What does it take to build the world’s biggest mountain bike stage race from scratch? In this conversation, Kevin Vermaak unpacks the untold story behind Cape Epic — from years of financial pressure and relentless risk-taking to creating an event that transformed cycling in South Africa and around the world. We also dive into the future of gravel racing, the vision behind Gravel Burn, and why Kevin believes the next era of cycling is only just beginning.

# === CHAPTERS ===================================

0:00 — The Vision Behind Cape Epic

2:45 — From London Banking to Building a Race

10:35 — Himalayan Expeditions & Adventure Mindset

19:05 — Five Years of Losses & Extreme Stress

20:23 — The Decision That Changed Cape Epic Forever

31:05 — The Reality of Building Something Big

36:50 — Riding Cape Epic for the First Time

41:25 — Selling Cape Epic & Building a Legacy

52:50 — Why Gravel Is the Future of Cycling

2:09:30 — The Big Vision for Gravel Burn

# === LISTEN ON THE GO ===========================

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GselFmeym7YgYXtcyPUXU

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/active-hobo/id1846864699

# === FOLLOW ACTIVE HOBO =========================

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# === THE CREW ===================================

Dave @davlewjenkins

# === WORK WITH US ===============================

Sponsorships & collabs: david@activehobo.com

Send a question for the show: noah@activehobo.com

#ActiveHobo #CyclingPodcast #SouthAfricanCycling

Simon Stofberg joins the Breakaway for an honest conversation about fatherhood, fitness, and finding your

way back — three and a half months in.

Also in this episode: Gallows 2026, the XCO Western Cape Schools League, a young Wellington rider's miraculous recovery.

# === CHAPTERS ===================================

0:00 Intro

0:28 What's on today: Gallows, XCO schools, and the Giro

1:29 Simon Stofberg: three and a half months into fatherhood

4:58 Life stood still: postpartum depression, emergency C-section, the dark first months

6:35 Light at the end of the tunnel

7:00 David's parallel: 18 months in with Gabriella

8:00 The all-in athlete personality vs. having a baby

11:20 First race with the family — and the panic attacks that came before it

14:13 The dopamine crash: going from 20 hours a week to nothing

15:01 48T vs. 44T — GRG media weekend to GRG with a newborn

17:00 Garden Route Giro debrief: Stage 1, Stage 2 blowup at Rooibos Pass

23:39 David's GRG — Day 1 power PB and Stages 5–7 riding with Dusty

26:08 Shout out to Dryland and the 36ONE weather situation

30:15 A young XCO rider from Wellington: broke his neck, three hours alone, making a recovery

33:28 XCO Western Cape Schools League: 926 boys, 280 girls

35:30 Titan Racing, Ford and Shimano back the next generation

37:30 Elite racing highlights — and why the YouTube footage is worth your time

39:01 Jan Vitor from Tech Science — the next guest David wants in the studio

39:43 Why Simon skipped Gallows, and what's next with Cam Roach

42:15 Gallows 2026: Poffada, The Hosepipe, and the climb to Heavens View

49:20 Finding an XCO schools correspondent: Boaf ⚠️ verify timestamp

51:11 Episode 17 wrap

# === LISTEN ON THE GO ===========================

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GselFmeym7YgYXtcyPUXU

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/active-hobo/id1846864699

# === FOLLOW ACTIVE HOBO =========================

Subscribe: https://youtube.com/@activehobo?sub_confirmation=1

Website: https://activehobo.com/

Instagram: @theactivehobo

Strava: https://strava.app.link/ciVbx92FJ2b

# === THE CREW ===================================

Dave @davlewjenkins

# === MORE FROM ACTIVE HOBO ======================

Latest episode: https://youtu.be/VRIeP2JYf5U

Full podcast playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc2XIoaiAXafwoZykJM-jg6HnrLkWlJXH

Related episode: https://youtu.be/lGfvanjllXY

# === WORK WITH US ===============================

Sponsorships & collabs: david@activehobo.com

Send a question for the show: noah@activehobo.com

#ActiveHobo #CyclingPodcast #SouthAfricanCycling

Daniyal Matthews is the 2025 SA National Road Champion and African track champion —

and the first person of colour in over a decade to win the Elite Men's national

road race in South Africa. He races with 7Eleven Cliqq Roadbike Philippines,

riding Elves bikes, and is competing at UCI Continental level. He grew up in

Cape Town's Southern Suburbs, started racing on the track at age eight because

his father dragged him there, and spent years gripping the start line with so

much anxiety he didn't actually enjoy cycling until his mid-teens.

This episode is the full story: the sprint finish that made SA cycling history,

what it means to represent a country where your face doesn't often appear on the

podium, what life at a Continental team racing in Asia actually looks like,

and an honest conversation about road safety, the motorist-cyclist tensions that

cost lives in South Africa, and what it will take to change the culture.

Dave and Daniyal also talk about the state of South African track cycling,

why the Bellville Velodrome matters, the generation of SA riders who are quietly

pulling the sport toward something that looks like a golden era — and why SA

Champs wasn't even Daniyal's primary target.

# === CHAPTERS ===================================

0:00 — Meet Daniyal Matthews: SA Road Champion & African Track Champion

1:40 — The Elves signing that lit up social media

2:29 — Growing up in Cape Town's Southern Suburbs

3:08 — Racing track at eight years old — and hating every second

5:20 — A father's obsession: Belgium, UCI track teams, and a cycling inheritance*

10:29 — Track cycling in South Africa: Bellville Velodrome and the access problem*

27:30 — Career goals and why SA Champs was a bonus, not a target*

31:11 — Road safety: the fatal accident, the comment sections, and the real cost*

37:23 — South African cycling's future: Tshenolo, the golden era, and what's next*

40:06 — Matric, Asia, and the long road to Continental racing*

# === LISTEN ON THE GO ===========================

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GselFmeym7YgYXtcyPUXU

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/active-hobo/id1846864699

# === FOLLOW ACTIVE HOBO =========================

Subscribe: https://youtube.com/@activehobo?sub_confirmation=1

Website: https://activehobo.com/

Instagram: @theactivehobo

Strava: https://strava.app.link/ciVbx92FJ2b

# === THE CREW ===================================

Dave @davlewjenkins

# === MORE FROM ACTIVE HOBO ======================

Latest episode: https://youtu.be/VRIeP2JYf5U

Full podcast playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc2XIoaiAXafwoZykJM-jg6HnrLkWlJXH

Related episode: https://youtu.be/lGfvanjllXY

# === WORK WITH US ===============================

Sponsorships & collabs: david@activehobo.com

Send a question for the show: noah@activehobo.com

#ActiveHobo #CyclingPodcast #SouthAfricanCycling