South African Philip Buys won his second stage of this year’s Absa Cape Epic yesterday with Swiss partner Nino Schurter (Team Scott-Odlo) as the race for the overall winners’ yellow zebra-striped jersey was again touched by drama.
Nino Schurter and Philip Buys of SCOTT-Odlo MTB Racing celebrate as they win stage six of the 2014 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race from Oak Valley Wine Estate in Elgin. Photo: Shaun Roy / Cape Epic / SPORTZPICS
“Another stage… another flat… another drama,” said Czech Kristian Hynek, leading overall with German Robert Mennen (Topeak-Ergon), after they had again benefited on the day from the sportsmanship of fellow professionals.
Mennen and Hynek finished the 88km sixth stage in second place but more than 10 minutes aheads in the general classification.
Barring disaster – an ever-present threat in the 2014 edition of the event – they should win for the first time when the race finishes at Lourensford Wine Estate in Somerset West Sunday.
They were facing a serious setback Saturday when Hynek picked up a bad cut on his wheel only five kilometres from the start. For the second day running it was fellow professionals Markus Kaufmann and Jochen Kaess (Centurion-Vaude) – out of the race for overall honours after a bad day on Tuesday’s stage two when they broke a frame – who came to their rescue by stopping and swopping a wheel.
Pre-race favourite and four-times winner Christoph Sauser of Switzerland and his Czech partner Frantisek Rabon (Meerendal Songo Specialized) were third Saturday, giving up another 34 seconds to Hynek and Mennen.
Annika Langvad (L) and Ariane Kleinhans (R) win stage six of the 2014 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race from Oak Valley Wine Estate in Elgin. Photo: Sam Clark / Cape Epic / SPORTZPICS
They remain in second overall but are more than 10 minutes back with only Sunday’s 68km stage to come – a gap that they are unlikely to bridge unless the leading team runs into serious trouble.
Ariane Kleinhans of Switzerland and Annike Langvad of Denmark (RECM 2) seem almost certain to be winners of the women’s category after another commanding performance Saturday. They finished in 4:12.44,0 – 10 minutes ahead of their nearest rivals Esther Suss, also Swiss, and Sally Bigham of England (Meerendal).
South Africa’s Theresa Ralph and Swede Jennie Stenerhag (Cape Brewing Company) are lying third but are more than an hour back from the RECM 2 team.
To view more information on the Absa Cape Epic event, click here.
