How much money is earned in the Cape Epic: this is how the prize pool of €160,000 is distributed in the MTB Tour de France

The Absa Cape Epic is one of those races where prestige weighs as much or more than the cash prize. However, behind the "Tour de France of MTB" banner, there is a solid prize structure that places it among the best-paid events on the XCM stage calendar.

How much money do the winners of the Absa Cape Epic earn? Prizes and categories

The organization distributes more than 3.2 million rands (about 160,000 €) among the elite male and female categories, always with the key particularity that the money is awarded to teams (pairs), not individually.

The bulk of the money is concentrated in the final overall classification. Winning the Cape Epic means an income of 17,500 € per team, a figure that greatly multiplies any stage prize. But the top finishers are not the only ones who receive a cash prize; here is the complete distribution among the top ten teams.

Cash prizes for the overall classification and per stage

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(Official data converted to euros from South African rands) 

As can be seen from the table, winning a stage has great sporting and media value in the Cape Epic 2026, but the cash prize is relatively low.

Additionally, the Cape Epic introduces some incentives that can alter the tactical development of the stages. One of the most well-known is the Epic King & Queen of the Mountain, which rewards the first pair at key intermediate points on the route with 750 €. Although the amount is not high, it is enough to provoke long-range attacks or strategic moves in long stages.

The boost to African cycling

Another distinctive feature of the Cape Epic is its commitment to local cycling, reflected in specific classifications for African teams.

African Jersey Classification

Additionally, the organization maintains the Exxaro ranking, focused on young South African talents, with a similar prize system:

Exxaro Classification

UCI points are sometimes more important than money

Beyond the financial distribution, the Cape Epic remains one of the most coveted races on the calendar for its sporting value. And victory grants 500 UCI points per team, a key bounty in season planning.

So after learning how much money the Absa Cape Epic distributes, it is clear that the balance between prestige, toughness, and financial reward is what keeps the South African event as an absolute reference in the world of MTB.