Winning a Cape Epic stage isn't just about fitness — it's about surviving the first 10 minutes, holding position through blind corners on rocky single track, and then having enough left to produce 1,000-watt kicks on grass after 4,000 kilojoules of work.

In this breakdown, performance coach Reece McDonald pulls back the curtain on exactly what it took to win Stage 1 and Stage 6 of Cape Epic 2025. From the opening selection — 18 minutes at 6.1 watts per kilo on a 14.5% gradient — to the tactical patience of the mid-stage settle, to the breakaway on Stage 6 that came down to who could resist fatigue the longest. This is what race-winning durability looks like from the inside.

Whether you're a data-driven cyclist, a coach, or just fascinated by what elite performance demands from the human body — this one will change how you watch mountain bike racing.

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📩 Got questions about training or performance analysis? Drop them in the comments — Reece might just answer yours next.

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00:00 — A week that kept everyone guessing

00:58 — Stage 1: fresh legs, 35 teams, and the fight for position

02:50 — The first selection: 6.1W/kg on a 14.5% wall

04:30 — The settle: knowing when to save and when to spend

05:38 — Final attacks and the race to the line

06:38 — The sprint: 1,000-watt kicks on grass after 4,000kJ

08:00 — Stage 6: what six days of racing does to your legs

10:00 — The breakaway that broke the field

13:00 — What it actually takes: durability, cadence, and years of training

16:00 — How to get involved and what's next

She calls it "ruthlessly brave." Others might call it reckless. Jess Meniere has built her life around one principle - put your hand up first, figure it out later. And the consequences have been spectacular.

In this episode of the Femme Series, Jess sits down with David to talk about what it really costs to chase a creative life in South African sport. From running the 13 Peaks with no training and no nutrition plan, to landing a dream career in sports photography before she even owned a camera - Jess's story is one of audacious leaps and hard landings. She opens up about the financial reality of freelancing, why she took a corporate job and immediately knew it was wrong, and the moment in Europe where an eight-day solo cycling odyssey through the Tour de Femme broke her completely. Along the way, there's a vegan cookie business born from spinal fractures, an honest conversation about what it's like being the only woman on the back of a motorbike at an event, and a triathlon that raises millions for education in South Africa.

This one's for anyone who's ever been told they're not qualified enough, not strong enough, or not ready — and did it anyway.

Part of the Femme Series — stories of remarkable women shaping South African cycling and beyond.

🍪 Bitchy Bites — Follow Jess's vegan cookie business: @ bitchy_bites

📸 Follow Jess: @ jess_meniere

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00:00 — Ruthlessly Brave, Fuck Around And Find Out

02:29 — "How Hard Can It Be?" — 13 Peaks With Zero Prep

04:37 — Landing Her Bum In The Butter At Faces

06:05 — Going Freelance At 21 Without A Camera

14:19 — The Only Woman On The Mountain

22:20 — 250km Days And A R36K Disaster In Europe

27:46 — The Crushing Reality Behind The Glamour

37:42 — A Broken Back, 500 Biscuits, And Bitchy Bites

42:53 — Twitch Bitchy: The 100K Cookie-Fueled Gravel Route

47:04 — A Monday Marathon And A Near-Hijacking

49:41 — The Three Gravel Events That Ruined Everything Else

53:36 — Why Grassroots Beats Corporate

58:05 — What's Next: Cedar, Epic, And Calling Cape Town

For 23 years, no all-South African team had ever stood on the top step of the Cape Epic. On Sunday, Matt Beers and Tristan Nortje of Toyota Specialized Imbuko changed that - and the entire finish line held its breath counting down the seconds.

This episode is a full Cape Epic 2026 debrief from the people who lived it. Sully was behind the camera on the back of a motorbike. Cam Roach finished in the top 40 alongside 16-time finisher Ollie Munnik. Sarah Maré made the hardest call a racer can make - to stop. Together, they break down the historic men's victory, Candice Lill's long-awaited women's win after being second on the podium fige times, the team dynamics that made it all possible, and what it actually takes to survive eight days on South African soil. Plus: Pogačar vs Pidcock at Milan-San Remo, the women's race crash that sparked an important conversation, and why the ABSA Cape Epic is still putting this country on the global stage.

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00:00 — Welcome to the Breakaway

00:03 — The Holy Trinity: Pogačar, Pidcock & Four Centimetres

08:30 — "Women Drivers" — The Crash Commentary That Has to Stop

15:15 — South Africa's Back, Baby: The Headline That Changed Everything

19:17 — The Crowd Counts Down — A Moment That Rewrote History

22:00 — Candice Lill: Eight Attempts and Five Second Places Later

26:08 — Hailey Squared & the Art of Chipping Away

27:20 — The Brands and People Behind the Winning Machine

33:27 — Sarah's Decision: When Health Comes Before the Finish Line

43:54 — Cam & Ollie: Piano, Piano to the Top 40

48:56 — The Epic Bug, Bin Bags & 690cc War Stories

52:15 — Sully on the Media Bike: Chasing Sam Gaze Downhill

57:00 — Did the Women's Separate Start Work?

1:05:00 — The Tour de France of Mountain Biking — Or Something Better

1:11:00 — Closing Thoughts: Pride, Gratitude & What Comes Next