S1 Ep2: Absa Cape Epic with World Wide Wilkinson

Episode 2 is here — and it’s time for the Absa Cape Epic.

Join Isaac and Jess Wilkinson, husband and wife, as they take on the Absa Cape Epic — widely regarded as the world’s premier mountain bike stage race. Months of preparation have led to this moment, and the race is about to begin.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:02

I am as a workers. I have one house of the workers.

SPEAKER_02 0:07

I am there. I'm going to find this.

SPEAKER_00 0:18

I'll do it. It's one area. And it's yeah, I mean just to be able to sit down with ask my wife and say, let's do this. Like it's yeah, it's incredible.

SPEAKER_01 0:35

Welcome to the Team Wilkinson Wilkinson Worldwide Podcast in association with Epic series. I'm Isaac Wilkinson.

SPEAKER_03 0:42

And I'm Jess Wilkinson from Team Wilkinson Wilkinson.

SPEAKER_01 0:46

I think we can fit more Wilkinson Wilkinsons into this section. What we're going to be talking about today is our pre-epic build-up to epic, the towns we visit in Epic, and yeah, the competition we're up against, and yeah, how to prepare how to prepare yourself for an epic. That'll do.

SPEAKER_03 1:06

Better. How's it going?

SPEAKER_01 1:08

Good. You?

SPEAKER_03 1:09

Good, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 1:10

How's so the last time we checked in was four weeks ago. How's your training been so far? And are you feeling ready for Cape Epic this year?

SPEAKER_03 1:20

Well, I'm feeling exhausted at the moment. So I think that the training's been really good. Um, it's been four weeks of early mornings, hard graft, tough interval sessions, heading out to different towns to ride the trail. So definitely spent a lot more time on the mountain bike leading up to this Cape Epic than we did last year.

SPEAKER_01 1:43

So 150 hours to be.

SPEAKER_03 1:46

150?

SPEAKER_01 1:47

160 hours. That's a good innings. It's been a good pre-season training. So yeah. And you're feeling, I mean, you must be fit now, surely. We must be fit, surely.

SPEAKER_03 1:58

I don't know. I think I'm definitely fit, but it's hard to say.

SPEAKER_01 2:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:04

How do you um judge your own fitness or strength? Because you can always get stronger.

SPEAKER_01 2:11

I guess you yeah, but you've you do find out on the day when you when you turn up on the day. But then you can only prepare so much, and if you feel like you've got to the day, if you've got to prologue day and you're feeling as long as you get yourself feeling good to that day, then and you're not tired, then nothing can go wrong.

SPEAKER_03 2:28

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 2:29

Like, yeah. I mean, when you put like an entire pre-season in like this, three months, to prepare yourself for a race like this, then yeah, you you then you can only give it your best shot on the day, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:43

What's been your favorite part of the process of preseason?

SPEAKER_03 2:50

Training, to be honest. I love the process of working towards a goal and having a set out structure of how you can best prepare for that goal. So working with my coach Friedrich has been amazing, like his feedback and insights and um just coaching with this whole process has been great. And then feeling like I say, I don't know what perfect fitness feels like, but starting the feeling from the start of this year to now definitely is better.

SPEAKER_00 3:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:29

So working towards a goal, um, going for skills lessons, everything that we put in behind the scenes to get to Cape Epic at our best possible fitness and strength and readiness is what I've enjoyed most about the process.

SPEAKER_01 3:46

Amazing. One of my favorite things this year has been to be able to like travel to Grayton and Montague. And I mean, we spent a lot of time riding in Stellenbosch anyway, but to be able to go out that far to Montague and Grayton as well, and just ride the trails that we're gonna ride during Cape Epic has just been super nice. That's that's been the best part, I think.

SPEAKER_03 4:07

And you saw a Toitus?

SPEAKER_01 4:09

I saw a Toitus. So for context, I'd never seen a wild tortoise, Toitus, tortoise, while I've been here in South Africa, and it's one of the things that it's like, yeah, I just wanted to see. And like great Montague is crazy wild. Like we saw, like in one of the valleys we rode through, we saw kudu. Uh we saw kudu, and then we also saw a massive tortoise, which I'd never seen before. I was like, flip man. Imagine carrying your home around on your back 24-7.

