The RE:CM Specialized duo Ariane Kleinhans and Annika Langvad had extended their overall lead to 46 minutes after the second stage - but not for long. As the pair accidentally took a wrong turn on the second stage, the Swiss-Danish duo were given a time penalty of 1:13.39.

The Specialized riders will start the race in fourth place overall, 27 minutes behind the new leaders Jennie Stenerhag (SWE) and Robyn Lee de Groot (RSA).

With anger in their bellies, the two set off early and were already ten minutes ahead of Sally Bigham and Christina Kohlmann at the first intermediate time. Stenerhag and Lee de Groot are already 24 minutes behind. Ariane Kleinhans and Annika Langvad leave nothing to chance and win by 36 minutes ahead of Stenerhag and Lee de Groot - who finish sixth - and thus take back the "bag". "We gave it everything we had. We wanted to stay in the fast men's group of favorites for as long as possible. When we couldn't hold them off, even though I tried to push Ariane, we went full throttle like in a time trial. On the flat sections and the asphalt sections at the end, I leaned low over the handlebars and tried to get the maximum speed out of the aero position," Langvad explains her catch-up tactics.

The "World Bicycle Relief" team with Gunn Rita Dahle-Flesjaa and Kathrin Stirnemann, who seem to have put their stomach problems behind them, finished in second place. "We wanted to take it easy, rode relaxed and suddenly we're in second place," says Dahle-Flesja happily, adding: "We're taking it day by day now, who knows, maybe we'll really step on the gas in between to see how we're doing." This performance puts the pair in sixth place overall and dangerously close to fifth-placed Milena Landtwing and Hielke Elferink. They only finished the third stage in seventh place. Third place in the stage and overall classification went to Esther Süss and Alice Pirard from the Meerendal-Wheeler team.

Teamwork from Esther Süss and the podium with triple Swiss participation. Photos© Sam Clark/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS

All good things come in threes
Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy have been consistently in the lead since the first stage and are also at the front on the third stage. This time, however, with a leading group of seven riders, which remains in place until the second third of the race. Then the Swiss-German duo of Urs Huber and Karl Platt literally ran out of steam. A tire failure threw Team Bulls back around seven minutes, dropping them from the podium to fourth place in the overall standings.

Sauser and Kulhavy, on the other hand, extended their lead over the new overall runners-up, Alban Lakata and Kristian Hynek, to over seven minutes. "Today went very well for us. 15 kilometers before the finish there was a passage with rough stones on the embankment, we were the first to come out and Jaro could just ride flat out for ten minutes and open up a big hole," says Sauser. Third place on the stage went to Team Topeak-Ergon-2 with Robert Mennen (GER) and Jeremiah Bishop (USA). José Hermida and Rudi van Houts from Team Multivan-Merida climb onto the podium in the overall classification after their fourth place on the stage. Fabian Giger and Martin Gujan are still in fifth intermediate place.

No beach run but a sandy passage on the third stage. Sauser and Kulhavy flanked by the two Topeak-Ergon teams during their third stage win. Photos© Nick Muzik/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS

Mixed and Masters
Despite a crash at the start, the multiple cyclo-cross world champion Hanka Kupfernagel and her partner Carsten Bresser are fast and finish second in their category. The Austrian Sabine Sommer, among the mixed leaders, accidentally knocks over the German and crashes herself. Ivonne Kraft (GER) and Peter Vesel (SLO), Team Etis, win the mixed classification and lead the overall standings with 8:28.2 minutes ahead of René Haselbacher and Sabine Sommer (ENS RH77).

While Bärti Bucher (SUI) and Heinz Zoerweg (AUT) extend their lead in the Grand Masters category to 40 minutes, the Masters classification remains exciting. As on the previous day, Nico Pfitzenmaier and Robert Sim (Dorma/Robert Daniel) were only able to take twelve seconds off the overall leaders Bart Brentjens and Abraao Azevedo (Betch.NL Superior). As a result, they are 1:38.3 minutes behind the Dutch-Brazilian pairing in the overall standings.

The Cape Epic and its victims
For many riders, the Cape Epic is the ultimate challenge, often pushing them beyond their mental and physical limits. But even professionals are not immune to this and so some of them were affected again this year. On the second stage, Swiss rider Lucien Besancon had to abandon the race due to exhaustion, meaning that the race was also over for his partner Konny Looser. German podium contender Tim Böhme also crashed on the second stage and finished with severe shoulder pain. A continuation of the Cape Epic was therefore out of the question. The third stage then took its toll on the women. Sally Bigham's team partner, Christina Kohlmann, suffered a heat stroke. The Austrian, completely exhausted and dazed, received medical treatment from her team colleague and other riders soon afterwards.

Outlook stage 4, HTS Drostdy/Worcester - HTS Drostdy/Worcester, 111 kilometers, 2,000 vertical meters
The fourth stage does not include as many meters in altitude as the previous stages. However, these are spread over fewer climbs. After a roll-in, the participants are immediately faced with the Windpomp climb. Further steep climbs line the route until the final, rough descent back to the finish in Worcester.

The prospect of another win for the Sauser/Kulhavy duo? Photo© Shaun Roy/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS

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