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.

🔗 Scicon Sports SA — https://theactivehobo.short.gy/sciconsports-discount

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

👉 Subscribe for more stories from the world of endurance sport.

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

🎧 Follow The Active Hobo:

Instagram: @theactivehobo

Website: https://activehobo.com

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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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#TheActiveHobo #BreakawayPodcast

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

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

🎧 Follow The Active Hobo:

Instagram: @theactivehobo

Website: https://activehobo.com

🏷️ Scicon Sports SA DISCOUNT: https://theactivehobo.short.gy/sciconsports-discount

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

He went to Joburg for one ride. He got dropped by a world-tour cyclist, skipped a robot or two, and came back a convert. That's where Episode 10 begins — and it only gets bigger from there.

Cape Epic is underway, and the stories coming out of those trails are exactly why this race is unlike anything else on earth. Dean Hoff and Kevin Benke ran 30 kilometres with their bikes after a mechanical destroyed their race — and kept going. Tristan de Villiers and Kezia Llewellyn are in the yellow jersey, chasing what no South African pairing has ever done: win the Cape Epic. Meanwhile, Cam and Allie are out there somewhere in the peloton, laughing their heads off. Alec's on the ground. Sarah's racing. This one's personal.

On the world stage: del Toro is making GC statements, Vingegaard's wardrobe is making headlines, and Van der Poel is riding like a man possessed. Milan-San Remo is around the corner — and the women's race might be the most unpredictable one-day classic in years. We also touch on Allan Hathley quietly going 13th at Tirreno and what that could mean.

And then — gravel. Gallows. Garden route Giro. Roads to Desolation. If the gravel bug hasn't bitten you yet, this episode might be the one that changes that. We're a year old, Scicon has come on board, and we're just getting started.

🎙️ Hosted by David & Jason | The Breakaway Podcast

📸 Follow Alec's live Cape Epic coverage on Instagram: @theactivehobo

🕶️ Gear up with Scicon Sports SA — 15% off https://theactivehobo.short.gy/sciconsports-discount

💬 Drop your take in the comments — is Gallows South Africa's best gravel race? And can Tristan & Kezia make history?

🔔 Subscribe so you don't miss our daily podcasts from the Garden route Giro.

Gallows Gravel Race Link: https://www.thegallowsrace.co.za/

Garden Route Giro link: https://www.gardenroutegiro.co.za/

#capeepic2026 #capeepic #achievementunlocked

00:00 — The Capetonian Goes to Joburg (and Gets Schooled)

11:34 — Inside the Cape Epic: Yellow Jersey, Broken Bikes & 30km On Foot

16:15 — The Story That Defines What Epic Actually Means

22:00 — Can a South African Pair Finally Win the Cape Epic?

30:04 — Del Toro, Vingegaard's Shorts & Tour de France Signals

47:08 — Women's Milan-San Remo: The Race Nobody Can Call

50:37 — Allan Hathley's Quiet Statement to the World

54:20 — South Africa's Gravel Season Is Here

55:24 — Gallows: The Race That Breaks You in the Best Way

1:00:13 — Garden Route Giro 2026

1:08:49 — One Year In: Scicon, Milestones & What's Coming

1:11:29 — See You Out There

You've seen the numbers on the packet. 2:1 ratio. 60 grams. 90 grams per hour. Multiple transportable carbohydrates. But what does any of it actually mean — and how do you use it without blowing up your stomach on race day?

In Part 2 with Reece McDonald — head of performance at Embukos and Science to Sport partner — we sit down and break race-day nutrition into language that anyone can understand. No jargon walls, no brand pushing. Just the honest, practical science behind what goes in your bottle, how concentrated it should be, what your pre-race breakfast should look like, and why the stuff you do in training matters more than anything you panic-buy the night before.

If you've ever stood in your kitchen staring at a bag of race mix wondering how many scoops actually go in — this one's for you.

https://www.sciencetosport.com

🎙️ Missed Part 1? Watch it here: [https://youtu.be/GSd23504_04]

📩 Got a nutrition question we didn't cover? Drop it in the comments or DM us — Reece is game to come back and go deeper.

👉 Subscribe to The Active Hobo for stories that matter — on and off the bike.

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00:00 — The Scoop Problem Nobody Talks About

02:50 — Train How You Race (Or Pay For It Later)

05:17 — Multiple Transportable Carbohydrates — In Plain English

06:18 — The 2:1 Ratio and Why 90 Grams Is the Ceiling

08:58 — Going Above 90g — Who Actually Needs That?

10:03 — Gut Training: Why Racing Intensity Changes Everything

11:10 — How Concentrated Should Your Bottle Actually Be?

13:26 — Gels, Bars, or Bottles — Building Your Race-Day Stack

16:01 — The Pre-Race Breakfast That Won't Wreck You

19:20 — Bagels, Maize Meal, and Better Alternatives to Oats

20:43 — The Electrolyte Trap Most Riders Fall Into

22:05 — Panic Consuming: The Race-Day Mistake You Keep Making

24:24 — Your Questions, Our Next Episode

26:17 — Incremental, Not Experimental

💬 What sport or activity changed the direction of your life? Tell us in the comments.

