One of the most famous natural landmarks in Africa, Table Mountain, marks the beginning of the pioneering, tough and beautiful mountain bike race. The race then heads into the Overberg region in search of the most exciting, beautiful and challenging routes. Always innovating, the 2009 Absa Cape Epic visits stage locations in which riders will be staying for 2 consecutive nights, allowing them more time to experience single-track and technical routes that make this race legendary.

It starts in the beautiful Garden Route town of Knysna and finishes nine days later in style at the grand Lourensford Wine Estate, just outside Cape Town.

The route changes every year, and leads aspiring amateur and professional mountain bikers from around the world through approximately 900 kilometres of the unspoilt nature of the Western Cape and up approximately 16 000m of climbing over some of the most magnificent passes in South Africa.