The second stage of the Cape Epic, from Hermanus to Greyton, will be shortened from 102 to 62 kilometers due to the expected heat and drought and a temporary finish area will be set up in Caledon. A first, because in the 14-year history of this stage race, no stage has ever had to be shortened.


After the riders had already had a good dry run on yesterday's section, there was no disappointment about the shortening on this day. Temperatures of around 40 degrees would probably have been too much for many.

A cross-country style stage

In keeping with its length, the stage is tackled quickly. The leaders Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini broke away from the field on the first climb. Nino Schurter and Matthias Stirnemann were the only ones able to follow. The group of four then harmonized well, but their lead never became large. Their pursuers Sauser and Kulhavy don't let up and manage to catch up in the final quarter.

At the entrance to the botanical gardens in Caledon, the riders fight for position. However, the sandy terrain causes the odd skid and Sauser and Kulhavy keep their noses in front. Matthias Stirnemann is able to sprint ahead once again and achieves second place with Nino Schurter ahead of the overall leaders Fumic and Avancini.

Not far behind, two other Swiss riders are doing well. Nicola Rohrbach finished fifth again together with Daniel Geismayr. They narrowly beat Andri Frischknecht and Michiel Van der Heijden, who have been improving every day so far.

Nothing changes at the top of the overall standings. From fourth place onwards, however, the gaps widen and the defending champions Karl Platt and Urs Huber have slipped back to eighth place. Nicola Rohrbach and Daniel Geismayr remain in fifth place and the rookie duo Frischknecht/Van der Heijden have improved to ninth position.

Sprint decision also in the women's race

The shortened day should also benefit some of the women. Ariane Lüthi and Adelheid Morath seem to have recovered somewhat from the first disappointing days and are riding onto the podium for the first time. Sabine Spitz and her team partner are also back at the front. Spitz and de Groot lose out in the duel with Esther Süss and Jennie Stenerhag.

Here, too, little has changed in the overall standings. Süss/Stenerhag are still nine minutes ahead of Sabine Spitz and Robyn de Groot and over 21 minutes ahead of Mariske Strauss and Annie Last. The pair are only in fifth place on this day. Ariane Lüthi is still in fourth place with her German team partner Adelheid Morath. After finishing third on the stage, the overall podium is still some way off, but no longer out of sight.

Recovered, changed and consolidated

Jenny Rissveds has obviously recovered well after collapsing the day before. Together with Thomas Frischknecht, she rides to the next victory. They beat Grant Usher and Amy Beth McDougall by 1:39 minutes, putting them over three minutes ahead of the South Africans in the overall classification.


Another podium change in the Masters. After the prologue, the first Olympic mountain bike champion Bart Brentjens wins the second stage with his partner Abraao Azevedo. Yesterday's winners, the former Spanish world-class downhill rider Tomi Misser and Ibon Zugasti, finish close behind in second place, but remain at the top of the overall standings. In third place for the third time are former Tour de France warhorses Cadel Evans and George Hincapie.

Grand Masters Bärti Bucher and Heinz Zoerweg are also at the top, but for the third time. In the overall standings, the Swiss-Austrian duo are a good 24 minutes ahead of South Africans Greg Anderson and Deon Kruger. Bucher and Zoerweg are well over an hour behind third-placed Waleed Baker and Marius Nel.