SPEAKER_03 4:39

So he's perfectly trained for Cape Pepper.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

This guy's like ready to go.

SPEAKER_03 4:43

Yeah. And in terms of trails, so obviously, we you said we went to Grayton and Montagu. Which, if any, did you prefer? Um, and what what is the general terrain like? Like, what are we looking forward to in both of those towns or both of those locations?

SPEAKER_01 5:01

So I definitely enjoyed the Grayton trails. I wouldn't say a lot more, like the trails both places were like unbelievably good. Like I think the trail builders there have done such an exceptional job of creating them, like and make making them just such nice ridable trails. It's really rough in both those places in terms of like the shales and the rocks are quite sharp, a lot sharper than yeah, even like Stellenbosch or like closer towards Cape Town. But even then, like the trails flow so nicely. Flipping steep climbs in both places. Like, I mean, Montague was just these really hard, tough, deep tracks that are like up to like 25% and even even more. And also Grayton as well. I mean, we hit some like really steep stuff, so uh, but it's really nice, yeah. I mean, there's really really good trails out there.

SPEAKER_03 5:53

So rumour has that you took a com in Montagu.

SPEAKER_01 5:56

I did. No, I took a com in Grayton.

SPEAKER_03 5:58

In Grayton.

SPEAKER_01 5:59

So the first and second bench com. I just saw like maybe there's like 50 people had ridden it. Um, maybe more. I think there's like 100, 200 people, but yeah, I just saw and it was like, ah, this is doable, so I had to go and take that one just to test the legs before Epic, but it's actually quite good. It won't go joint epic, which is good. So it's gonna stay, but there is there it will stay because the route doesn't go the way the com does. But there is uh there is three top tens I got which I'll fall completely out of after epic. Like I will be I don't know. This the the there were I went hard. I already beat Matt Bears on the on the comm leaderboard, but like that he'll probably come back and beat me now, so if he comes through race base, yeah. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:44

Which which we know he will.

SPEAKER_01 6:45

Which we know he will. Which was your out of Montague Great and his talent boss, which which are your favourite places to ride in?

SPEAKER_03 6:53

I was really surprised by Montagu. So I I've only passed through Montagu with DC, and I wasn't aware of how much riding there is out there to do in terms of like mountain biking and gravel riding. So the trails that they've built there are like unbelievable. We're just so so lucky in South Africa to have access to so much amazing mountain biking. The amount of work that's gone into the trails is really, really good, and you can see the effort and the passion behind the sport there. So Montagu was cool, a good surprise, and then great and same thing, like also some amazing trails makes you feel like you're riding that proper old school mountain biking where it's it's really rough, really rugged, and natural. Like it it flows with with the natural landscape.

SPEAKER_01 7:49

It's like cow tracks, they're nearly cow tracks, some of them, where you're just riding over, yeah, like it's not like they've cut through rocks to make the trail like you are riding completely over jagged rocks, and that's the trail. So it's yes, it's super wild, which is yeah, it gives it that really like old school mountain bike feel.

SPEAKER_03 8:08

Yeah. Biggest challenge for me is vertigo. Like sometimes when we were riding in, was it Grayton?

SPEAKER_01 8:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:16

When we're on the top of the ridgeline, like don't look left, don't look right.

SPEAKER_01 8:20

There's quite a drop. There was quite huge big drop-offs. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's quite um, it can be quite scary.

SPEAKER_03 8:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:27

But you just have to head down and go fast. The good thing is, is actually we don't ride that ridgeline in Epic.

SPEAKER_03 8:33

That okay.

SPEAKER_01 8:35

That one that you were vertical on.

SPEAKER_03 8:37

Okay. Good thing.

SPEAKER_01 8:38

Yeah, it's a good thing.

SPEAKER_03 8:38

But great to have experienced.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

Yeah, yeah. No, Great Greaton's Greaton's uh a fantastic place for mountain biking. Yeah. And it's close by to Cape Town as well. That's the best thing. Like these towns, like you can just travel to them, it's like two, three hours tops, and then you can spend the whole weekend there.

SPEAKER_03 8:54

Straight after work.

SPEAKER_01 8:55

But Montague was crazy hot. We had 40 degrees while we were there, and I mean, obviously, you go on purpose to riding 40 degrees, and there's nothing you can do about it. Um but actually the what as of now the weather report is chilly in Montague when we get there.

