No all-South African team has won the Absa Cape Epic overall, but riders from this country have enjoyed success across many categories when partnered with foreigners. Most notable among these was Burry Stander, who triumphed three times with Switzerland’s Christoph Sauser. Now two South Africans in the 2017 field have put their faith in foreigners: Max Knox will be riding with Colombian legend Héctor Leonardo Páez Leon (Kansai Plascon).

Knox, 29, represents the current generation of marathon specialists and was in compelling form in 2016. Beers is only 23 and his natural ability and appetite for hard work suggest he will be a star of the next generation.

“Obviously the overall win is our main objective. But with it being a very new partnership with Leo and being the Cape Epic, where so much can go wrong, that will be a big challenge" says Knox, who won both the South African marathon championship and the National Marathon Series in 2016.

“If we end up on another step of the overall podium that will be good, but the win is our main objective. Some stage wins may present themselves if we are in the mix for the overall, we will grab those opportunities of course,” says Knox, a seven-times Cape Epic finisher.

Páez concurs: “I am going to try and win the race overall. I am going to rely on Max for the knowledge of the race and the conditions.”

The Colombian was leading the Marathon World Championships in 2016 before a mechanical ended his title aspirations. Now he has set his sights on the world’s foremost mountain bike stage race.

“I have heard a lot about the Cape Epic. I know it is the toughest stage race in the world and the most important one to win. If you are a serious mountain bike racer you must try to compete in the Cape Epic at least once,” Páez says. “I am looking forward to this experience. I have seen videos of the race on the internet and can see that it can be very hot and dry and that the surfaces are very rough in places. This means you need to look after your body and your bike every day or else you will be in trouble.”

The fact that Knox and Páez are deadly serious is also evident in the fact that they will bring a support team: Italians Mirko Pirazzoli and Alessandro Gambino will back them up over the eight days and be on hand to help sort out mechanical issues if required.

PAEZ will race with a special edition of ANAKIN FULL named CAPE COBRA...the most poisones snake of RSA.