All Races
MTB
Cape Epic
14 March 2027Western Cape, South Africa
Distance
567km
Elevation
15300m
The Cape Epic is a legendary MTB stage race: ~567 km with 15,300 m of climbing over 8 days. Each day brings varied terrain: technical singletrack, hard-packed trails and unsupported zones. You need extrême multi-day endurance, fast recovery ability, long climb training, technical descending skills and mental toughness to handle deep stages in changing conditions.
Official siteHow NUA prepares you for Cape Epic
Builds your aerobic base
Trains race-specific efforts
Manages load & recovery
Fine-tunes the final weeks
Frequently asked questions about training for Cape Epic
How long do I need to prepare for Cape Epic?+
NUA builds your plan backwards from race day. For most gran fondos and similar distances, 12-16 weeks is the sweet spot — enough to build aerobic base, then sharpen race-specific efforts. With less than 8 weeks, NUA adapts the plan to focus on finishing strong rather than chasing peak performance.
What does NUA's training plan for Cape Epic look like?+
A weekly mix of Z2 endurance, race-specific intervals (climbs, sustained efforts, attacks), and structured recovery. Each week adapts based on your readiness, completed sessions, and how the previous week went. The closer to race day, the more specific the work — tapering kicks in automatically in the final two weeks.
Can NUA help if it's my first time at this distance?+
Yes. During onboarding NUA asks about your weekly volume, experience, and goal (finish, finish strong, target time). First-timers get a base-building approach focused on completing the distance comfortably. Experienced riders get more aggressive interval work and race-day pacing strategy.
Does NUA's plan for Cape Epic include indoor training?+
Yes. NUA prescribes both outdoor and indoor sessions based on your availability and weather. Indoor workouts export as ZWO files compatible with Zwift, Rouvy, TrainerRoad, and intervals.icu, and the full plan syncs to Garmin and Wahoo head units.