SPEAKER_03 9:10

Is it raining?

SPEAKER_01 9:11

It's 23 degrees and raining on the Monday, the stage that we're gonna be there.

SPEAKER_03 9:15

I'm not ready for winter.

SPEAKER_01 9:17

No, but this is like unc un I don't think this is common for Cape Town to be this cold in March, no?

SPEAKER_03 9:24

No.

SPEAKER_01 9:24

No. We have a cold front.

SPEAKER_03 9:26

We do.

SPEAKER_01 9:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:28

So new weapons, new bikes since we last spoke. Tell me about your giant.

SPEAKER_01 9:35

The so the giant anthem SL1. SL0, sorry. The giant Anthem SL0 is an absolute weapon. Um, so I had the Anthem before the Anthem Advance last year, um, which I rode all last year in all our mountain bike races, and to be honest, this is like head and shoulders above that bike. Um, I haven't really ridden any other mountain bikes to compare, but I really feel like this bike is proper. And to be honest, I haven't wanted to ride my road bike or gravel bike because this bike's just been so capable of both. I mean, not as fast on the roads, obviously, but to be able to want to train on this bike constantly has been like really, really like yeah, it's been exciting. So, and you, how's your live?

SPEAKER_03 10:18

I'm loving it, she's amazing, so capable on the trails and gives you that extra bit of confidence to feel like you can tackle technical terrain. So, obviously, the tanqua trek, well not obviously, but the tanqua trek was the first race that we had with our new bikes, and I was able to ride so much more than I could last year, and I think a lot of that is experience, but it's also just having a bike that makes you feel confident to keep pushing over technical stuff because often what my issue is is if I reach something technical, I freeze up because I get nervous of it and then naturally stop, just stop. Um but with this bike, the pedal resistance is so good, and then the extra clearance, like you don't pedal strike. So just having that even those two small things over things.

SPEAKER_01 11:15

But the bike just goes over rocks, like you put the power through and it goes, and yeah, it's like a cliche, like to say like for a new bike that it doesn't you feel like you're not losing power, but you really don't feel like there's any dropout of power when you're like pushing it through like hard terrain. So, yeah, no, it it goes. Like these bikes are serious weapons, and yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:34

Really good.

SPEAKER_01 11:35

Yeah, yeah. Excited to start though, like excited to get to the start line of Epic next week is we've obviously put more in. I think it feels like we've put more into this pre-season than we have previous years, probably down to like actually not having dessert every night.

SPEAKER_03 11:50

It feels no moro gelato.

SPEAKER_01 11:52

No moro gelato this year. We're very strict with not having dessert after every ride. Just apple crumble, just apple crumble. Um, but to be able to yeah, like you said before, like be on the start line next week knowing we've really put everything into starting and uh being up being on the start line to compete is yeah, that's exciting.

SPEAKER_03 12:16

Very exciting. How do you feel about the change in the women's race for this year?

SPEAKER_01 12:22

The change in the women's race. I think it's super good for them. Um like having that like less having that like less energy burn on the day so they can still race at like uh the same intensity as the men. And then having the field, I mean the field will be stuck together longer. So yeah, it's really I think it's super good for them.

SPEAKER_03 12:42

It's gonna be exciting to watch. I'm looking forward to I I think it's a great thing. I think it's a good thing that they they're testing it and trying it. Um was it Ariane Luti that explained it so well? It's just the additional TSS over each stage and the accumulation of that over the entire epoch. Like it's so good for them to have more recovery time, to be able to arrive at the start line every day with everything that they've that they've got. Um I'm looking forward to it. It's gonna be good. Some exciting racing, I think.

SPEAKER_01 13:17

How do you feel about then in the mix racing the full route?

SPEAKER_03 13:23

I feel good about it. I think it's nice that you can help me in places, although we don't like to push and pull all the time.

SPEAKER_01 13:32

No, no, some people in the mix they just all day. Which is fine, like you're allowed to, like that's that's that's how it goes. Yeah, like if if you can do it, uh that's mixed racing. Um I would like to see like the mano a mano style of racing where in mixed where they go, okay, no pushing, and just see how it goes. Because I mean, I think there'd still be a natural pecking order, there'd still be like I think we'd probably still sit in the same place, but yeah, I'd like to just see without the the competitive pushing.

