Cycling: South Africa is not an easy place - the starters of the Cape Epic had to experience that again today. In strong winds, 92 kilometers had to be covered. Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy showed their class once again today and were able to pull away from Lakata/Hynek to take the second stage win.
At night, the wind rattled the tents of the riders and crew at the Absa Cape Epic in Oak Valley. At the start of the second stage over 92 kilometers, a strong breeze blew against the mountain bikers. Black-grey clouds hung on the Groenlandberg, but after four hours and almost 7 minutes Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy (Investec Songo Specialized) finished dry as stage winners and thus still overall leaders. Mental strength, good tactics and Jaro's power were the decisive factors for the Swiss-Czech team.
By day three, the elements of the Absa Cape Epic have already pulled out all the stops, and the participants of the "untamed race" added. Extreme heat was followed by a cold and damp first long day, and now high wind speeds, which even forced the media helicopters to land.
A strong group of six braved the wind and wanted to make it clear from the start where their ambitions lay: Kulhavy/Sauser with their strongest competitors, four-time Epic winner Karl Platt (GER) and Urs Huber (SUI) from Team Bulls, and the prologue winners Martin Gujan/Fabian Giger (Novus OMX Pro) from Switzerland went ahead of the field on the first climbs around Grabouw, followed by other podium contenders Alban Lakata/Kristian Hynek (Topeak Ergon) and José Hermida/Rudi van Houts (Multivan Merida).
But the quartet Topeak Ergon/Investec Songo Specialized had already worked out a slight gap to the pursuers at the first aid station, and this shouldn't change until the finish line. On the long ascent to the Nuweberg, they successfully broke away.
In the last few kilometers, the Specialized locomotive Kulhavy ran at full steam again, so that the former marathon world champion Lakata (AUT) had to let go with last year's winner Kristian Hynek (CZE). Even with the high final speed, the Epic veteran Sauser kept a clear head, because Jaroslav wanted to turn back to the finish line too early, on a trail from the day before. "Fortunately, I was able to get Jaro on the right path, at first he didn't want to believe that it was straight ahead."
Second overall, Karl Platt and Urs Huber (Team Bulls) had to admit that they weren't strong enough to counter Sauser/Kulhavy today.
“It was super tough today, the wind made it brutally difficult. Topeak and Specialized pressed on it right from the start. We tried to keep the gap within limits, but we lost a lot at the back. There are two top-class teams up front, I had a bad day today and wasn't able to help in the lead. I'm glad I survived." according to four-time Epic siger Platt.
Since the start of the Absa Cape Epic 2015, Team Bulls II with Tim Böhme and Stefan Stiebjahn has been unlucky. Technical breakdowns repeatedly threw the third place back last year and 15 kilometers before the finish of the second stage Böhme got caught on a protruding wire of a fence and was brutally catapulted from the bike. With severe pain in his shoulder, he crossed the finish line with one hand. Diagnosis after two hours in the hospital in Somerset West: torn ligaments, a start the following day is more than unlikely.
Unchallenged and beaming, the leading women crossed the finish line in Oak Valley after just 4:37,31 hours. Like last year, Ariane Kleinhans (SUI) and Marathon World Champion Annika Langvad (DEN) from Team RECM Specialized are putting their stamp on the women's category. "I have a lot less stress than at a World Cup race, where everyone is pushing from behind and sticking to the rear wheel"said a satisfied Langvad.
"I just love these single tracks here in Elgin and Grabouw", said Kleinhans, a South African by choice, "I really enjoyed the last twenty kilometers". Fortunately, yesterday's carelessness when Ariane Kleinhans' front wheel slipped and she fell did not have any negative consequences for her knee. The runners-up in the overall women's ranking, Jennie Stenerhag (SWE) and Robyn de Groot (RSA) from Team Ascendis Health are already 46,32 minutes behind after the third day, ahead of Esther Suss (SUI) and Alice Pirard (BEL) from Meerendal Wheeler (+58,16,8 mins).
Things went better than the days before for the English-Austrian pairing of Sally Bigham/Christina Kollmann (Sellaronda Hero), who took third place in the daily classification. Although Kollmann was still suffering from back pain from a pinched nerve the day before, she got off to a good start. "After 30 kilometers I just forgot about the pain”, said the 4th of the European Marathon Championships, "because it went so well".
Kathrin Stirnemann is gradually finding her way into Cape Epic
“It wasn't a good start for me at Cape Epic here in South Africa. During the prologue I was completely "blue" after half an hour due to my stomach problems, my circulation didn't work at all anymore. Yesterday, on the first real stage, we just rode easy.
We rolled well today in stage 2 over 93 kilometers. At my basic speed, a stage race like the Epic goes well.
Of course you also have to realize that Gunn-Rita Dahle and I aren't going to win the race, the preparation was too short for that and that's not our goal. We're both here to experience something, not to break ourselves.
Of course, South Africa is also a great country, especially with the bike trails like here in the Oak Valley near Cape Town. Even in the race it's great, just great single trails here, a really beautiful, varied landscape.
The weather was still kind today, so I can still enjoy my adventure in Africa, which started out so bumpy, to some extent.”