Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy of Burry Stander – SONGO showed their true form by winning Stage 4 of this year’s Absa Cape Epic in a time of 4:32.49,3 (overall 19:40.04,9). This is Sauser’s 28th stage win in the history of the event. They were followed by Marco Fontana and Manuel Fumic of Cannondale Factory Racing in 4:50.56,9 (overall 20:28.02,1). In third place with their first podium finish this year were South Africans Philip Buys and Matthys Beukes (SCOTT Factory Racing) in 4:52.17,4 (overall 20:36.23,9). The Bulls Karl Platt and Urs Huber, as well as Thomas Dietsch and Tim Boehme, finished in seventh and eighth place respectively after losing their way.
Sauser and Kulhavy (Burry Stander – SONGO) now lead the race by 13 minutes and 4 seconds (overall 19:40.04,9). The Bulls Karl Platt and Urs Huber are in second place overall (19:53.09,0) and the Bulls 2 team Thomas Dietsch and Tim Boehme in third overall (20:05.26,2).
Mountains surround the town of Tulbagh and stage three offered a tour of the basin, with a figure of eight which traversed the vineyards and farmlands, skirting these mountains. By now riders should have been used to starting with a climb. This 400-meter climb over 15 kilometers, with a short warm up, was rather gentle on the legs. This was followed by three kilometers of sweeping single-track, finishing off with a section through popular forest. This was a pleasant day, with lots of ups and downs interspersed with flowing single-track sections. The day was more gentle, the soil was softer, the vegetation more lush and the hills shorter. When riders heard the finish line and smelt the race village, their odometer only read 55 kilometers, so they needed to keep pedaling. The second part of the figure of eight was shorter, but included the same amount of climbing as the first one. Dr Evil and the route-design team showed their true colours after water points three: a 1,5-kilometer climb on a steep farm road, followed by a short descent and three more short but sharp climbs on rough surface, before it was finally (almost) all downhill and back to the fields of Saronsberg Wine Estate.
Stage 3 started with cool temperatures in the morning.
The race started at a quite a high tempo with swollen groups of riders keeping the pace up. José Hermida and Rudi Van Houts (Multivan Merida) had a puncture quite early in the race, which killed their chances of a podium finish. Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy (Burry Stander – SONGO) attacked quite hard today and the only riders that could follow were Karl Platt and Urs Huber of the Bulls. Sauser and Kulhavy eventually broke free and were in the lead by 2 minutes and 45 seconds when they took a wrong turn and lost some time. Platt won his fourteenth Absa Cape Epic stage.
Men’s Category
Karl Platt and Urs Huber of team Bulls took first place in the Men’s category of the 2013 Absa Cape Epic for the second consecutive day. With an impressive stage time of 3:53.17,3 team Bulls have managed to maintain their first place position with an overall time of 14:58.25,7. Team Bulls now have an overall lead of 8 minutes and 49 seconds over team Burry Stander – SONGO.
Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy of team Burry Stander – SONGO finished in second position with a stage time of 3:54.03,3. They are also in second position overall (15:07.15,6).
In third place for Stage 3 were Thomas Dietsch and Tim Boehme of team Bulls 2 who successfully completed stage 3 in a time of 3:59.10,5 (ranked third overall with a time of 15:10.41,9). South African’s Charles Keey and Darren Lill of team Cannondale Blend are now in fourth place after completing Stage 3 with a time of 4:01.15,1, making their overall time 15:28.01,8.
Says Platt of the Bulls team: “Christoph (Sauser) and Jaro (Kulhavy) were a bit angry and naughty today. They tried to attack everywhere and accelerated like crazy. We could follow them on the flat section but they attacked again on the climb and we decided to just ride in our own rhythm and at a comfortable speed. Last year no one put them under pressure, but this year they’re making mistakes. We were going at the limit and if you get chased, you make more mistakes than if you’re the chaser. Today we increased our lead time which is awesome for us – it’s such a cool feeling. Urs (Huber) is like a machine. He just hammers down. We’re very equal and it’s lots of fun to race with him. Stefan (Sahm) also worked very hard today. For the first 40km he was riding in front, setting the pace and because of that the Bulls have a great result all around. It’s also nice for the fans. We got so many tweets and emails yesterday. It took me two hours just to read them. Unfortunately I can’t answer all of them. The fans out there are unbelievable – a huge thanks to them and hopefully they support us to the end.”
Kulhavy comments that he took the wrong turn 2km’s before the finish. “We were in the lead and going really fast. We took a wrong turn and lost the lead as a result. I’m upset because it’s the second stage that we’ve lost. There are still four stages left and we’re not giving up. We still have a chance, but I’m not sure if I can give tomorrow’s stage so much energy. We’ll have to wait and see.” Adds Sauser: “We were going so fast and realised we had made a mistake when we got to a T-junction. We had to ride all the way back and lost some time again. It’s frustrating. We were in the lead and lost time again, just 2km before the finish, instead of closing time on the Bulls. We’ll motivate ourselves again tomorrow when we race. We didn’t have game plan today – we just rode harder.”
Three-times Absa Cape Epic winner Stefan Sahm (Bulls 3) says: “It was a victory for the whole team. We tried to help as much as we can and I worked hard at the beginning to keep the guys out of the wind so that they can save energy for when the action really starts. It’s cool to see them going at the same speed as world-class riders such as Christoph and Jaro. It’s great to see that.” His team mate Simon Stiebjahn adds: “It’s a nice experience to ride the Absa Cape Epic. Sometimes it’s really hard, but it’s lovely to be here and do the race with such a great team.”
Ladies Category
Yolande Speedy and Catherine Williamson (Energas) won their second stage in a row in 4:58.36,2. They now lead this category by 1 hour, 6 minutes and 45 seonds (overall 19:00.07,0). They were followed by Belgian and Dutch team Sara Mertens and Laura Turpijn in 5:24.06,4 (overall 21:13.25,7). The Pragma Volcan Ladies, Hanlie Booyens and Ischen Stopforth, finished in third place in 5:29.14,7 (overall 20:06.52,5).
