Bridge Cape Pioneer Trek: Stage 5
The Beukes/Buys duo ignite the turbo right after the start. This is not good news for the ailing Konny Looser. Together with his team partner Brandon Stewart, he falls far behind. After 40 kilometers, both riders' brakes fail. The sandy ground, which was washed up by the heavy rain, grinds the brake pads down to the metal. After repairs in the technical zone, the South African-Swiss duo were able to continue the race. Over 20 minutes behind, Konny Looser and Brandon Stewart cross the finish line in sixth place.
Matthys Beukes and Philip Buys take their second stage win ahead of the two South African teams Bell/Combrinck and Woolcock/Kleinhans. Waylon Woolcock and Erik Kleinhans continue to lead the overall standings. With their victory, the duo Beukes/Buys moved up to second place, but are still ten minutes behind. They will need a lot of luck to make up this deficit. Konny Looser and Brandon Stewart are now in third place overall. Although the pair still have an eight-minute cushion over fourth-placed Nico Bell and Gawie Combrinck, they cannot afford to drop out again on the final stage.
Not much news to report from the women. Ariane Kleinhans and Annika Langvad continue their dominance seamlessly and, with their victory, extend their overall lead to one hour and 20 minutes over Jane Nüssli and Esther Süss.
The Swiss mixed duo of Michelle Hediger and Remigi Maissen had a good day. In this difficult stage, the two finish in a good eighth place. As their direct rivals finish far behind, Hediger and Maissen make a big leap in the overall standings and are now in eighth place.
The sixth and final stage rides over 91 kilometers, from George to Oudtshoorn. On this stage, the participants only have to conquer 1,584 meters of altitude. The main ascent starts soon after the start and rides the participants to the highest point of the day. The route then rides downhill for a long time, with the riders still having to master a few crisp little climbs before they can cross the finish line on the grounds of Oudtshoorn School.Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.