the weekly volume go up?
No more than 10% a week, and every fourth week comes down to about two thirds. That ceiling is the single most useful injury-prevention rule in endurance training, and it is enforced here rather than suggested.
Do I need a time trial first?
Yes, to get paces. Without a recent race or time trial the plan will not invent them — it prescribes by effort instead and says so. Guessed paces are how people train the wrong intensity for months.
What should I know about the Cape Epic specifically?
Eight days of mountain biking, ridden in pairs. A stage race, not a one-day event.
What does it cost?
Building a plan is free and the first week is unlocked to train on. The whole block is paid for once, from R150, priced by how long it runs. There is no subscription.
Four minutes of questions, then the whole block.