Investec-Songo-Specialized’s Jaroslav Kulhavy and Howard Grotts continued their dominance in the Cape Epic after having soloed to victory on stage six in Wellington today.
Investec-Songo-Specialized’s Jaroslav Kulhavy and Howard Grotts pictured winning stage six of the Cape Epic in Wellington today. Photo: Zoon Cronje/Cape Epic
Cannondale Factory Racing’s Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini led the race at the 39km water point, mere seconds ahead of yellow jerseys Kulhavy and Grotts in second.
Canyon Topeak’s Alban Lakata and Kristian Hynek were closely following in third, with Trek Selle San Marco’s Fabian Rabensteiner and Michele Casagrande and Buff Scott’s Francesc Guerra Carretero and Luis Leao Pinto having battled it out for fourth.
South Africa’s NAD Pro pair – Nico Bell and Matt Beers – were, at that same point, riding in seventh as they targeted a change in hands of the African’s jersey. PYGA Euro-Steel’s Matthys Beukes and Julian Jessop had the African’s jersey heading into the stage.
Over the next 13km, Kulhavy and Grotts surged ahead and created a one-minute-and-20-second lead by the next water point ahead of Fumic and Avancini. Carretero and Pinto also gave a hard chase. Lakata and Hynek looked to have taken a lot of strain by the same water point.
Fumic and Avancini, heading toward the 60km mark, dropped the other chasers and rode comfortably in second. Rabensteiner and Casagrande then caught up as the stage wore on and battled it out with the Cannondale Factory Racing pair for second place.
Kulhavy and Grotts maintained their lead throughout and got home without trouble to comfortably win the stage by a minute and a bit. The battle was for second place, as Fumic and Avancini and Rabensteiner and Casagrande stayed neck-and-neck, before the Trek Selle San Marco pair just pulled away to win the final sprint.
Bell and Beers punched above their weight to place sixth on the stage, but were unable to take hold of the African’s jersey. Beukes and Jessop retained the jersey after finishing 12th today.
View the results here.
