Thembisile Shaun Mtintsilana and Max Matini are eyeing the African jersey at the 2013 Absa Cape Epic.
Bike mechanic Max Matini and bicycle warehouse assistant Thembisile Shaun Mtintsilana, riding as Team Pragma Trek, will take on their second Absa Cape Epic in 2013 with the hope of winning the coveted Exxaro development jersey.
The mountain bike stage race, which will take place from March 17 to 24, will see riders battle the elements and each other while covering a total distance of 698km with 15 650m of climbing between Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville and Lourensford Wine Estate in Somerset West.
Matini (25), from Durbanville, describes his fondest memory of the Cape Epic as day three of the 2011 race.
“I cycled for 145km and experienced no pain. A feeling of pride came over me when I realised how far I’d come.
“The most difficult stage, in my experience, is the first – it’s hot and your legs aren’t used to all the cycling.”
Mtintsilana (23), a Stellenbosch resident, adds that his fondest memory was “when Max wanted to give up and made excuses about his finger that had cuts”.
For him, the most difficult stage is the first, even though it’s the shortest. “I keep coming back because it’s not just a race about climbing the mountain. It’s also about team work . . .”
“We’ll see when we get there,” says Matini with regards to a podium finish. “As a team we’re aiming for first place in the Exxaro development category.”
“I’m very confident about it and I’ll be very happy for the Exxaro development jersey, if we win it, but my goal is the African jersey,” says Mtintsilana.
