CAPE TOWN – As the temperature climbed to the high 30s at the Absa Cape Epic for the third day in a row, any grumbles about shortening Stage 2 on Tuesday melted away and were replaced by chatter about the hot racing up front.
The weather conditions experienced at this year’s event saw the organisers make a decision based on medical advice late on Monday night to shorten Stage Two to 62 kilometres.
The planned 102km from Hermanus to Elandskloof near Greyton was changed and riders finished at what would have been the second water point for the day at the Botanical Gardens just outside Caledon.
The short distance, though, meant nothing to the elite men’s field as they cranked up the heat on what essentially became a long, fast cross-country course.
Jaroslav Kulhavy and Christoph Sauser (Investec-Songo-Specialized) were first in a sprint over the line to claim their first stage win of the 2017 event, with Nino Schurter and Matthias Stirnemann (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing) just behind in second.
Overall leaders Manual Fumic and Henrique Avancini (Cannondale Factory Racing XC) finished third on the day, but hold an almost three-minute lead over Sauser and Kulhavy in the race for the 2017 title.
From the outset, the pace was fast and furious as some teams eyed a potential stage win and the three leading teams got away midway through the stage to fight a three-way sprint at the end.
‘It was a good race today. I knew that when they made it shorter we could expect a fast day,’ said Olympic champion Schurter. ‘Our plan was just to see how the day unfolded. We decided to attack the hotspot and Manny and Henrique came with us.
‘Jaro and Susi dropped off, but then after some singletrack, there was a flat section where Jaro’s power helped. Susi was able to hang in and they got over the line first.’
In the race for the Hansgrohe Women’s category, there were only two teams fighting for the stage win, but it also came down to a tight battle at the end with Jennie Stenerhag and Esther Suss (Meerendal CBC), pictured above, claiming their second stage win in two days.
Their nearest rivals, Robyn de Groot and Sabine Spitz (Ascendis Health) were right behind them in second, but Meerendal CBC’s overall lead now sits at a comfortable eight minutes and 58 seconds.
Third on the day went to defending champion Ariane Lüthi and her new partner Adelheid Morath (Spur), who finished just over five minutes behind the first two teams.
Stenerhag, whose 2016 Absa Cape Epic, where she partnered De Groot, ended prematurely due to ill-health, is enjoying her moment in the orange leaders’ jersey. ‘I am very happy with the way the week is going,’ she said. ‘It’s great to be in the lead, and Esther and I are having a great time.’
In the race for the Absa African special jersey, PYGA Euro Steel’s Philip Buys and Matthys Beukes took control and are 11 minutes up on BCX (Waylon Woolcock and Hendrik Kruger). The leading African women are South African Candice Lill and Namibian Vera Adrian from team Dormakaba SA who are lying fifth in the Women’s category.
In the race for the Exarro special jersey, Diepsloot MTB Academy (William Mokgopo and Phillimon Sebona) remained dominant in Stage 2, extending their overall gap to 28:20 over Exxaro MTB Academy’s Tshepo Tlou and Lucky Mlangeni.
Olympic champion Jenny Rissveds and Thomas Frischknecht (Scott Sram Nextlevel) lead the Virgin Active Mixed category from Grant Usher and Amy Beth Mcdougall (joBerg2C-Valencia) with Bart Brentjens and Abraao Azevedo (CST Sandd American Eagle) leading the Masters category while Meerendal CBC 3’s Barti Bucher and Heinz Zoerweg are winning the Grand Masters category.
Wednesday’s third stage of the Absa Cape Epic is a 78km circular route of the area surrounding Greyton and Genadendal that starts and finishes at Elandskloof.