Absa Cape Epic 2023 - Stage 1 - News

Stage 1 of the ABSA Cape Epic was traditionally tough and tested the riders to their limits as it has been a real marathon stage. The bare numbers sat at 98 kilometers with 2,550 meters of climbing, the highest of this year’s route. After a relatively short Prologue, things were being turned up a notch as the race properly got under way. The route headed through the best of the Hemel en Aarde Valley singletracks and into the searing Overberg planes. The outbound loop trended relentlessly uphill; up Katkloof to The One before bone-rattling descents pointed downward. Though the descent back to Hermanus saw an overall loss in elevation. The return loop was technical and challenging, filled with rugged limestone trails. Beautiful wine estates provided spectacular spectator points for the fans. Nino Schurter (SUI) and Andri Frischknecht (SUI) of team SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing finished only two seconds behind and took over the yellow leader jerseys from team Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne who had a bad day finishing in 12th. Third places goes to the defending ABSA Cape Epic champions ORBEA x Leatt x Speed Company and Georg Egger (GER) and Lukas Baum (GER). In the women’s race team e-FORT.net : SeattleCoffeeCo of Amy Wakefield (RSA) and Candice Lill (RSA) finished in first, taking over the orange leader jersey from NinetyOne-Songo-Specialized and Sofia Gomez Villafane (ARG) and Katerina Nash (CZE) who finished 5 minutes and 54 seconds behind. Team Efficient Infiniti Insure and Kim Le Court (MRI) and Vera Looser (NAM) came in third with a gap of 11 minutes and 8 seconds.