Esther Süss has retired from the race due to illness. Her partner Jane Nuessli is now riding in the white Outcast jersey. The white Outcast jersey applies to UCI riders when a partner drops out – It helps other riders identify the Outcast rider. Other riders may not accept assistance from an Outcast rider. Outcast riders may not interfere with the outcome of the race.
Says Speedy (Energas): “I’m sorry that the two strongest teams are out of the race. Esther (Süss) and Jane are also out. But it’s still the Absa Cape Epic and anything can happen. Jane (Nuessli) was riding with us at the beginning – it was such an honour. It’s the first time that I’m in the leading Orange jersey and we’ll still put everything into the race.” Adds her teammate Williamson: “Anything can still happen – the race is still on. There is no bigger race than the Epic and if we win, I can retire happily at the end of the year if I want to.”
Telkom Business Master’s Category
The Telkom Business Masters category was won by Nico Pftizenmaier and Abraao Azevedo of the Bridge team in 4:12.08,4 (overall 16:34.33,0). They were followed by Bart Brentjens and Robert Sim (Superior-Brentjens 2) in 4:21.01,1 (overall 17:16.34,0). In third place were Pascal de Kort and Bart van de Water (TECHNOFIT) of Belgium in 4:28.55,6 (overall 17:37.37,6). Pfitzenmaier and Azevedo now lead this category by 42 minutes and 1 second.
Pfitzenmaier of team Bridge says: “Today was great. We found a good rhythm and stuck with the front team for a long time. We also rode with Bart and Rob. Our legs were good and we attacked in the single-track and managed to create a gap between ourselves and Bart. Later during the stage Udo and Carsten closed in on us, but they had a slow flat. We put our heads down and went as fast as we could. We were both not feeling well yesterday, but today was a good day. Congratulastion to Abraao as well. He rode well and we’re very happy – a stage victory is always a bonus. Every day is different in the Absa Cape Epic and the Masters category is really strong this year.”
One of the favorite teams in the Telkom Business Masters class, the Germans Udo Boelts and Carsten Bresser (Team Juwi), had bad luck today. Udo Boelts is a former road racer, teammate of Jan Ulrich and participated in the Tour de France several times. The Germans took a wrong turn close to the finish and went back to water point 2 instead. When they heard voices and saw other riders they thought they were at the finish. When they discovered their error it was too late. A marshal had to take their numbers off because leaving the official race course is against the rules and leads to disqualification. Says Carsten Bresser, a former German National Mountain Bike Champion: “We had a hectic situation when having a technical, so I concentrated on Udo’s rear wheel and just followed. He was a little bit nervous and took a wrong turn. When we arrived at the track again we had taken a whole loop back to water point two – and we were out of the race. Tomorrow we have to start with a blue number, so we’re not in the competition any more. Rules are rules, there are no exceptions“.
Grand Masters
Bärti Bucher and Heinz Zoerweg of Songo.info again finished in first place in the Grand Masters in a time of 4:39.08,0 (overall 17:41.12,7). They were followed by Linus van Onselen and Doug Brown (BALAMORY) in 4:42.38,7 (overall 18:14.48,8) with Paul Furbank and Chris Brand of Genesis Capital in third place in 4:56.30,3 (overall 18:50.55,5).
Says Bärti Bucher of Songo.info: ”Today wasn’t as hard as yesterday, but it’s still not easy. It’s never easy. My partner is so strong and we’re a good combination. I’m very happy to win another stage. We would really like to keep going like this.”
Mixed Category
The RE:CM team of Erik and Ariane Kleinhans won their fouth stage in a row in the Mixed category in 4:36.47,7 (overall 17:27.57,7), followed by Theresa Ralph and Damian Perrin of Biogen Britehouse (4:39.59,0; overall 19:09.26,0). In third place were Johan Labuschagne and Yolandi de Villiers of Exxaro Cycle Lab 1 in 4:53.44,4 (overall 18:33.54,9). Erik and Ariane Kleinhans lead this category by 1 hour, 5 minutes and 12 seconds.
Says Erik Klienhans: “It was a good day. We didn’t have any problems. Theresa (Ralph) and Damian (Perrin) attacked from the start and managed to create a gap between us. We caught up with them later. We rode in a group for a while and there was a lot of dust. Eventutally I said to Ariane that we must get away – we couldn’t see with all the dust. The last 20 or 30 km’s we lost them. Ariane is becoming stronger every day and we’re very comfortable with our lead. We’re the only category with such a big lead on the others. But this is the Absa Cape Epic and anything can happen out there. We know from experience that you can never relax, so we’ll be riding hard for the rest of the race.” Adds Ariane Kleinhans: “I’m feeling strong. It was quite hard for me in the beginning as I’m still quite tired from yesterday, but as we got to the climbing section I started to feel stronger. We had a good finish today.”
Stage 4: Tulbagh (Saronsberg Wine Estate) to Wellington (120 km, 1900 m of climbing)
Stage four is characterised by three major climbs and extremely varied terrain. The first 15 kilometers are on flat gravel and also some tar road. The route then turns onto forestry roads, gaining some elevation while skirting the side of the mountain. Riders will quickly reach water point one, but the next stretch is slow going. A five-kilometer steady climb on gravel road with an average of seven percent gradient waits at Kluitjieskraal. On the other side, the trail roughens until it becomes an eight-kilometer bike-swallowing descent. The gradient is not steep but the track is washed out, rocky (and sandy) with many ruts and holes. After water point two, a flat gravel road leads to the foot of the 16-kilometer tar climb of Bain’s Kloof Pass. On the other side, only the first bit of the descent is on tar before riders plunge into the Bain’s MTB Trails at Welvanpas: smooth flowing ups and downs, perfectly carved into the mountain side. However, there is one more big climb, most of it on forestry roads, before four kilometers of handcrafted downhill single-track through fynbos vegetation. There is one more tiny bump and the last couple of kilometers are plain sailing into the race village in Wellington.