SPEAKER_03 14:02

So it would be interesting, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:05

But that's that's that's how the rules go, and yeah.

SPEAKER_03 14:08

Yeah, no, I'm looking forward to it. It's gonna be nice to ride ride the full route. I think Grayton to Stelenbach is gonna be a hell of a day, trying not to think about it too much.

SPEAKER_01 14:19

Like I mean, we when we were driving back from Grayton, even though it felt long, we were like it's like an hour to even to get to A to Z trails, like you get to Peregrine Farm Stall, and you're like, we still drove nearly an hour to get here from Grayton, and it's like this is this is a long day on the bike. So like Lucas Baum was saying the pros will be six hours that day, and then we're like, oh, like this is like seven and a half touching eight if you have a bad day, like so. It's a like that's a big day out. Like, that's that's like you imagine you go ride eight hours on the road, that's like 220ks. Like, this is such a big day. So, yeah, I think it'll be my biggest mountain bike day I've ever done, and then the day before you're doing like 95k. So yeah, and the day before that you have 100k. Like, no, it's wild. I think the K Pep Epic this year is is the route's unbelievable, yeah, and the terrain's like just gnarly, yeah, and then just the the distances are yeah, yeah, they're tough, tough days.

SPEAKER_03 15:17

Like, and something I have to factor in which which probably doesn't get spoken about a lot is obviously getting cramps halfway through. So Yeah, you I mean I'm expect well, I'm expecting my period halfway through, and planning for that is also like not ideal.

SPEAKER_01 15:34

No.

SPEAKER_03 15:34

For someone who suffers with severe menstrual cramps, waking up like literally to the point where I can't get to work or start the day. Now knowing that that's coming on Thursday.

SPEAKER_01 15:47

On the Queen stage. Yeah, so no, but it's it's one of those. You just have to manage it, and but it's also not nice to have to deal with like mid-epic, knowing that your body's like your body's gearing up towards your period, and then all of a sudden it's like it's here, and the more well the the likelihood is you're they're gonna be up at three in the morning or two in the morning with severe cramps, and yeah, it's kind of a scary, daunting feeling knowing it's gonna be in the middle of epic.

SPEAKER_03 16:17

Um But we've experienced it before at Wines to Wales.

SPEAKER_01 16:22

We had it before on the Wines to Wales at the top of the wagon trail, being uh yeah, completely incapacitated, lay on the ground, can't move. But that's scary at the same time because you're in such uh a vulnerable vulnerable position, being unable nobody can get you out of there because you also can't move. So it's yeah, it's scary to think that it could happen in the day, but you just have to manage that and yeah, we'll get you through the day for sure. Yeah, we'll finish regardless.

SPEAKER_03 16:51

Ride with Wheatie packs.

SPEAKER_01 16:54

If only we could take assistance from our parents, because then we'd just have like a Wheatie where both of our mums would be there just with like to support Wheaties bags, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:05

But it it's something that you don't not everyone always thinks about or speaks about, and it's definitely a debilitating factor when it comes to racing for women.

SPEAKER_01 17:17

Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_03 17:18

Yeah, yeah. So how are you feeling?

SPEAKER_01 17:23

I mean, this week, obviously off the back of like three big training weeks, it's nice to take an easy week, so to speak. I mean, we've been up early, like we still this past few weeks working has been crazy, so it's been yeah, you're trying to squeeze everything in, and then also with you with Cycle Tor, and then you've got like load, there's loads of other stuff on this week, and so we had to uh yeah, just trying to sleep when you can and then recover also this week. But yeah, I think I'm I'm feeling good. The numbers are good, the heart rate's good. Um yeah, there's nothing else you can kind of prepare for. You just all the work's done now, you can probably just chill, eat some, eat some nice uh sugary snacks, and uh yeah, prepare for Epic next week.

SPEAKER_03 18:10

Yeah. And you biggest emotion that you're feeling?

SPEAKER_01 18:15

Excitement.

SPEAKER_03 18:16

Excited.

