ABSA Cape Epic 2017 – Stage 3 – #EpicEnergadeMoments

Jaroslav Kulhavy and Christoph Sauser were first over the line in a thrilling sprint finish to claim their first stage win of the 2017 event, with Nino Schurter and Matthias Stirnemann just behind in second. Overall leaders Manual Fumic and Henrique Avancini were in the sprint but finished third on the day and hold a decent two minute-plus lead over Sauser and Kulhavy in the race for the Absa Cape Epic title.

Sauser and Kulhavy lay down the law. Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy claimed a second consecutive stage win at the 2017 Absa Cape Epic, and at the same time managed to eat into the time gap of the overall leaders, Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini. Second on Stage 3, which ended in a sprint finish, were Nino Schurter and Matthias Stirnemann, with third-place going to Nicola Rohrbach and Daniel Geismayr.

Stage 3 was a relatively short 78km that took riders out of the Elandskloof race village towards Genadendal and through the Greyton network of mountain bike trails. It was a day for the cross-country specialists to rise to the occasion, with Schurter and Stirneman duly obliging.

In the ABSA Cape Epic 2017 – Stage 4 – #EpicEnergadeMoment clip racing action the way down to Oak valley and the award ceremony is guaranteed. Enjoy!

Nice on board action and massive crash at the ABSA Cape Epic 2017 – Stage 5 - #EpicEnergadeMoments.

Nice on board action, massive crash and a broken handlebar at the ABSA Cape Epic 2017 – Stage 6 - #EpicEnergadeMoments.

Watch the emotional moments for the ABSA Cape Epic 2017 winners Stirnemann (SUI) and Schurter (SUI) by crossing the finish line.

The 2017 Absa Cape Epic started exactly as they 2016 edition ended, with Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini (Cannondale Factor Racing XC) powering onto the Meerendal Wine Estate fields to take the win. Last year the pair claimed the final stage of the Cape Epic; this year they put their considerable cross-country talents to good use to out-race a star-studded field to claim the 26km Prologue at a blazing hot Meerendal. 2016 Olympic cross-country champion Nino Schurter and teammate Matthias...