Photo credit top to bottom/left to right: Nick Muzik (top two), Sam Clark (Williams & Speedy), Greg Beadle, Karin Schermbrucker, Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS.
Karl Platt and Urs Huber of team Bulls took first place in the Men’s category of the 2013 Absa Cape Epic for the second consecutive day. With an impressive stage time of 3:53.17, 3 team Bulls have managed to maintain their first place position with an overall time of 14:58.25, 7. Team Bulls now have an overall lead of 8 minutes and 49 seconds over team Burry Stander – SONGO.
Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy of team Burry Stander – SONGO finished in second position with a stage time of 3:54.03, 3. They are in second position overall with the time of 15:07.15,6.
In third place for Stage 3 were Thomas Dietsch and Tim Boehme of team Bulls 2 (below) who successfully completed stage 3 in a time of 3:59.10, 5 (ranked third overall with a time of 15:10.41, 9). South African’s Charles Keey and Darren Lill of team Cannondale Blend are now in fourth place after completing Stage 3 with a time of 4:01,15, 1, making their overall time 15:28.01, 8.
Complete coverage of Stage 3 is coming soon. Stay tuned to xxcmag.com.
Photo credit: Nick Muzik (Bulls, top and bottom photos), Shaun Roy (Sauser & Kulhavy). Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS
Riders had to head into the Koue-Bokkeveld, known for its spectacular sandstone formations and summer temperatures regularly in the upper-30 degrees Celsius. Riders put mileage into their piggy banks early on when they scaled Middelberg Pass, 900 meters of altitude gain over the first 18 kilometers, on tar and smooth gravel. The descent onto the plateau was fast with a few sharp bends. Riders made up some time until just before the halfway mark, where a four-kilometer climb took them to the highest point of the entire race (1 150 meters above sea level). They were then rewarded with a five-kilometer single-track section that wounded through red sandstone formations. This stage felt fast and relatively flat, until the rugged and challenging wagon trail took the field into the Witzenberg Valley. Cleared for the race by local mountain bike-enthusiast farmers, this part of the race offered some of the finest terrain the Western Cape provides. The best was saved for last: a technical five-kilometer single-track, an old wagon trail opened up for the 2010 Absa Cape Epic, which plummeted into the Tulbagh Valley. It was a challenging transition onto a new playground, from the rugged and remote Cederberg to the fertile Tulbagh Valley with its quaint village and wine farms.
The temperature during stage 2 was ideal and not as hot as during stage 1. It was less sandy and a fast rolling stage with exciting racing. The course was particularly rugged and there were two major casualties in the pro-field – the first being the yellow zebra leader jersey and the second José Hermida picking up a five-inch nail. He had to repair it to get him to the next tech zone for a wheel change. This cost the team over 11 minutes at the end of the day. Riding at the front were Karl Platt and Urs Huber as well as Jaroslav Kulhavy and Christoph Sauser, until Kulhavy broke his chain. They lost a few minutes repairing the chain and in the process broke the chain tool. With a bit of improvisation, they managed to get it back together again, but lost 9 minutes in the process.
Men’s Category
The Men’s category of Stage 2 of this year’s Absa Cape Epic was won by the Bulls team of Karl Platt and Urs Huber in 5:35.32,1. Platt has won the event four times and this is his thirteenth Absa Cape Epic stage win in his career. They were followed by the Bulls 2 team of Thomas Dietsch and Tim Boehme in 5:41.20,6 with Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy of Burry Stander – SONGO in third place (5:44.16,2). Yesterday’s winners José Hermida and Rudi van Houts finished in fifth place in 5:47.00,4.
Platt and Huber (Bulls) now lead the men’s category by 6 minutes and 23 seconds (11:05,08,4). Dietsch and Boehme (Bulls 2) are placed second overall (11:11.31,4) and Sauser and Kulhavy (Burry Stander – SONGO) are third in 11:13.12,3. Multivan Merida’s José Hermida and Rudi van Houts are in fourth place overall (11:14.14,2).
Says Huber of the Bulls team: “It all feels like a dream. It’s my first stage win at the Absa Cape Epic. We were fighting hard today and it was a really good day for me. I hope we can keep our rhythm for the next few stages.” Platt adds: “I can’t find any words to express how I feel. We were hoping for a stage win at this year’s race, but didn’t expect it on Stage 2. This is the Absa Cape Epic – you need to improvise, take your chances and go for it. We were also riding conservatively today. At one point Kulhavy attacked and we just tried to keep up. He was going very fast – I can see why he is the Olympic champion.”
Says Van Houts of Multivan Merida: “We lost some time today as we had a puncture and had to replace a tube.” His teammate Hermida adds: “And if you ride on your own it’s difficult to ride as fast as when you’re with the group which keeps pushing you. But we rode at a steady pace and eventually joined up with the second group. We also rode carefully as we didn’t want to get a puncture again.” Van Houts continues: “Especially after winning yesterday, we had to push hard. Sauser and Kulhavy were riding hard again today, but everything evened out again on the flat sections. We’ll check the map tonight and be careful tomorrow. We’re still in a good position in the overall and will keep on fighting.”
Jaroslav Kulhavy (Burry Stander – SONGO) broke his chain during the race today. “It was very hard and very hot. Now I know what everyone means when they talk about how hard the Absa Cape Epic can be.”
Ladies Category
African/British duo Yolande Speedy and Catherine Williamson (Energas) won today’s stage in a time of 6:51.21,7. They were followed by the Pragma Volcan Ladies, Hanlie Booyens and Ischen Stopforth in 7:18.30,2 (overall 14:37.37,8). In third place were Kath Kelly and Erin Greene of www.rrsport.co.nz in 7:27.53,9 (overall 15:06.25,6). Speedy and Williamson now lead this category by 36 minutes and 7 seconds.
