ABSA Cape Epic 2017 – Stage 5 – Untamed Action

Race debutants Andri Frischknecht and Michiel Van der Heijden (SCOTT-SRAM Young Guns), with a whole lot of help from 2016 Olympic champion Nino Schurter and partner Matthias Stirnemann (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing), ruled the day on Stage 4 of the 2017 Absa Cape Epic. Overall leaders Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini (Cannondale Factory Racing XC) finished third on the day, two-and-a-half minutes off the pace. Their time was enough to retain the yellow zebra leader jersey, though.

There was a second stage win for the SCOTT-SRAM Young Guns of Michiel van der Heijden and Andri Frischknecht at the Grand Finale of the 2017 Absa Cape Epic, but the crowds at Val de Vie in Paarl had lined up to watch Olympic champion Nino Schurter and partner Matthias Stirnemann claim their maiden Absa Cape Epic crown.

Olympic and world mountain bike champion Nino Schurter and his Scott-Sram MTB Racing teammate Matthias Stirnemann were comfortable winners of the 103km Stage 6, beating South African Max Knox and his Colombian partner Hector Paez (Kansai Plascon) into second.

Riding as a team for the first time, Schurter and Stirnemann (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing), along with their Young Guns back-up team, dominated the final few stages of the 2017 Absa Cape Epic. It meant they went into the final stage with a seven-minute gap over second-placed Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy (Investec-Songo-Specialized). With Sauser’s experience, however, Schurter and Stirnemann were taking nothing for granted on the 85km Grand Finale.

Stage 4 of the Absa Cape Epic was a 112km trek from Elandskloof near Greyton to Oak Valley Wine Estate in Elgin. It was a day that most expected marathon men Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy (Investec-Songo-Specialized) to make their move and knock the cheeky cross-country kings off their perch.

The Men’s category is set for a thrilling finale after Olympic cross-country champion Nino Schurter and teammate Matthias Stirnemann (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing) claimed their first stage win of the 2017 Absa Cape Epic on Friday. Thanks to another strong ride they also moved into the overall race lead after the 84km Stage 5. Second on the day was previous stage winners Michiel van der Heidjen and Andri Frischknecht (SCOTT-SRAM Young Guns), giving the SCOTT teams excellent back-to-back victories. T...

With just one day to go, both the men’s and women’s overall race leaders at the Absa Cape Epic have their hands firmly on the respective crowns after the Queen Stage around Grabouw on Saturday – but it was all change in the battle for the other podium positions.

The racing has been amazing this year – perhaps the most exciting ever – and it was fascinating to see how the so called “cross-country riders” took hold of the event. Nino Schurter and Matthias Stirnemann are typical of this type of rider and their tactics may have changed the way the pros approach the race forever. Congratulations to them on a thrilling victory. And it was good to see Jennie Stenerhag coming home as a winner almost a year to the day after she had heart surgery for an ailme...