BASE PHASE · 16 WEEKS OUT

ABSA CAPE EPIC — 16 WEEKS OUT

Aerobic foundation. High volume, low intensity. Don't skip this. Built around the 700km / 15,000m profile of the Cape Epic in South Africa.

700 km·15,000 m climbing·8 days (stage race)·March

THE FOCUS RIGHT NOW

BUILD THE ENGINE.

Sixteen weeks out, your job is volume. Forget intervals. Forget Strava. Build the aerobic engine that every later phase sits on top of. 80% of your time should be in Zone 2 — conversational pace, nose-breathing territory. If your base phase feels easy, you're doing it right.

THIS WEEK'S ANCHOR SESSION

THE LONG Z2 RIDE

One 3-4 hour steady Zone 2 ride per week. Flat to rolling route. Cadence 85-95rpm. Heart rate below first ventilatory threshold the whole way. This is where your mitochondrial density grows.

THE WEEK

A TYPICAL WEEK, 16 WEEKS OUT

Monday

REST OR 45MIN Z1

Recovery day — coffee spin only if you want to.

Tuesday

90MIN Z2 ENDURANCE

Steady, controlled, aerobic.

Wednesday

1H STRENGTH + 30MIN EASY SPIN

Squats, deadlifts, core. Builds what the bike can't.

Thursday

90MIN Z2 WITH 3X5MIN TEMPO

Intro to structured effort — don't race it.

Friday

REST

Genuine rest. The adaptations happen now.

Saturday

3-4H LONG Z2 RIDE

Anchor session. Fueled from minute 30.

Sunday

90MIN GROUP RIDE OR SOLO Z2

Social pace. No heroes allowed.

DON'T DO THIS

The #1 base-phase mistake: riding too hard on easy days. If you arrive at Saturday already tired, you'll never build the aerobic depth you need. Discipline the volume, discipline the intensity.

EVENT INTEL

WHAT THE CAPE EPIC ACTUALLY DEMANDS

The Absa Cape Epic is the premier 8-day MTB stage race — 700km + 15,000m of climbing across the Western Cape of South Africa, raced in teams of two. World Series status, lottery entry, the hardest amateur MTB event on earth.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

✓8-day stage race — sleep, recover, repeat
✓Raced in teams of 2 — you finish together or you DNF
✓Technical singletrack AND long climbs on each stage
✓Heat, dust, and altitude variations across the Cape
✓Stage cut-offs — slower teams eliminated during the week

COMMON MISTAKES

✕Arriving undertrained for back-to-back 6-8 hour days
✕Mismatching partner fitness — you ride at the slower rider's pace
✕Skipping the first two stages' recovery protocols — day 5 is where it breaks

PACING

Cape Epic pacing is multi-day pacing, not single-stage racing. Target day 1 at 70-75% of a single-day race effort. Recovery — sleep, nutrition, legs up — is the race after day 3. The strongest teams at the finish line are those who held back on days 1-3 and still had legs on days 5-8.

FUELLING

Daily calorie intake 5,000-7,000 kcal during the event. Fuel on the bike aggressively (80g carbs/hour). Recovery window post-stage: 4:1 carb:protein within 30 minutes. Hydrate all day every day — dehydration compounds across stages.

KIT

Trail or lightweight XC full-suspension. 2.3-2.4" tyres with good sidewalls (MaxxTerra or Enduro casing). Service-day bike fleet access (mandatory at the Cape Epic). 2x kit pieces of everything. Tyre plugs, pump, CO2, multitool.

WANT THIS BUILT AROUND YOUR FTP?

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FAQ

COMMON QUESTIONS AT 16 WEEKS OUT

Is 16 weeks enough to train for the Absa Cape Epic?+

Yes, 16 weeks is a strong window. That's enough time for a full base phase, build, peak, and taper — the classical periodisation structure. 15,000m of climbing over 700km is built with sustained Z2 volume (base) + threshold work (build) in that order.

What's the hardest part of the Absa Cape Epic?+

8-day stage race — sleep, recover, repeat. arriving undertrained for back-to-back 6-8 hour days — so pacing discipline is the single biggest lever most amateurs miss. Cape Epic pacing is multi-day pacing, not single-stage racing.

How many hours a week should I train at 16 weeks out from the Absa Cape Epic?+

Aim for 8-12 hours/week if you're targeting a strong finish. The long weekend ride is the anchor (3-4 hours at late base intensities) plus 3-4 structured weekday sessions. Volume matters more than intensity at this phase.

Do I need a coach to train for the Absa Cape Epic?+

You don't need a coach to finish. You do need structure. If you're new to sportives, have a target finish time, have a plateau you can't break, or have a history of peaking wrong, a coached plan pays for itself. Inside Not Done Yet the plan is built backwards from your event date — base, build, peak, taper timed to the week the Absa Cape Epic runs. 7-day free trial, $195/mo.

What gearing should I run for the Absa Cape Epic?+

OTHER PHASES FOR THE CAPE EPIC

Later phase → 12 weeks out

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