Says Speedy (Energas): “I must confess my partner is a powerhouse – she’s really strong. Esther and Jane must have had some problems. Hanlie and Ischen caught up with us and we were riding as hard as we could to the finish. It was a super fast stage for us, even with the sting in the tail at the end. It’s very nice to win a stage. We just hope that Esther and Jane are ok. It’s so sad that Sally and Milena had to withdraw yesterday due to illness.” Adds Williamson: “It was a very long, hard stage, but winning a stage is brilliant. I kept looking behind me – I was really worried that the others were going to catch up with us. I think we ruined a few egos along the way today.”
Esther Süss and Jane Nuessli of BMC Wheeler had some bad luck today. Says Süss: “I had a tummy bug and felt very weak. After the first few kilometers I said to Jane that my legs aren’t feeling strong and that I’m not sure if I can do this. Jane said that whatever I decide to do, would be fine – she’ll support me.” Adds Nuessli, who was in tears: “Esther just carried on. I’ve never seen such courage. She’s a real tough cookie and I’m so proud of her.” Süss added: I would not have been able to finish today without Jane. She supported me the whole way without complaining.”
Telkom Business Master’s Category
The Telkom Business Masters category was again won by Carsten Bresser and Udo Boelts (Juwi) in a time of 6:04.23,5 (overall 12:05.38,5). They were followed by Nico Pftizenmaier and Abraao Azevedo of the Bridge team in 6:05.36,2 (overall 12:22.24,6) with Neil Bradford and Tim Osrin of HCL/Harvest Foundation 1 in third place (6:28.46,7; overall 12:47.01,4).
Bresser and Boelts now lead this category by 16 minutes and 46 seconds and are placed 15th overall.
Pfitzenmaier of team Bridge says: “Abraao had a sore back yesterday and we had to see a chiropractor. We’re very happy with today’s stage. We rode with Bresser and Boelts until the last steep hill, when they started running off their bikes. We couldn’t chase them down again, but it was good riding today. It’s still a long race and anything can happen. We’re optimistic and looking forward to having a close race.”
Grand Masters
Bärti Bucher and Heinz Zoerweg of Songo.info again finished in first place in the Grand Masters in a time of 6:23.57,7 (overall 13:02.04,7). They were followed by Linus van Onselen and Doug Brown (BALAMORY) in 6:37.07,1 (overall 13:32.10,1) with Paul Furbank and Chris Brand of Genesis Capital in third place in 6:52.53,7 (overall 13:54.25,2).
Says Bärti Bucher of Songo.info: “Today was much better than yesterday. It wasn’t as hot as the day before and the heat was more manageable. It was also greener and not so sandy. Every day we give our best and it’s nice to have a lead. It’s great fun riding with Heinz, but also tough.”
Mixed Category
It was a hat trick for the RE:CM team of Erik and Ariane Kleinhans when they won the Mixed category in 6:27.02,8 (overall 12:51.11,0), followed by Theresa Ralph and Damian Perrin of Biogen Britehouse (6:35.11,5; ovcerall 14:29.27,0). In third place were Peta Mullens and Jarrod Moroni of Target TREK-Moronis Bikes (6:45.03,6; overall 13:34.49,7).
Johan Labuschagne and Yolandi de Villiers of Exxaro Cycle Lab 1 finished in fourth place in 6:45.14,5 (overall 13:40.10,5). Erik and Ariane Kleinhans lead this category by 43 minutes and 38 seconds.
Says Ralph of Biogen Britehouse: “We started hard and were in front of Erik and Ariane. I thought we lost them, but when I looked over my shoulder shortly after the climb, they were on our heels. We had a very nice cruise down the hill chatting and sharing the work, and rode together to around the 90 or 100 km mark. From there I just couldn’t keep up and we lost 4 or 5 minutes on them. It was such a pleasure riding with them. Yesterday we had some bad luck – Damian had a fall and we had to try and repair his bike ourselves. We lost a lot of time – probably an hour or so. Yesterday was a tough day.”
Stage 3: Saronsberg Wine Estate (Tulbagh) to Saronsberg Wine Estate (94 km, 1 950 m of climbing)
Mountains surround the town of Tulbagh and stage three offers a tour of the basin, with a figure of eight traversing the vineyards and farmlands, skirting these mountains. By now riders should be used to starting with a climb. This 400-meter climb over 15 kilometers, with a short warm up, should be rather gentle on the legs. This is followed by three kilometers of sweeping single-track, finishing off with a section through popular forest. This is a pleasant day, with lots of ups and downs interspersed with flowing single-track sections. The day is more gentle, the soil is softer, the vegetation more lush and the hills shorter. If riders happen to hear the finish line, smell the race village, but their odometer only reads 55 kilometers, they need to keep pedaling. The second part of the figure of eight is shorter, but includes the same amount of climbing as the first one. Dr Evil and the route-design team show their true colours after water points three: a 1,5-kilometer climb on a steep farm road, followed by a short descent and three more short but sharp climbs on rough surface, before it is finally (almost) all downhill and back to the fields of Saronsberg Wine Estate.
Photo credit (top to bottom): Karin Schermbrucker, Gary Perkin, Karin Schermbrucker, Sam Clark, Nick Muzik. Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS
Bad luck (amongst other things) has hit the Topeak/Ergon Racing team at the 2013 Absa Cape Epic. After some great prologue finishes on Sunday (Alban Lakata & Robert Mennen finished 4th and Sally Bigham & Milena Landtwing finished 2nd) both teams have been forced to pull out of the event.
Stomach infections have taken down the team of Bigham and Landtwing and Robert Mennen was involved in a crash with and antelope (video below) and hurt his shoulder, forcing him to abandon the race! Sad news for the team indeed. XXC wishes them all best of luck in their recoveries.
Hermida and Van Houts win their first stage in the Absa Cape Epic
Sauser and Kulhavy move to second place.
