Stage 6 took riders from Worcester to Oak Valley, a distance of 123km and 2 240m of climbing. After a neutral convoy out of Worcester, riders were soon hugging the shores of Brandvlei Dam. Then the ups and downs began; retracing some of the 2009 route in reverse. Climbs were short but some gradients reached up to 26%. A dead-straight chute took the field down to the canals, through the orchards, then into some singletrack and finally over the wall of the vast Theewaterskloof Dam. The race then took a short-cut through a hidden valley to Porcupine Hills before reaching the foot of another monument of the Absa Cape Epic, the Groenlandberg Cape Nature conservation area.
Route designer “Dr Evil” found a new way for riders to conquer this beautiful beast. The first part followed a steep dirt road up to Water Point 3 and part two took riders into virgin Epic mountain biking territory and deep into nature, all the way to the Groenlandberg saddle. This offered views of the beautiful Elgin Valley, and the treat of the day was fast and smooth singletrack in Thandi and Oak Valley.
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