Investec-songo-Specialized’s Annika Langvad and Anna van der Breggen drew first blood after winning the elite women’s 20km prologue of the Cape Epic at the University of Cape Town today.
The pair were the fastest almost from the outset, leading from the first time check at 5.89km. At the 8.8km mark they maintained their lead over Summit Fin’s Candice Lill and Adelheid Morath in second.
Investec-songo-Specialized’s Annika Langvad in action during the prologue of the Cape Epic today. Photo: Xavier Briel
At the halfway mark, Langvad and Van der Breggen continued to lead, as Lill and Morath and Kross-Spur Racing’s Ariane Luthi and Maja Wloszszowska were in second and third respectively.
Lill and Morath were the first riders to sit in the hot seat, but that was short-lived as Luthi and Wloszszowska surged ahead with a quicker time at the end.
But Langvad and Van der Breggen managed to hold their lead throughout and complete a near-perfect ride to take the spoils.
“It was a little bit above my expectations,” a surprised and delighted Langvad said afterwards. “Anna was so strong out there, [especially] up on the Dead Man’s Tree, the tar stretch, she just went into time-trial mode and I was just trying to put my teeth in her rear wheel and hang in there.
“She rode like a champ.”
As the race wears on, Langvad said she believed the two of them will become more “synchronised”.
“That’s what I love about this race. You kind of have to re-unite with your partner.
“This was just the first day and we have many more days to work at that.”
