Two newbies come out tops in Absa Cape Epic

Former winners Nino Schurter and Annika Langvad on Sunday completed their objectives of guiding two Absa Cape Epic newbies to victories in the gruelling eight-day race around the Western Cape.

Multiple world champion Schurter and his Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing partner, European champion Lars Forster, wrapped up a tense week of racing in which they had to fight back from a day of mechanical dramas to beat Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini (Cannondale Factory Racing) by 7½ minutes overall.

In the women’s race, Langvad shepherded world road champion Anna van der Breggen to seven stage victothe ries, including the win on Sunday’s grand finale.

Overall, the Investec-songo Specialised pair ended 30 minutes ahead of South African Candice Lill and her German partner Adelheid Morath (Summit Fin), with Ariane Lüthi and Maja Wloszczowska (Kross-Spur Racing) third.

The top three finished the grand finale in the same order as their GC standings.

In the final stage for the men’s category, South Africans Philip Buys and Matthys Beukes (PYGA Euro Steel) were inched out of their second stage win when, in a photo finish, Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez beat Buys across the line.

The grand finale stage win provided some consolation for Gutierrez and his KROSS-SPUR partner Ondrej Cink after a disappointing event in which mechanicals spoilt their chances of a high finish.

The move by Buys and Beukes to go for the stage win meant they were the first team across the line in the Absa African Men’s Jersey competition, but they were never in contention for the overall title after a consistent eight days from Alan Hatherly and Matt Beers (Specialised Foundation N AD ).

Hatherly and Beers ended fifth overall.

Marco Joubert and Nicol Carstens (Imbuko Giant) ended second overall in the competition for the Red Jersey.

In the Absa African Women’s Jersey, Theresa Ralph and Sarah Hill of team Galileo Risk were comfortable winners, claiming sixth position overall.

In the Dimension Data Masters category, Jose Hermida and Joaquim Rodriguez (Merida Factory Racing) wrapped up the victory with their sixth stage win.