SPEAKER_01 18:16

Just excited. Like we yeah, I mean, even we shoot, we shot our kit this week. Uh we have another, we're finalizing our kit shoot tomorrow, and then releasing that. We have our we have a race ride that we're running pre-start of Cape Epic next week on the Blockhouse. Um and then we're giving some jerseys away. So yeah, it's and loads of other prizes from our sponsors. So it's really cool to yeah, it's just exciting. Everything, every all the buildup for Cape Epic is always really exciting. So, and it's just yeah, just but just preparing to get on that start line is yeah, you just want to go now, you just wanna just want to be there and ready to go for Epic. So, yeah. But time went too quickly, like this the past four weeks have just gone. Like, it's disappeared.

SPEAKER_03 19:03

Always does when you're busy, right?

SPEAKER_01 19:04

But it's been productive, it's been a productive, um good four weeks.

SPEAKER_03 19:09

It has been.

SPEAKER_01 19:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:10

I'm looking forward to seeing all the kit launches next week. I think in Cape Epic Week it's it's kind of like I remember reading the You magazine when I was younger, leading up to the Oscars or after the Oscars, and you see all the top outfit picks from the Oscars, like going into next week, seeing people launch their kit, and whose kit are you excited for? There's a few.

SPEAKER_01 19:34

Yeah?

SPEAKER_03 19:35

A couple.

SPEAKER_01 19:36

Yeah? Like who?

SPEAKER_03 19:38

I'm looking forward to seeing Speed Company's kit, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 19:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:42

I'm looking forward to seeing who else. I think some teams have already launched their kit, but there's ones that pop up in the week that you haven't seen that you're unaware of.

SPEAKER_02 19:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:56

So I'm looking forward to those.

SPEAKER_02 19:57

Let's talk about Jenny and Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:01

Our big competition.

SPEAKER_01 20:03

I mean, it's not really fair to speak about, yeah. I mean, but that's mixed racing. Like you do get who are they? So Jenny Racebirds and C1 Andreason, like those guys are yeah, top. So yeah. I've also like we're talking about the no-pushing thing. These guys aren't gonna be pushing you together. They're just this is like the natural top of the pecking order, like, but they're also a couple, right?

SPEAKER_03 20:30

Yeah, yeah, data, yeah, which is pretty cool.

SPEAKER_01 20:33

No, it's cool.

SPEAKER_03 20:33

Like I'm excited to see their dynamic of racing together as a couple of that tier and level of professional athlete. Like, it's gonna be really good to watch. Who are the probably from the highlights because I don't think we'll be anywhere near this.

SPEAKER_01 20:49

You see them like start of the block and then they're like bye, Jillian.

SPEAKER_03 20:55

Yeah, I'm also super excited to see her on the start line because watching XEO and XEC racing, like I've always found her to be an incredible athlete to watch, and just her genuine authenticity to share her story and her journey through racing has been really cool.

SPEAKER_01 21:17

Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_03 21:18

Small fangirl moment.

SPEAKER_01 21:20

Fangirl. One of my favorite things about mixed racing though is you actually like I mean, you know the local mixed races, you know the local teams, and then you still get surprised. I mean, everyone's like really strong, like people like for Epic, like you want to compete in the top ten, like you have to like really, really earn your place in that topic.

SPEAKER_03 21:40

But and then Georgie Krubler and who I think husband or boyfriend, yeah, yeah. They were super strong at Tanqua Tree.

SPEAKER_01 21:48

Flying at Tanqua. So, yeah, I think they'll be ones to watch also. So you have to, I mean, yeah, you just have to go into the race knowing there's gonna be some strong competitions. Like last year, there was a Colombian. Couple, um, god, I can't remember their names, but they were absolutely they were insane. Like both of them, like like a bit older, like 50, but like just neck and neck with them every day, like throwing fists at each other, like daily. So, yeah, no, it's it's it's exciting. Like the competition, you ride around, and then obviously during the race, you're like at each other, but then afterwards you like high-five and like laugh about it, and then you have you have like a nice chat. Like, that's the whole point of like racing and epic. Like, you you leave it on the battlefield, but you uh off you have a good time together.

SPEAKER_03 22:32

You do, yeah. Sharing the suffer, right?

SPEAKER_01 22:35

Exactly, sharing the suffer. What which stage are you look looking forward to the most?