🔔 Subscribe — this series is just getting started.

🎙️ The Active Hobo — Stories That Matter

📍 Cape Town, South Africa

Over 400 career victories. Three Cape Town Cycle Tour wins. Eight gold medals in a single national track championship. Seven wins in his first season in Belgium, as a teenager from Joburg who didn't know a soul. He raced against Lance Armstrong, sprinted against Robbie McEwan, and built some of the most iconic professional cycling teams South Africa has ever seen, HSBC, Med Scheme, Bonitas, DSV, often pitching boardrooms in the morning and winning races in the afternoon.

But this conversation isn't just about the wins. It's about what South African cycling was, what it lost, and what one man is trying to build back from the ground up. Malcolm now runs the DSV Shift Academy in Paarl, putting 25 kids from his community on bikes, into classrooms, and onto a path that didn't exist for them before he showed up.

From BMX ramps in the suburbs to basement floors in Cologne. From the golden era of Rapport Tour and packed road closures to the silence that followed.

This is the story of the most winning South African road cyclist in history. And it's only part one.

CHAPTERS

00:00 — Tracksuit Pants and a Bike Too Big

06:00 — 200 Schoolboys on a Start Line

12:00 — Eight Gold Medals in One Weekend

18:00 — Break a Record, Get Sunglasses

25:00 — Landing in Belgium With No Plan and No Phone

32:00 — Seven Wins in Season One

40:00 — The Doping Era Nobody Talks About Honestly

50:00 — Winning Is Not Everything

58:00 — The HSBC Pitch That Changed Everything

1:08:00 — Racing Against Lance, McEwan, and the Best in the World

1:18:00 — The Rapport Tour and the Glory Days Nobody Remembers

1:28:00 — Nick White, Jock Green, and the Lotto Hat

1:38:00 — From Rider to Team Boss to Rival

1:50:00 — When Doug Ryder Left a Void

2:00:00 — Why He Walked Away From Pro Racing

2:08:00 — 25 Kids, Six Containers, and a Velodrome in Paarl

2:18:00 — The High-Speed Police Officer

2:28:00 — Criteriums, Leagues, and Fixing the Media Problem

2:38:00 — Put Your Money Back Into This Sport

🔔 Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss our daily Epic coverage dropping next week.

💬 Tell us — what's your "almost" moment? The time you were so close you could taste it. Drop it in the comments.

📲 Got a story from Epic? Come find Cam, Sarah, or Alec on the route. That's why we're there.

A world tour rider stopped Cam at Strade Bianche and asked how to get on this podcast. That's not the only thing that caught us off guard this week.

Lisa Iterate finally broke through at the Cape Town Cycle Tour — after years of seconds and thirds, she stood on top in front of 28,000 riders. Ryan Gibbons used world tour-level tactics to take the men's race in a sprint that nearly slipped away from Jayden Lill at the line. Meanwhile, Cam just got back from his first behind-the-scenes experience at Strade Bianche with Team Q36.5, where Tadej Pogačar soloed 80km to victory and reminded everyone why the sport can't look away — even when one man is rewriting the rules. And we break down why women's racing, both locally and internationally, is delivering the most compelling action in the peloton right now.

Then we turn all our energy to Sunday. Cape Epic starts in five days. Sarah's battling nerves and flashbacks from the one year she didn't finish. Cam just landed from Italy and hasn't touched his bike in a week. The stages are longer than ever. And Alec just got a media pass — so we're going all in to bring you the stories from the dirt.

🕐 CHAPTERS:

00:00 — We're Back, Cam Shaved, and Epic Is Coming

03:30 — Cape Town Cycle Tour: The Women's Race That Had Everything

10:00 — Lisa's Breakthrough — Years of Seconds, One Massive Win

13:00 — Ryan Gibbons Takes It — World Tour Tactics on Home Soil

17:00 — Jayden Lill: The Kid Who Nearly Clipped Him on the Line

19:30 — Crashes, Chaos and the Chappies Wipeout

21:00 — Riding With Malcolm Lange — A Legend in Your Group

24:00 — 28,000 Riders, UCI Medals, and Why This Race Matters

26:00 — Strade Bianche: Cam Goes Behind the Curtain at World Tour Level

30:00 — Pogačar Solos 80km — Is Dominance Good for Cycling?

35:00 — The Women's Strade Bianche Finish That Gave Us Goosebumps

39:00 — A World Tour Pro Asked to Be on This Podcast

42:00 — Cape Epic Preview: Longer Stages, Old-School Routes & Foot-and-Mouth Detours

47:00 — The Queen Stage Through Lawrenceford

50:00 — Sarah's Unfinished Business & the Stage That Haunts Her

53:00 — Final Nerves, Race Prep Tips & See You on the Start Line

🔔 Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss our daily Epic coverage dropping next week.

💬 Tell us — what's your "almost" moment? The time you were so close you could taste it. Drop it in the comments.

📲 Got a story from Epic? Come find Cam, Sarah, or Alec on the route. That's why we're there.