This year marked Café du Cycliste athlete Noah Warren’s fourth consecutive Cape Epic. With team-mate, Loic Blanc, he placed 18th in the overall standings with the elite mens after eight days, making 2026 perhaps the best yet!

Why did you choose to participate in the Cape Epic race? Can you remind us of your history with the Epic Series?

NOAH: Cape Epic is the pinnacle of mountain bike racing. It’s known as the Tour de France of MTB. This race is incredibly special to me. In 2023, at 18 years old, I was the youngest rider to ever compete in the Cape Epic. Ever since, I’ve made it a goal to do this race every year I’m able to. I have yet to break this streak and the 2026 Epic makes four consecutive races. It truly is the hardest mountain bike race in the world, yet it draws you in every year.

This is the first race of the 2026 season. How did you prepare for it? Were you able to ride together during the winter preparation?

NOAH: I spent a lot of the prep for the 2025 season sick, so in prep for 2026, I made it a goal to not get sick between October and March. I was able to meet this goal through increasing my sleep hours, being focused and aware of hygiene, and even wearing a mask to my university classes when necessary. I also took a step back from the “perfection” that I usually aim for in the sport. I began the base season by asking myself why I do this, and the reason I do is because I have fun riding my bike. I made sure that fun and enjoyment were at the forefront of every training session, even if, physiologically speaking, it wasn’t the best. I think that helped me reduce stress a lot, which in turn helped me stay healthy. Unfortunately, as an American university student riding with a Swiss mechanical engineer, we weren’t able to do any training in the base season together, but had faith in each other’s training and our baseline knowledge of how each other ride from the past Epic Series events.

LOÏC: I took part in the Calpe World Cup at the end of February to get some race rhythm. Then, in preparation for the Cape Epic, I accumulated a lot of hours in endurance and tempo to build a solid base. The winter at home was relatively mild and I did most of my training outdoors. Three weeks before leaving for the Cape Epic, I did a specific “heat training” block to acclimatize to the South African heat. It consisted of riding on the home trainer wearing winter clothing so that my body temperature rose!

Tell us how it went!

LOÏC: I didn’t really have any expectations going into this race. The level is always very high, eight days is a long time and a lot can happen. Especially since in 2025 I had a goal and expectations that didn’t work out, and that was hard to take. Noah told me, “Loïc, we’re aiming for a top 20,” but I didn’t really believe it. 

But after a good prologue and a strong first stage, I saw that the form was there for both of us, and that the vibes were positive! The vibes are the most important thing. They keep the mood high, and I think that to survive eight days of racing at that kind of intensity, it really matters.

Noah had a difficult Stage 2, but he assured me that historically it’s always the case – that the second stage is tough. But from that point on, Noah got stronger every day, and it was great to see that we stayed consistent in our stages.

The Queen Stage was hell for me. After 20 minutes I lost contact because of the echelons caused by the crosswinds. From there Noah had to wait for me, and we rode alone for almost two hours. Then we started catching some teams that had blown up, and my mindset switched! We began moving back up, and in seven minutes on a portage section we passed four teams. Then another three on the final climb.

The highlight was Stage 6, with a strong 17th place, beating Speed Company Racing – former Cape Epic winners – in the sprint.But above all, 18th overall in the general classification with the elite mens. Who would have believed it? Certainly not me.

During stage races, you often discover your teammate’s true personality in difficult moments. What have you discovered about each other during those races?

NOAH: We both have gotten incredibly good at realizing that everything said out there comes from a place of wanting to help the team go faster. Nothing is personal and we have learned to communicate everything super clearly.

LOÏC: I discovered that he never let’s anything go, and even when nothing is going right he gives everything! That’s the most important thing.

Over eight days of racing, there are inevitably moments when one rider feels stronger than the other. How do you manage those differences in form without disrupting the team dynamic?

NOAH: I think that having differences is what gives a team strength. Two Noahs or two Loïcs would mean that when one struggles, both do. It’s important that strengths differ fundamentally. It means you can support each other when you are strong and be supported when you are weak. Because we came into this race with two other stage races together under our belt, I think we knew how to handle these challenging situations and move on to communicating what needs to change tactically for the next stage, or even the next section of the day.

LOÏC: The key is to always stay calm in every situation and to talk, to discuss the things that aren’t going well. Stay positive and always encourage your teammate. You start as a pair, and you finish as a pair, no matter what happens. This race is a bit like a marriage (for better or worse), and I think we had more positive moments than negative ones during the week.Also, I would say, it’s important to stay humble! One day you’re the strongest, the next you can be at rock bottom. The Cape Epic really tests your body!

The Cape Epic is known for being as unpredictable as it is difficult. What is the most challenging situation you imagine having to deal with together this year / that you had to deal with during the race?

NOAH: We were incredibly lucky to not be caught up in any of the major crashes or have any major mechanicals this year. The toughest part for me was wondering if my body would wake up after Stage 2. Fortunately it did, but I was concerned that it wouldn’t after such a hard day. Loïc was very patient with me this day and when I asked him to trust me, he did. Thankfully my legs did come around, as I predicted, and we rolled up the GC from there!

LOÏC: Mechanical problems! They’re everyone’s nightmare – sometimes you can lose the race just because of a puncture that can’t be fixed, forcing you to change the wheel in a technical section. But the thing that makes the Cape Epic so unique is also the dust in the peloton at high speed. I already don’t like riding in a group, and when you add the nerves, the poor visibility from the dust, and hidden rocks… it’s a real challenge.