SPEAKER_03 22:40

Oh, that's so hard to say. I think I I actually can't pinpoint a stage. I'm really looking forward to Montague and Grayson in general because of seeing how they piece together the stages and how we experience the riding there in terms of like a full loop rather than us just training sections that we feel is right. I am probably great into Stellenbosch because getting to the end of that stage is going to be like, yes.

SPEAKER_01 23:13

We made it.

SPEAKER_03 23:14

We made it.

SPEAKER_01 23:14

We made it, yeah. Because I mean, when you get to Stellenbosch, we've we've ridden the route plenty of times, like, or we've ridden those trails so much. And that I mean they're the super, super exciting, nice trails.

SPEAKER_02 23:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:25

But like to have that like kind of unknown of Montague and Grayton. I mean, we kind of know it a bit, but to still have the unknown of where the trails join up and everything is yeah, that's really cool.

SPEAKER_03 23:35

It's gonna be good. And then Stellenbosch always. Who is most likely to be the hammer?

SPEAKER_01 23:43

You. Most days.

SPEAKER_03 23:45

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 23:46

Yeah. No, I mean we're gonna work well together.

SPEAKER_03 23:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:50

Um, one day you will be the nail. One day I will be the nail.

SPEAKER_03 23:54

You're only allowed to look back once.

SPEAKER_01 23:57

Look back?

SPEAKER_03 23:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:58

I'll just ride behind you then.

SPEAKER_03 23:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:00

Yeah, yeah, perfect. But there's so much climbing, like you'll be on the front anyway, so.

SPEAKER_03 24:05

We'll see.

SPEAKER_01 24:06

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:06

Yeah. 32 chain ring this year. Last year I had a 30 for Epic.

SPEAKER_01 24:11

How are you feeling about that?

SPEAKER_03 24:13

I think I'm feeling good. I think I've been fine with all of our training. So it's just a cumulative fatigue that sometimes those extra that extra granny gear can really help.

SPEAKER_01 24:23

Definitely on the steep stuff as well. Yeah. But I think most of the really steep stuff comes early on in the week. Like we know like Stella and Bosch isn't crazy steep. So if you can get to Stellies, feeling good, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:34

That's good. What will a successful epic look like for you?

SPEAKER_01 24:41

Um, a successful epic will be I think top ten for sure. That's successful already. Um, to have finished as well and uh to have enjoyed as much, and then no knowing we've finished every day, leaving ourselves out there every day. I mean, obviously, you don't want to leave yourself out there on day one because too much because you've still got six more days to arrive. So where are you on day two? It's day one still, like is it's it's not not coming back from that one. Um no, but knowing we put every left everything out there and raced to our max, um I'll be yeah, more than happy. I think. Yeah, it's easy to get caught up in the race, but knowing knowing why you're there and actually looking at the bigger picture of being able to race together as a couple and enjoy this, enjoy the moment together as a couple and be racing in incredible places together is yeah, that's that's that's why we do it.

SPEAKER_03 25:41

So really good. I think it's one of my favorite things to to look at at a stage race is the different partner dynamics. Like you see some teams who are riding with even kilometers between the partners, and then others who are like so well in tune and riding together, like um Speed Company Racing in 2022 was such a cool team dynamic to watch because they were so in sync with one another. So I'm looking forward to seeing that, and then also how we adapt as a team or keep getting better at because it's something you need to keep working on. It doesn't come naturally, it's it's always you might be feeling stronger, and when you're feeling stronger, you want to push yourself to your limit, which is hard to do when you're I'm not at your limit. So managing that as a team is always something that you need to be conscious of and working towards.

SPEAKER_01 26:42

Definitely, and then it must just then come behind and just throttle and push. Yeah, full gas. Yeah. And what's the the goal for Epic this year?

SPEAKER_03 26:57

For you, like what's your what would be your successful epic to arrive at the finish line knowing that I've put everything that I can into the race, like full gas, race hard, but also keep it classy, as Jay would say.

SPEAKER_01 27:15

Yeah, keep it classy.

SPEAKER_03 27:17

We do this for fun, we do it because we love it. You don't want to get to the finish line and and walk away from one another because you've had a cuck day on the bar.

SPEAKER_01 27:26

Exactly, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:26

Um leave it all out there and then come together at the end with celebration for what you've been able to achieve.