Stage one was a 96-kilometer loop with 2,350m of climbing on virgin Absa Cape Epic territory that started and finished in Citrusdal, a small farming town at the foot of the Cederberg Mountains. The stage started with climbing from the word go, up Piekenierskloof on relatively smooth and sandy roads, before descending nearly 600 meters in seven rocky kilometers of a wet Olifants River crossing. A steady eight-kilometer climb led to a four-kilometer section of rugged dual track and a short, but thrilling, single-track descent. The gradual descent to water point two was on uneven farm roads through citrus orchards. Riders needed to fill up here as the most challenging section of the day awaited them – seven kilometers of climbing, a brief rutted descent and then a portage that tested bodies and humour. The long descent to water point three was followed by approximately 20 kilometers through the farmlands in the Olifants River Valley. With no significant climbs, though by no means flat, riders enjoyed a slight reprieve before reaching the final obstacle of the day: a tough, sandy slog up the mountain side and the just reward of a fast, fun descent into the race village in Citrusdal.
Men’s Category
The Men’s category of Stage 1 of this year’s Absa Cape Epic was won by the Multivan Merida team of José Hermida and Rudi van Houts in a time of 4:30.56,7. They were closely followed by Karl Platt and Urs Huber of team Bulls in 4:32.17,6. Thomas Dietsch and Tim Boehme of team Bulls 2 crossed the finish line 1,3 seconds after team Bulls, to claim the third place for Stage 1 in a time of 4:32.18,9. Winners of yesterday’s Prologue Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy of team Burry Stander – SONGO followed in fourth place in 4:33.46,0, placing them in second place overall with a time of 5:28.56,1. Multivan Merida leads the race with an overall time of 5:27.13,8.
Hermida and Van Houts now lead the men’s category with an overall lead time of 1 minute 42 seconds. Sauser and Jaroslav of team Burry Stander – SONGO are placed second with an overall time of 5:28.56,1 with Karl Platt and Urs Huber of team Bulls in third place overall (5:29.36,3). In fourth place overall are team Bulls 2 consisting of Thomas Dietsch and Tim Boehme with an overall time of 5:30.10,8.
Says Rudi van Houts of Multivan Merida: “I think we’re now in the lead, which is great. It’s always hard to get a stage win in the Absa Cape Epic. I’m really happy. Now we just need to focus on the overall and try and stay in front every day. Today’s stage was very sandy with loose rocks and we did a lot of running. Luckily we’re both light riders and could stay in the saddle in some sections. It was quite a technical ride.” Team mate José Hermida adds: “I have no energy left, not even to talk. Today I again realised what the Absa Cape Epic means – I gave my all to get the yellow zebra leader jersey. Rudi was unbelievable over the last 20 km. There was a tough sandy section and he brought me home. He established the pace and I was hanging in his pocket. I’m really happy though – finally after 4 Epics I have the leader jersey and will do my best to keep it for as long as possible. We’re all riding for Burry.”
Karl Platt of the Bulls says: “We expected it to be very hard, but it was a bit harder than THAT. This is the real Absa Cape Epic and we shouldn’t complain. The Epic must be hard – it’s the hardest race in the world, but after stage 8 we forget everything again. There was so much running in deep sand in between. You just need to switch off your brain and do it. Think of the prize money!”
Thomas Dietsch of the Bulls 2 team says “it went really well until I started having cramps and suffered in the last part of the race. I was riding in the wind of the three Bulls. It’s really nice to be on the podium; it’s a nice start to the Epic!” His team mate Tim Boehme adds: “Today was tough. It was a difficult stage to ride and you needed a lot of power. We’re very happy about our podium finish, but also worried about the next stage. I think it’s going to be tough.”
Says Christoph Sauser, who is now in second place overall with his team mate Jaroslav Kulhavy: “On the first downhill I hit a big rock and broke my rim. We had to wait for another wheel. After that we did a lot of chasing. Tomorrow’s going to be hard and hopefully a bit faster. The sand slowed us down today.”
A small antelope brought Robert Mennen’s Absa Cape Epic quest to a premature end when he collided with the animal early in the first stage. He crashed snapping his handlebars and broke his left clavicle (shoulder). The disappointment was huge for Mennen who along with Alban Lakata were in fourth place overall and certain podium contenders.
Absa African Jersey
The Absa African Leader jersey was won by Darren Lill and Charles Keey of team Cannondale Blend (overall 5:39.45,7).
Exarro Jersey
Siphosenkosi Madolo and Azukile Simayile of team Exxaro RMB Academy-songo managed to secure the Exxaro jersey for the second day in a row with their impressive performance during stage 1. Their overall time is 5:53.52,7 and they are placed 59th overall.
Says Azukile Simayile: “It was a very hard stage and I’m not good in sand. We’re happy that we’re stilll in the lead, but my partner pushed me quite hard today.” Siphosenkosi Madolo adds: “Today was a big day for us. Yesterday we were leading by two minutes, but we lost some time today. I like competition and know it’s going to be tough. We’ll push as hard as we can tomorrow – we’re still feeling strong.”
Ladies Category
Esther Süss and Jane Nuessli of BMC Wheeler won the Ladies category in a time of 5:29.00,5 (overall 6:37.22,1), ahead of African/British duo Yolande Speedy and Catherine Williamson (Energas) in a time of 5:58.12,7 (overall 7:10.09,1). In third place were South Africans Hanlie Booyens and Ischen Stopforth of Pragma Volcan ladies (6:03.44,7; overall 7;19.07,6). Süss and Nuessli lead Speedy and Williamson by 32 minutes and 47 seconds.
Says Jane Nuessli of BMC Wheeler: “It was quite a hard day and we had to walk lots of times. There was a lot of sand, which made it really tough. The beginning of this stage was demanding and we’re very happy with the victory.” Adds team mate Esther Süss: “I’m very happy with our performance. It proves that my training worked this winter. There was a lot of sand today and we lost a lot of time there.”
Telkom Business Master’s Category
The Telkom Business Masters category was won by Carsten Bresser and Udo Boelts (Juwi) in a time of 4:59.16,1 (overall 6:01.15). They were followed by Bart Brentjens and Robert Sim of Superior-Brentjens 2 in 5:08.43,6 (overall 6:09.58,1). In third place were Neil Bradford and Tim Osrin of HCL/Harvest Foundation 1 in 5:11.31,8 (6:18.14,7). Bresser and Boelts lead this category by 8 minutes and 43,1 seconds and are placed 15th overall.
