Sauser wins Cape Epic to say goodbye
On the 87-kilometre final stage of the ABSA Cape Epic, Team Investec-Songo-Specialized's aim is to bring home the overall victory. Winning the stage is secondary and so another team sets off. The German-Austrian duo of Jochen Käss and Daniel Geismayr pull out an early lead of almost a minute. However, they are caught by José Hermida and Rudi van Houts from the Multivan Merida team, who are also gunning for the stage win. In the finale, Käss/Geismayr clearly had the better legs and distanced Hermida/van Houts by just under five seconds.
Jochen Käss and Daniel Geismayr celebrate their victory on the final stage. Photo© Shaun Roy/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS
The field behind is somewhat fragmented at the start, but then slowly merges into a chasing group of four teams. In addition to the two leading duo of Sauser/Kulhavy and Lakata/Hynek, the Topeak-Ergon riders, Robert Mennen and Jeremiah Bishop, as well as Fabian Giger and Martin Gujan (Novus-OMX-Pro) are also part of the group. Gujan had been a little under the weather for the last few days, but was able to recover well. Giger and Gujan used their regained energy to also make a break for it. In the end, the two celebrated a conciliatory end to their first Cape Epic adventure together with third place and ninth place overall.
A record to say goodbye
Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy arrive at the Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville in fifth place and celebrate their second overall victory together at the ABSA Cape Epic. For Sauser, however, it is his fifth overall triumph in the "Tour de France of mountain bikers". This makes the Sigriswiler the sole record winner of the Cape Epic. At the same time, the 39-year-old will not have another chance. The 12th edition is therefore also his last as a professional mountain biker.
37 stage wins and 5 overall victories are Sauser's impressive tally. Photo© Shaun Roy/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS
Behind Sauser and Kulhavy, the Topeak Ergon riders Alban Lakata and Kristian Hynek finish second. Four-time Cape Epic winner Karl Platt makes the leap to third place with Urs Huber. Switzerland's Simeon Niederer and Florian Bolt deliver another strong performance. With 23rd place on the final stage, the Sherpa Tensing Pedalerie riders finish in 28th place. Two places behind them, Switzerland's Rick Reimann and Louis Wolf from the Cube Factory Racing Team finished the South African race adventure.
Unbeaten to overall victory
Once again, Ariane Kleinhans and Annika Langvad from Team RECM-Specialized were no match for the last 87 kilometers. The Swiss and Danish riders won the stage from Wellington to Durbanville solo again. This time, however, with "only" a seven-minute lead over the Ascendis-Health team with the Swede Jennie Stenerhag and the South African Robyn Lee de Groot. Third place went to Yolande de Villiers (RSA) and Janka Keseg Stevkova (SVK).
Lonely in a wide open space - Annika Langvad and Ariane Kleinhans. Photo© Sam Clark/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS
The performance of Kleinhans and Langvad at the 12th edition of the Cape Epic was simply stunning. The pair didn't give their rivals the slightest chance on any day. Only the second stage had a blemish, as the RECM-Specialized riders were given a time penalty for riding the wrong way and thus downgraded to eleventh place. The impact on the overall classification was short-lived. They regained the leader's jersey the very next day and extended their lead over Stenerhag/Lee de Groot to 1:18.12 hours by the finish at the Meerendal vineyard. On de Villiers/Keseg Stevkova it is even over two hours.
Champagne shower for the unbeaten ladies. Photo© Emma Hill/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS
In addition to Kleinhans, the other Swiss women are not so lucky. Esther Süss and her partner Alice Pirard were on course for the podium for a long time and with a good time cushion. On the penultimate day, Süss's stomach problems caused this time cushion to disappear. Süss seems to have recovered for the final stage, as she and Pirard finish the last leg in a good fifth place. The Swiss-Belgian duo remain in fifth place in the overall classification.
Milena Landtwing and Kathrin Stirnemann are also out of luck, as they both withdrew from the race during the week with health problems.
Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.