SPEAKER_01 27:35

Yeah, because they're also not easy days. There's no easy day in Epic. No, no, even you think, oh, it might be like shorter stage, it's never easy.

SPEAKER_03 27:42

So it's probably like a thing to speak about, but obviously we're married.

SPEAKER_01 27:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:50

We're training together, we're living together, we're eating together, we we do most of everything together. Some people say they can't ride with their partner, so how how has that been for you?

SPEAKER_01 28:06

I think it helps when you really like I mean when you're both really into the sport. I mean, obviously, people who try to ride with their partners and they don't get on, I'm not sure how. But then that also shows like a variation in like ability levels. But I don't know. I mean, I just love riding with you. That's the thing. Like some people, I mean, some people don't like to ride with their partners at all. So, but I I really, really do love riding with you. It's one of the things that was ingrained into our relationship from the start, is like actually having fun on the bike together and excuse me, and enjoying to be able to ride together. Um, so but I can understand why people couples can't ride together because you like feel like you want to go faster or whatever, and yeah, I think you must just an advice for those people is just take this out of your head. Like, but we can ride together like happily and train together. That's I think we're quite lucky in that respect.

SPEAKER_03 29:00

Well, that's where training is so good, because you can ride to the glen and then both do our efforts at whatever power makes sense for the right.

SPEAKER_01 29:09

And also, like, yeah, I mean, when even even mountain biking, like even like riding on the trails, like if you want to go and do your intervals, go do your intervals. But you can both we can both ride in zone two together. Yeah, if not a little bit more. So yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 29:23

How's the skill sessions with Eugene been?

SPEAKER_01 29:26

I mean to take skill sessions before capable before. I mean, I'd never thought about doing skill sessions before. You've done skill sessions with Coach Eugene before, and it was really nice to actually get told that I was descending wrong. Like you think, oh, you're a good descender, and then someone who's actually really good, uh, and a coach and someone who's like ridden and raced before, and they'd say, No, you're like, but not in a condescending way, they'd just say, Oh, you're standing completely wrong. I'd be like off the back of the bike, because that's how I learnt to descend racing gravel bikes. But actually, like mountain biking, you can you have to be over the front of the stem, like your chest needs to be over the stem. And then I was and then after that, I was like, Oh, this is so much better. Like, actually, like, and that was lesson one. So, the skills we've learned from just a few lessons with Eugene, it were yeah, I mean, you you can't put a price on that because it makes you faster, makes you more confident. Yeah, no, I I enjoyed every second of those skill lessons, they were fantastic.

SPEAKER_03 30:28

And you so good, so helpful, just been amazing. I think no matter where you are, at what point you are in your riding, there's always something to be learned, and you can always upskill. So I think that's one of the best things about the sport.

SPEAKER_01 30:42

Definitely. It's always humbling. You can always get better, always get better.

SPEAKER_03 30:45

Yeah, always learning.

SPEAKER_01 30:46

Always learning.

SPEAKER_03 30:48

One piece of advice going into Epic before we wrap up for today. You have a piece of advice for me, or what's your piece of advice?

SPEAKER_01 30:57

Um eat a nice big load of Malva pudding next week before we start.

SPEAKER_03 31:04

Um that's your advice. My advice for everyone going into Epic. For everyone going to Malva pudding.

SPEAKER_01 31:10

Everybody going into Epic next week, have a big slice of Malva pudding on the Thursday before. You will not regret it because you can never eat enough while you're at Epic, and you'll be like, oh, I don't want to eat that malva. You're not gonna put on weight three days before Epic. If anything, it's gonna help you morally and mentally.

SPEAKER_03 31:29

Eat your Malva.

SPEAKER_01 31:30

Eat your Malva because it's good for you. What's your piece of advice? Uh before Epic now.

SPEAKER_03 31:38

When in doubt, drink and eat more.

SPEAKER_01 31:41

Bingo.

SPEAKER_03 31:42

Thanks for listening to us yap about Cape Epic. Next podcast you can tune into will release at stage four.

SPEAKER_01 31:51

Stage four.

SPEAKER_03 31:52

Stage four. We'll let you know how it's going, and then our second one will come out just after Cape Epic. So we'll give you guys some insights into how the race went and really how strong Jenny Respett and Seaman Andreas and R.

SPEAKER_01 32:05

Yes.