‘He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother’

The siblings, who both work at Vulcania Reinforcing in Brakpan, braved the daunting eight-day mountain bike race, dubbed the “Tour de France of mountain biking”, and battled through innumerable obstacles and challenges along the more than 700km Western Cape route, to find their way to the finish line.

For the Greve brothers it will be a time forever etched in their memories, particularly as they received the overall “Conquer As One Moment” for the 2016 Absa Cape Epic, meaning that they receive free entry into next year’s event.

The Herald caught up with the brothers to find out a bit more about their adventure at this year’s Cape Epic, their mountain biking exploits to date and backgrounds in the sport.

“Since I was a child it was always my dad’s passion to be outdoors, to hike, to see waterfalls, to cycle through the wonderful beauties that South Africa has to offer,” said Adam, a former St Dunstan’s College pupil.

“When he died our family became extremely close and my older brother, Sean, stood up as the ‘man of the house’.

“Sean was the person everyone in the family looked up to and when he started to mountain bike it became a goal that I set for myself: to be the person cycling next to him, to keep pushing him and ultimately to relive the passion our father once had.

“Slowly our love for the sport grew and we got better, faster and stronger.

“There was only one thing left, one thing we needed to cross off the bucket list – the great Cape Epic.

“We got our ducks and, most importantly, funds in a row and were blessed enough to get an entry.”

Sean added: “A good mate of mine entered me into the Sani2c about six years ago and I really enjoyed the ride.

“Since then I have continued to do all the long endurance races.

“The Cape Epic is the ultimate mountain bike challenge and has to be ticked off if you want to call yourself a proper mountain biker.”

Asked about the ride in general and some of the obstacles on the way, Adam commented: “The ride in itself is self-explanatory: ‘Epic’.

“The forests, the single track, the people, the vibe, the mountains, the landscapes, the emotion and the passion felt are absolutely incredible.

“The obstacles come more in the form of the preparation for the race, all the sacrifices and the weekends of early mornings of training and letting down friends due to the intense training.”

“The first three stages were the hardest days I have ever experienced on a mountain bike,” added Sean.

“The heat, terrain and climbing all compounded to make the race extremely challenging.

“Stage Six had the best single track I have ever had the pleasure of riding.”

It would be Stage Four that would gain the brothers the most attention.

With 8km to go on the stage, Adam took a serious fall and tore his shoulder ligaments, preventing him from pedaling to the finish.

Their brotherly bond gave them the drive to continue, not only to complete the stage, but more importantly the Cape Epic.

Asked about the fall Adam said: “It was probably the best and most fun stage of the Epic.

“We came into a descend section known as the ‘super tubes’, famous for its corners and amazing scenery.

“We got caught behind a slower group of people, which made me lose concentration.

“I started slowing down to give them a gap, so that I could go hard and fast and enjoy the super tubes; I looked back to see where my brother was and at that exact moment I lost the grip in my front tyre and went over the handle bars onto the side of the mountain, landing on my shoulder.

“The pain hit me instantly and I immediately knew something was wrong.

“Between holding onto the bike with one arm and running I eventually found my way close enough to the finish.

“By that stage the pain had become too much and I could not hold my bike.

“Sean then took over the bike and ran by my side to eventually get to the finish.

“With the support of my other arm I could hold my shoulder in a position that eased the pain. “

Questioned about the stages following the injury, the younger Greve said: “I don’t even remember the stages.

“I was lucky enough for my mind to switch off.

“The doctors at the race were incredible and they helped me manage the pain.”

Sean said: “I am not sure how Adam was able to pull through the later stages.

“I become a shepherd, riding in front of him on the downhills, calling out all the obstacles and making him walk where necessary.

“I also kept an eye on our time, to make sure we made the cut-off every day.”

Adam thanked his girlfriend, Terri, for keeping him motivated throughout, while Sean expressed gratitude to his wife Nicky and daughters Courtney and Caitlyn for their support and understanding, and for the sacrifices they made while he was training for the Epic.