grand finale : 13 videos

The Absa Cape Epic 2021 took amateurs and professional mountain bikers over some of the most magnificent mountain passes in the Western Cape, South Africa. The 2021 route started off at the iconic slopes of Table Mountain National Park and finished today with the Grand Finale at the Val de Vie Estate. The Cape Epic is classed as hors catégorie by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), known as the “Tour de France” in mountain biking.

The Absa Cape Epic 2021 took amateurs and professional mountain bikers over some of the most magnificent mountain passes in the Western Cape, South Africa. The 2021 route started off at the iconic slopes of Table Mountain National Park and finished today with the Grand Finale at the Val de Vie Estate. The Cape Epic is classed as hors catégorie by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), known as the “Tour de France” in mountain biking.

The Absa Cape Epic 2021 took amateurs and professional mountain bikers over some of the most magnificent mountain passes in the Western Cape, South Africa. The 2021 route started off at the iconic slopes of Table Mountain National Park and finished today with the Grand Finale at the Val de Vie Estate. The Cape Epic is classed as hors catégorie by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), known as the “Tour de France” in mountain biking.

Wadeck Gorak (FRA- 1st Place) wowed the judges with an impressive line on his first time on the Bec. Wadeck cruised down the central couloir before hurling himself off the daunting Hollywood cliff. Showing us his control he linked this into another big cliff and a massive backflip to finish and claim his maiden FWT victory.

Jonathan Penfield (USA- 1st Place) set the category on fire with a dazzling show of big mountain snowboarding. The first rider out of the gates he linked together a series of huge airs including a backside 360. Entering more exposure, he calmly sent his way over another cliff and capitalized on his fluidity score.

Hometown hero Elisabeth Gerritzen (SUI- 1st Place) delivered the goods today showing us her control and style in big, exposed terrain. Fearlessly sending her first cliff deep she managed to hold her line and link it into a huge mandatory air. The excitement didn’t finish there with Elisabeth stomping another huge air and straightlining it home all the way to victory.

Marion Haerty (FRA- 1st Place) put down the run of her life including a massive 360 and a technical double drop to add a record fourth win to the season. With the 2019 FWT Title already secured she came here hungry to take home the Verbier crown. What an extraordinary season with an unprecedented ‘perfect’ 4 wins, including victory here at the iconic Bec des Rosses, and adding a second FWT title to her 2017 crown.

With 70km and 1 800m of vertical gain standing between Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing and overall victory on the Champs-Élysées of mountain biking at Val de Vie Estate, you could’ve forgiven them for playing it safe and cruising to the finish. Nino Schurter and Lars Forster went into the final stage from Stellenbosch University to Val de Vie Estate with a comfortable eight-minute lead over second-placed Cannondale Factory Racing.

Just 20 points separate the top two men and women in the fight for the King Kahekili trophy after England’s Gary Hunt and Adriana Jimenez from Mexico leapfrogged Steven LoBue (USA) and Rhiannan Iffland (AUS) with victory at the penultimate stop in Mostar. Never has it been so close, and thousands of passionate fans are expected to stir up a feverish atmosphere when the athletes take to the platforms built on a private balcony. In this anniversary season, three men and three women are still in...

With 69km and 2000m of vertical gain standing between riders and a finisher’s medal at Val de Vie Estate, this year’s Grand Finale was arguably the toughest in the Absa Cape Epic 15-year history. With four beastly climbs punctuating the course, even the sharp end of the field would feel every metre. Despite their eight minute cushion over Cannondale Factory Racing’s Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini, Investec Songop Specialized would have to mark every attack and pray for a mechanical-free d...

KINGS OF THE CASTLE Artem Silchenko wins final in Ukraine, Gary Hunt receives 2011 Overall Title Three 10s for one dive and more than 500 points in total - Artem Silchenko broke a personal and a World Series record at the grand final of the 2011 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Yalta, Ukraine. At the seventh and culminating competition, the Russian made it to the top of the podium for the first time this year, beating the reigning World Series champion Gary Hunt (GBR) by more than 50...

ON TOP OF THE WORLD The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series’ seal of quality 12 hand-picked athletes, eight competitions and 26 metres between take-off and landing – these were the main facts back in 2009 when the first World Series was launched. Ever since then this series of competitions has created a massive impact on the audience as well as the world of diving. After 21 successful competitions in three seasons, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series’ essentials remain the same, but the...

Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2011 comes to Ukraine for season’s grand finale Exactly one hundred years after Russian architect Leonid Sherwood started to build it in 1911, the “Swallow’s Nest” stages the culminating competition in the World Series’ third year. The ornate castle near Yalta on the Crimean shore in southern Ukraine provides the perfect backdrop for the crowning of this year’s champion. Gary Hunt from England will once again take the highest cliff diving honours after 20...