Top contenders for the Absa African jersey in this year’s Absa Cape Epic are Darren Lill (31) and Charles Keey (27).
Charles Keey and Darren Lill of Team Cannondale Blend retain the African Leader Jerseys and now have fourth position after stage two of the 2013 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race from Citrusdal to Saronsberg Wine Estate in Tulbagh, South Africa on March 19, 2013. Photo: Greg Beadle / Cape Epic / SPORTZPICS
In 2013, these two riders were matching the top riders in the world, pedal stroke for pedal stroke, at the front of the field.
This will be Lill’s second Absa Cape Epic and Keey’s fifth. Together they will take on the challenging African Mountain Bike Race, which takes place from March 23 to 30.
Both Lill and Keey boast an impressive list of victories behind their names. Lill was the King of the Mountain in the 2012 PRO Volta a Alentego, National Road Champion (2011), African Continental Road Champion (2007 and 2006) and the Vevada City Classic winner in the same year.
He also won the Pick ‘n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge in 2005 and represented South Africa at the Commonwealth Games and World Championships.
Keey finished first in the Sabie Marathon World Series last year and in sixth place at the Sabie Marathon World Cup.
He was second overall in the Sani2C and was the South African Student Road and Mountain Bike Champion. He finished on the podium in the Absa African jersey in 2011.
Weighing in at 59kg and with a height of 1.68m, Lill only started mountain biking in 2011. He says of the event “as a professional, the Absa Cape Epic is the biggest potential media platform for sponsors in mountain biking if we do well”.
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