Says Carsten Bresser of team Juwi: “It was a tough day as the first stage in the Absa Cape Epic always is. We suffered a lot and we’re very happy with our stage win. I think we’re under the first 15 overall, which is very good for us. Now I’ll get a good massage and relax, stay out of the sun and eat well, so that we’re ready for tomorrow.”
Bart Brentjens, who finished in second place, liked the first stage. “It was pretty tough with a lot of loose sand and walking. That’s part of the Absa Cape Epic. You mustn’t think about whether it’s long or not – just walk if you have to walk.”
Grand Masters
Bärti Bucher and Heinz Zoerweg of Songo.info again finished in first place in the Grand Masters in a time of 5:31.54,6 (overall 6:38.07,0). They were followed by Linus van Onselen and Doug Brown (BALAMORY) in 5:45.32,8 (overall 6:55.03,0) with Paul Furbank and Chris Brand of Genesis Capital in third place in 5:52.37,7 (overall 7:01.31,5).
Says Bärti Bucher of Songo.info: “They put the hardest stage first. Tomorrow is another long one, but hopefully with not as much sand.” His partner Heinz Zoerweg agreed that it was a very difficult stage.
Doug Brown adds that Stage 1 “will go down in history as the sandiest stage. It even beats the one from 2008, which was also very sandy. I’ve never pushed my bike so much but it was the same for everybody. Tomorrow will suit us better. It’s a longer stage and there’s more opportunity for my partner to slipstream me.”
Mixed Category
The RE:CM team of Erik and Ariane Kleinhans won the Mixed category (5:17.44,3; overall 6:24.08,2), followed by Peta Mullens and Jarrod Moroni of Target TREK-Moronis Bikes in 5:38.24,0 (overall 6:49.46,1). In third place were Johan Labuschagne and Yolandi de Villiers in 5:42.18,4 (overall 6:54.56,0).
Says Australian Jarrod Moroni: “The second place feels very good, but it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I thought I was on Bondi Beach, there was so much sand. It really is the most difficult thing I’ve ever done – it’s good fun, but hell at the same time. This is my first Absa Cape Epic and I think we rode really well. We didn’t know what to expect, but would like to finish on the podium and things are looking good at the moment.” Mullens adds that it was a mentally challenging race. “We’re newbies and haven’t done many stage races. Hopefully it gets easier after tomorrow.”
Stage 2: Citrusdal to Tulbagh (146 km, 2 350 m of climbing)
Riders head into the Koue-Bokkeveld, known for its spectacular sandstone formations and summer temperatures regularly in the upper-30 degrees Celsius. Riders will put mileage into their piggy banks early on when scaling Middelberg Pass, 900 meters of altitude gain over the first 18 kilometers, on tar and smooth gravel. The descent onto the plateau is fast with a few sharp bends. Riders can make up some time until just before the halfway mark, where a four-kilometer climb takes them to the highest point of the entire race (1 150 meters above sea level). Then they will be rewarded with a five-kilometer single-track section that winds through red sandstone formations. This stage will feel fast and relatively flat, until the rugged and challenging wagon trail takes the field into the Witzenberg Valley. Cleared for the race by local mountain bike-enthusiast farmers, this part of the race offers some of the finest terrain the Western Cape has to offer. The best is saved for last: a technical five-kilometer single-track, an old wagon trail opened up for the 2010 Absa Cape Epic, plummeting into the Tulbagh Valley. It’s a challenging transition onto a new playground, from the rugged and remote Cederberg to the fertile Tulbagh Valley with its quaint village and wine farms.
Photo credit (top to bottom): Shaun Roy, Nick Muzik, Sam Clark (bottom two photos). Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS.
1st place 3 way tie between Shey Lindner, Eddie O’Dea and Jason Murrell. 23 hours and 7 min. 4th place Jeff Tomassetti, 28 hours 9 min. 5th place Karlos Bernart 28 hours 28 min.
Right now, these results are based on limited information. Complete, official results and times should available by Tuesday.
In the near future XXC is going to be talking to Eddie O’Dea about his HuRaCan 300, so stay tuned for that!
PROLOGUE TO THIS YEAR’S ABSA CAPE EPIC
SETS SEEDING FOR STAGE ONE
Sauser and Kulhavy To Wear Yellow Jersey for Stage 1 Out of Citrusdal
The fourth prologue in the nine year history of the Absa Cape Epic set the seeding order for tomorrow’s [Monday, 18 March 2013] Stage 1 of the Untamed African Mountain Bike Race.
Following the resounding success of the 2012 Prologue, the tenth edition of the race kicked off with a 22-kilometer prologue at Meerendal Wine Estate in the Durbanville Wine Valley – mountainbiking Mecca on Cape Town’s doorstep. The event saw more than 1 200 excited riders from 41 countries enjoy sunny weather with the first group of riders starting their 8-day journey at 06:45. Set off with a bang, riders left the start chute riding through the historic Meerendal Manor House and almost immediately thereafter faced a challenging climb up “Stairway to Heaven” to the top of Dorstberg, a mountain top boasting magnificent 360 degree views of world famous landmarks such as Table Mountain, Robben Island and Cape Point.
Pressed for time, teams had to forego sight-seeing as they dove straight into a rugged, Renosterveld lined trail that descended into the quarry and adjacent Hoogekraal farm, where sweeping single-track formed part of the Tygerberg Mountain Bike Club trail system. Well bermed turns made for a fun roller coaster descent as the route ultimately headed back through steep vineyards and a steady climb past dairy fields onto the picturesque Meerendal Wine Estate, finishing off with some more single-track and ensuring riders finished the first day with big smiles on their faces.
This time trial was a race against the clock to decide the seeding in the field and which teams will wear the coveted leaders’ jerseys at the start of Stage 1 in Citrusdal.
