From The Top - Interview with Thomas Frischknecht

Thomas Frischknecht, Team Director of the SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing team and 9x time Cape Epic conqueror, provides us with an insight into the team in the ramp up to the 2022 Cape Epic, and its importance for the SCOTT-SRAM team riders Nino Schurter, Lars Forster and Andri Frischknecht.

What is your personal history with the untamed Absa Cape Epic?

In the beginning, the Cape Epic was a point-to-point stage race from Knysna to Cape Town with very long stages. Today’s course layout is more trail oriented and therefore much more fun for the riders and for the fans worldwide watching the race. Because there are only 4 destinations we are visiting in 2022, there is less moving from one place to another, which always added this extra layer of complication throughout the race week.

What makes this race a special one?

No matter whether you’re a pro, amateur or recreational rider, the Cape Epic is a demanding adventure that challenges everybody who wants to make it to the finish. These 8 tough days take everybody to their limit. And each rider will have their ups and downs, guaranteed. Doing this race as a team allows you to share all these good and bad emotions together, which makes it an adventure that builds very strong bonds, if all goes well.

What is the challenge for riders during these 8 days?

It takes everything from you. Technical skills, endurance, a strong mindset and will power. The biggest challenge is to recover from each day’s challenge and stay positive for the next one to come. There are usually a lot of unforeseen things that can happen. To overcome these struggles is not easy when you’re tired from all the hours in the saddle.

This week will put the mechanics and the equipment under pressure. Can you tell us some more?

The bikes take really tough abuse. Tons of thorns ruin the tires, while dust and sand work hard on the drivetrain and suspension. The mechanics have to service each bike every day, paying a lot of attention to the details.

Organizing a team on-site might be a challenge in itself?

It’s quite a project indeed. We basically have a boot camp where athletes sleep in campers and staff in tents. We have our own chef who cooks on-site so we don’t have to go to restaurants and can have full control of what we eat. Three mechanics look after 6 bikes and that’s a full-time job for them! Our two physios also work hard to make sure the riders recover quickly and stay healthy, one of the most critical points of these 8 days.

Luckily, we are quite experienced by now and with Joggie Prinsloo, our Team Manager at Cape Epic, we have someone that has things under control, even down to the smallest details.

What does the Cape Epic mean for the 2022 season?

As tough as the Cape Epic is for staff and athletes, it’s a great way to bond the team at the beginning of the season. It takes the very best of each team member to make a Cape Epic work. If things work out and we have success, it’s the result of good team spirit and teamwork. Sharing these great moments together is something money can’t buy, and it creates a great foundation for the season to come.