Zweiter Sieg für Schurter und Buys | Ride MTB

Zweiter Sieg für Schurter und Buys

Nino Schurter und Philipp Buys feiern auf der sechsten Etappe des Cape Epic ihren zweiten Etappensieg. Christoph Sauser und Frantisek Rabon werden Dritte, hinter den Gesamtführenden Robert Mennen und Kristian Hynek, die damit ihren Gesamtsieg schon fast auf sicher haben.

As on Friday, Kristian Hynek and Robert Mennen can count on the help of the friendly Centurion-Vaude team with Jochen Käss and Markus Kaufmann. Hynek complains of a defect early on, but thanks to a wheel from the Centurion-Vaude team, he hardly loses any time. Meanwhile, the two Scott teams Schurter/Buys and the South Africans Matthys Beukes and Gert Heyns make their escape. However, the latter lost contact again and were slowed down by a defect.

The chasers tried to catch up with the leaders until just under ten kilometers before the finish, when the group fell apart during the early finale. The overall leaders Mennen/Hynek were able to mobilize more energy and secure second place. Sauser and Rabon lose further seconds in the overall standings with third place. Lukas Flückiger and Martin Fanger finish the stage in ninth place. The BMC duo are seventh in the overall standings.

Not taking any risks
Christoph Sauser and Frantisek Rabon cannot afford to make any mistakes or defects on the final stage. The third-placed team, Bulls 2, with Tim Böhme and Simon Stiebjahn, are only a good six minutes behind the Swiss-Czech Specialized duo. Team Bulls 2 also has nothing to lose, with Roel Paulissen and Riccardo Chiarini lurking just four minutes behind. These two riders from Team Torpado can't take any risks either, as they have Nino Schurter and Philip Buys breathing down their necks. Although they still have a four-minute cushion ahead of the final stage, this could be gone very quickly in the event of a defect or a total collapse.

Although the situation looks more comfortable for the leading women's team of Ariane Kleinhans and Annika Langvad, the Swiss-Danish duo must not take their 25-minute lead lightly. That's exactly how much time they lost on the first stage due to a defect. If the final stage goes normally, Esther Süss and her British Epic partner Sally Bigham should remain in second place overall,

Outlook for stage seven
The seventh and final stage rides from Oak Valley Wine Estate in Elgin to Somerset West at Lourensford Wine Estate. On this final ride, the participants have 69 kilometers and another 1,800 meters of altitude to conquer. Despite the late start, this will not be a vacation ride. Tough climbs and steep, washed-out descents challenge the tired riders. From the Hottentots Mountain Range, the athletes have a wonderful view from False Bay to Cape Town, where the adventure began. Shortly before the finish, there is another steep ramp for the participants to tackle before they receive an emotional hero's welcome in Lourensford.

www.cape-epic.com