The Swiss/Czech team of Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy (Burry Stander – SONGO) will wear the sough-after yellow zebra jersey with Philip Buys and Matthys Beukes (SCOTT Factory Racing) wearing the red Absa African leader jersey. Esther Süss and Jane Nuessli (BMC Wheeler) will be leading the Ladies in orange, with Bart Brentjens and Robert Sim of Superior-Brentjens 2 wearing the Telkom Business Masters blue jersey. The Grand Masters purple jersey will be worn by Bärti Bucher and Heinz Zorweg. Siphosenkosi Madolo and Azukile Simayile of team Exxaro RMB Academy-songo managed to secure the green Exxaro Jersey.
Men’s Category
For the third year in a row, the Men’s category for the Prologue was won by Christoph Sauser. This year he won with new team mate, Olympic gold medalist Jaroslav Kulhavy, in a time of 55:10,1. They were followed by Multivan Merida’s José Hermida and Rudi van Houts in 56.17,1, with Italian/German combo Marco Fontana and Manuel Fumic (Cannondale Factory Racing) in third place (in 56.34,2). In fourth place was Alban Lakata and Robert Mennen of Topeak Ergon Racing in 57:03,6 with four-times winner Karl Platt and Urs Huber of the Bulls in fifth place in 57.18,7.
Says Christoph Sauser of Burry Stander – SONGO: “I knew Jaroslav was going to be strong, but he was a powerhouse. We had perfect team harmony and did a good job. We have similar riding styles and take it slow in the corners and fast on the flats. Our bikes were amazing as we could sit and just ride. It was very emotional for me and when the spectators shouted Burry’s name, I had goodsebumps.” Jaroslav Kulhavy adds: “It was amazing and I enjoyed it. We were in good shape for today. I enjoyed the Prologue and feel excited about the next week.“
Multivan Merida’s José Hermida says: “I really liks this country and also liked the route today. I enjoy riding fast and taking corners, followed by some single-track. Today we just tried to stay in front. We had fun and our aim is to finish on the podium overall. It was a great tribute to Burry (Stander) that the Specialized team (Sauser/Kulhavy) took the jersey. We have a white shadow following us – Burry will be with us for the whole race.” Rudi van Houts adds: “Our focus was to finish on the podium and we made it. Now we still have a goal for the week – to try and get the Leader jersey. Of course we’d like to finish on the podium, so we can’t lose too much time in any of the stages.”
Ladies Category
Esther Süss and Jane Nuessli of BMC Wheeler won the Ladies category in a time of 1:08.21,6, ahead of Sally Bigham and Milena Landtwing (Topeak Ergon) in 1:10.19,2. South African/British duo Yolande Speedy and Catherine Williamson (Energas) finished third in 1:11.56,4, with South Africans Hanlie Booyens and Ischen Stopforth (Pragma Volcan Ladies) in fourth place in 1:15.22,9.
Says Esther Süss of BMC Wheeler: “This was my first race of the season and I’m really happy with how it went. Jane and I work well together and hopefully we’ll recover for tomorrow. We’ll see how it goes. At least I know where I stand.”
Says Sally Bigham of Topeak Ergon: “Today was really good. It wasn’t as hot as last year and a nice temperature. We did a test ride yesterday and I was unsure whether I liked the course, but really enjoyed it today. The spectators on the course were also really nice and added to my enjoyment of the race. I felt stronger than last year. We’re here to enjoy the race and will see what happens. I’ve won the last two years, so maybe it’s someone else’s turn to win. This is my fourth stage race with Milena and we’ll have a good time.” Adds Milena Landtwing: “It’s hard to bike with Sally as she’s faster than I am. I’m happy though as I did my best and we still have a long way to go.”
Catherine Williamson (Energas), who finished third, says: “It’s always nice to get the first day out of the way. We can now get into a rhythm. It’s the first time we rode together and we’re both happy with how today went. All bodes well and I’m happy with my legs. I’m sure Yolande is also happy with hers. Now the nerves have gone we can focus on tomorrow which is a really hard stage. The Cape Epic is a long race and our aim is a podium finish, but we’ll take it one stage at a time.” Yolande Speedy adds that she was very nervous at the start of the race. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, but we had a strong ride today. I’m looking forward to the next 7 days – we’re happy with our position.”
Telkom Business Master’s Category
The Masters category was won by former Olympic medalist Bart Brentjens and Robert Sim of Superior-Brentjens 2. Their winning time was 1:01.14,5. They were followed by Nico Pfitzenmaier and Abraao Azevedo of team Bridge in 1:01.14,8. Carsten Bresser and Udo Bolts of Juwi finished third (1:01.58,9).
Mixed Category
The RE:CM team of Erik and Ariane Kleinhans won the Mixed category (1:06.23,9), followed by Theresa Ralph and Damian Perrin of Biogen Britehouse in 1:08:40,9. The South African/Swiss team of Jennie Stenerhag and Craig Gerber (Big Tree) finished in third place (1:11.13,3).
Says Erik Kleinhans of RE:CM: “We’re happy with everything. We wanted to catch the two Mixed teams ahead of us and managed to do so. We increased the gap from there. Our mission was to win the Prologue and we accomplished that. There’s still a long way to go, but our form is good. We’ll ride conservatively and cleverly.” Ariane adds: “I’m very happy with today’s results. I felt much better than last year and really gave my best. We’re a good team and Erik supports me so well. Tonight we’ll look at tomorrow’s stage and take it from there.”
Grand Masters Category
Bärti Bucher and Heinz Zorweg of Songo.info finished in first place in the Grand Masters in a time of 1:06.12,4. They were followed by Paul Furbank and Chris Brand of Genesis Capital in 1:08.53,8 with Linus van Onselen and Doug Brown (BALAMORY) in third place (1:09.30,2).
