Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Cape Epic prize money parity praised by cyclists
THE DECISION to award men and women competing in the Cape Epic equal prize money has resulted in the strongest group of female competitors entering the event.
This year the two-person teams in the male and female categories will both be chasing R200 000 for first place.
Second place earns the riders R120 000, and third R80 000.
In deciding to award equal purses to men and woman, the annual mountain bike race that gets under way at UCT tomorrow joins a growing lists of international competitions to do so, including major tennis, athletics and road-running events.
Legendary mountain biker Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesja, of Norway, a nine-time world champion, said she entered her first Cape Epic because of the change.
“I am really grateful that they took this step,” she told reporters at a media briefing at the V&A Waterfront.
While the women’s purse was matched to that of the men before last year’s race, it was announced too late to let new riders register.
Dahle Flesja, 38, an Olympic
gold medal winner, is considered to be one the greatest mountain bikers in history.
In addition to her world championship victories, she has won multiple European Mountain Bike Champi- onships in the marathon and cross- country categories.
She will be racing with another Cape Epic novice, Kathrin Stirnemann of Switzerland, for team World Bicycle Relief.
Two-time Cape Epic winner Sally Bigham, from Eng- land, said equal prize money was important.
“It has definitely raised the profile of women’s racing,” she said.
Bigham had to find a new partner days before the race after her teammate partner Bla a Klemencic, of Slovenia, injured herself.