Karl Platt of the Bulls celebrates after crossing the line to complete the win with partner Stefan Sahm (unseen) on stage two of the 2012 Absa Cape Epic. Photo: Shaun Roy/Cape Epic/Sportzpics
Four-time winner of the Absa Cape Epic, Karl Platt, will return alongside Urs Huber for the 10th edition of the race from March 17 to 24, organisers announced today.
Platt, who won in 2007, 2009 and 2012 alongside Stefan Sahm and in 2004 with Mannie Heymans, says he is ready to take on the challenging 698km route with its 15 650m of climbing. The race starts in Citrusdal and finishes at Lourensford Wine Estate.
“I’ve participated in all the Cape Epics since its inception,” says the 34-year-old. “It has become a unique race over the years and a huge part of my career, but the main thing is that I love to race it!
“In the nine years of riding the Cape Epic, I got smarter but not younger. Honestly, I think there are lots of stories I can share. It’s a lifetime experience.”
Platt’s palmares includes two German marathon titles as well as wins in the TransAlp, TransRockies, TransGermany, Trans Schwarzwald, Sabie Classic and Tour de Langkawi.
Weighing in at 70kg, Platt has been a professional mountain biker all his life and started when he was only 16. He reckons the ultimate highlight of all his Cape Epic adventures is “to suffer every year and then forget about it again”.
“There are so many memorable experiences. We’ll need to sit down with a nice bottle of wine to get through all of them.”
His toughest race was in 2009 when he dislocated his shoulder on the first day and then again later in the race. “But they’re all tough!
“The best part of any race is to win it, of course. And the worst part is getting up at 5am. I’m really not a morning person and very grumpy.”
He feels that his biggest strength on a mountain bike is that he still manages to have fun under pressure. The one word that sums up the event for him is “vollekanonne”.
Platt, who will be riding with Huber, laughingly adds that he returns every year for the “pain and the money”.
