The Topeak Ergon and Centurion Vaude teams will be major rivals for the Cape Epic overall winner’s yellow jersey when it kicks off on March 19.
Three years ago Centurion Vaude’s Jochen Kaess and Markus Kaufmann, both German, were leading after two days but a broken frame put them out of contention.
On stage three Topeak Ergon’s Kristian Hynek of the Czech Republic and Robert Mennen, from Germany, took the lead.
The Topeak Ergon and Centurion Vaude teams will be major rivals for the Cape Epic overall winner’s yellow jersey when it kicks off on March 19. Photo: Dom Barnardt
But disaster struck on stage five when Hynek simultaneously punctured his front and back tyres.
The Centurion Vaude pair stopped and fortunately Kaufmann’s wheels and gearing were compatible with Hynek’s bike. He took them off his bike and handed them over.
“That was an amazing sporting gesture and I owe them big time,” said Hynek after going on to take the overall win.
It is unlikely that the debt will be repaid this year as both teams are among the race favourites.
Kaess and Kaufmann are back together but Mennen has since been replaced in the Topeak Ergon team by Austrian Alban Lakata, who has often been a contender in the Cape Epic.
“Sure, the win is what we want, but this year’s edition has a brutal starter field and it will be hard to achieve the victory,” said Lakata.
“I see Bulls (Karl Platt and Urs Huber), Specialized (Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy), Scott (Nino Schurter and Matthias Stirnemann) and Centurion Vaude as the main contenders for the title.”
Kaess and Kaufmann were among the favourites before disaster struck in 2014 and injuries have prevented them from riding together in the Cape Epic since then.
“The challenge is harder every year and this year Susi (Sauser) is back in the business, plus Bulls and Topeak. The podium is our minimum goal but we are looking with one eye at the overall win,” said Kaess.