Absa African Jersey
A hotly contested ‘race within a race’ is the one for the red Absa African jersey, awarded to the highest placed team, with both members holding African nationalities. Team SCOTT Factory Racing Philip Buys and Matthys Beukes finished first in 58.16,7 with Darren Lill and Charles Keey (Cannondale Blend) in second (58.24,3). They were followed by Brandon Stewart and Neil Macdonald of FedGroup-Itec in third place in 1:01.47,8.
Exxaro Jersey
Siphosenkosi Madolo and Azukile Simayile of team Exxaro RMB Academy-songo managed to secure the Exxaro jersey with their impressive performance during the Prologue. Their time was 1:06.14,9 and they are placed 32nd overall.
Stage 1: Citrusdal to Citrusdal (103 km, 2500 m of climbing)
Stage one is a 96-kilometer loop on virgin Absa Cape Epic territory that starts and finishes in Citrusdal, a small farming town at the foot of the Cederberg Mountains. The stage starts climbing from the word go, up Piekenierskloof on relatively smooth and sandy roads, before descending nearly 600 meters in seven rocky kilometers of a wet Olifants River crossing. A steady eight-kilometer climb leads to a four-kilometer section of rugged dual track and a short, but thrilling, single-track descent. The gradual descent to water point two, is on uneven farm roads through citrus orchards. Riders need to fill up here as the most challenging section of the day awaits – seven kilometers of climbing, a brief rutted descent and then a portage that will test bodies and humour. The long descent to water point three is followed by approximately 20 kilometers through the farmlands in the Olifants River Valley. With no significant climbs, though by no means flat, riders will enjoy a slight reprieve before reaching the final obstacle of the day: a tough, sandy slog up the mountain side and the just reward of a fast, fun descent into the race village in Citrusdal.
Visit www.cape-epic.com for more details and to see where the riders are online during the race.
Photo credit (top to bottom): Nick Muzik/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS, Sam Clark/Cape Epic/SPORTSICS, Nick Muzik/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS, Karin Schermbrucker/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS, Nick Muzik/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS.
Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy of Burry Stander – SONGO showed their true form by winning Stage 4 of this year’s Absa Cape Epic in a time of 4:32.49,3 (overall 19:40.04,9). This is Sauser’s 28th stage win in the history of the event. They were followed by Marco Fontana and Manuel Fumic of Cannondale Factory Racing in 4:50.56,9 (overall 20:28.02,1). In third place with their first podium finish this year were South Africans Philip Buys and Matthys Beukes (SCOTT Factory Racing) in 4:52.17,4 (overall 20:36.23,9). The Bulls Karl Platt and Urs Huber, as well as Thomas Dietsch and Tim Boehme, finished in seventh and eighth place respectively after losing their way.
Mountains surround the town of Tulbagh and stage three offered a tour of the basin, with a figure of eight which traversed the vineyards and farmlands, skirting these mountains. By now riders should have been used to starting with a climb. This 400-meter climb over 15 kilometers, with a short warm up, was rather gentle on the legs. This was followed by three kilometers of sweeping single-track, finishing off with a section through popular forest. This was a pleasant day, with lots of ups and downs interspersed with flowing single-track sections. The day was more gentle, the soil was softer, the vegetation more lush and the hills shorter. When riders heard the finish line and smelt the race village, their odometer only read 55 kilometers, so they needed to keep pedaling. The second part of the figure of eight was shorter, but included the same amount of climbing as the first one. Dr Evil and the route-design team showed their true colours after water points three: a 1,5-kilometer climb on a steep farm road, followed by a short descent and three more short but sharp climbs on rough surface, before it was finally (almost) all downhill and back to the fields of Saronsberg Wine Estate.
In third place for Stage 3 were Thomas Dietsch and Tim Boehme of team Bulls 2 (below) who successfully completed stage 3 in a time of 3:59.10, 5 (ranked third overall with a time of 15:10.41, 9). South African’s Charles Keey and Darren Lill of team Cannondale Blend are now in fourth place after completing Stage 3 with a time of 4:01,15, 1, making their overall time 15:28.01, 8.
Platt and Huber take the lead
Mixed Category
Says Australian Jarrod Moroni: “The second place feels very good, but it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I thought I was on Bondi Beach, there was so much sand. It really is the most difficult thing I’ve ever done – it’s good fun, but hell at the same time. This is my first Absa Cape Epic and I think we rode really well. We didn’t know what to expect, but would like to finish on the podium and things are looking good at the moment.” Mullens adds that it was a mentally challenging race. “We’re newbies and haven’t done many stage races. Hopefully it gets easier after tomorrow.”
Pressed for time, teams had to forego sight-seeing as they dove straight into a rugged, Renosterveld lined trail that descended into the quarry and adjacent Hoogekraal farm, where sweeping single-track formed part of the Tygerberg Mountain Bike Club trail system. Well bermed turns made for a fun roller coaster descent as the route ultimately headed back through steep vineyards and a steady climb past dairy fields onto the picturesque Meerendal Wine Estate, finishing off with some more single-track and ensuring riders finished the first day with big smiles on their faces.
Says Christoph Sauser of Burry Stander – SONGO: “I knew Jaroslav was going to be strong, but he was a powerhouse. We had perfect team harmony and did a good job. We have similar riding styles and take it slow in the corners and fast on the flats. Our bikes were amazing as we could sit and just ride. It was very emotional for me and when the spectators shouted Burry’s name, I had goodsebumps.” Jaroslav Kulhavy adds: “It was amazing and I enjoyed it. We were in good shape for today. I enjoyed the Prologue and feel excited about the next week.“
Says Erik Kleinhans of RE:CM: “We’re happy with everything. We wanted to catch the two Mixed teams ahead of us and managed to do so. We increased the gap from there. Our mission was to win the Prologue and we accomplished that. There’s still a long way to go, but our form is good. We’ll ride conservatively and cleverly.” Ariane adds: “I’m very happy with today’s results. I felt much better than last year and really gave my best. We’re a good team and Erik supports me so well. Tonight we’ll look at tomorrow’s stage and take it from there.”
