Dubbed the Tour de France of mountain biking, the Absa Cape Epic is the ultimate test for professional mountain bikers.

With valuable UCI ranking points awarded and being the most televised mountain bike race in the world, it attracts an international mix of riders each year, including Olympians (former and current medalists), world champions, national champions, and World Tour road riders.

2020

Defending champions Nino Schluter and Lars Forster (Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing) will be looking for another title in the 2020 event, and on the start line on March 15, last year's runner-up Manuel Humic and Henrique Avancini (Cannondale Factory Racing), Damiano Ferraro and Samuel Porto (Trek-Pirelli).

Five-time winner Karl Pratt and marathon racer Alban Lakata (Bulls Legends) cannot be dismissed either, despite a 2019 campaign in which the Bulls Heroes backup team finished ahead of them in the overall standings. With a backup team called Bulls Young Stars, veterans Pratt/Lakata have a lot of resources to rely on in the event of a yellow. Also, 2018 champion Jaroslav Kulhavy and Ninety One Songo Specialized's Howard Grotz will be considered a threat, although many will recall that Grotz suffered from Kulhavy's hands (read legs) day after day.

Cape Epic has a long history of attracting road racing pros, with current Team Astana rider Jakob Hulsang winning in 2009 with Roel Paulissen. [Anna van der Breggen switched from skinny wheels to knobby tires last year and successfully swept the women's field with Investec Songo Specialized teammate Annika Langbad. This year, road and cyclo-cross riders will be challenged, including all-rounder Tom Pidcock, who will team up with Florian Vogel.

However, the EF Pro Cycling dark horse duo of Alex Howes and Lachlan Morton will play a key role in the race development over the eight-day 647km/15500m route.

For the EF Pro Cycling team to excel, conditions must be perfect. The 2020 Cape Epic route will be one of the toughest in recent memory, especially given the untamed, unforgiving, and desolate terrain found in South Africa's Western Cape region.

Add to that fickle weather and beautiful but often hostile native flora and fauna, and disaster can strike at any time; who can forget Robert Mennen's (Topeak Elgon) collision with a duiker (antelope) near the end of the race on stage 1 of the 2013 edition, breaking his collar bone? Who could forget that Robert Mennen (Topeak Ergon) broke his collarbone in the closing stages of the race.

Anything can happen. Morton and Howe's success will depend on how well equipped they are to take on the more technical stages.

Morton describes Howes as a "madman" with the ability to "mix it up with the top guys on rough surfaces," but Howes also has exceptional handling skills as well as the endurance to make it through long stages. Both riders have shown a strong interest in EF Pro Racing's alternative race calendar and have competed in numerous gravel races, including the GB Duro (won by Morton), Dirty Kanza, and Leadville 100.

Epic, however, is a different race altogether.

If anything, it is the lack of knowledge of the terrain in the area that could hinder the EF Pro Cycling pair's potential and progress in this year's race. Mechanicals and punctures are not a concern at Cape Epic. In last year's race, Scott and the SRAM pair suffered a rear wheel puncture on stage 3, handing the overall GC position to Cannondale Factory Racing and losing over 9 minutes. Thankfully, their backup team, DSV-SCOTT-SRAM, was right around the corner and helped limit the damage in a move that essentially saved their race.

EF Pro Cycling had no idea how tough this year's Cape Epic would be and needed to strategize accordingly. Despite sharing the same equipment and new Cannondale Scalpel-Si full suspension mountain bikes as Cannondale Factory Racing, they have no backup team.

Morton does not expect to be jousting at the end of the race, but has made it clear that he will be racing with Howes.

"We get along pretty well, and we got that feel in Leadville and Dirty Kanza. If there's anyone on the team I'd like to go to Cape Epic with, it's Howes," Morton said.

"I don't expect to get anywhere near Nino, and it would be foolish to think so, but if a pro or former pro has the number on their number, you better believe they will if they can go at full speed."

If all goes well, and the gods smile on them, the EF pro cycling pair will have a long, especially on the 94km/2,050m Ceres to Tarbag traverse in stage 2 and the 101km/1,950m Tarbag to Wellington "travel day" in stage 4. and non-technical days, maybe winning one or two stages.

The 2020 Cape Epic will be held from March 15-22, traditionally the hottest time of year in the Western Cape.