Cape Epic Stage 2: Miles and crashes begin to claim their toll in South Africa
Early leaders consolidate their position while last year's defending champ loses contact
It’s still early going in the 2019 Absa Cape Epic, but already the tough conditions are starting to take their toll.
The two leading teams, on the other hand, have been untouchable. Both men’s and women’s leaders have swept all three opening stages.
Crashes claim first GC contender in Absa Cape Epic men’s race
Defending Cape Epic winner Jaroslav Kulhavy lost time on Tuesday, making any chance of reclaiming the top GC spot unlikely at best. Kulhavy’s teammate Sam Gaze struggled on the 68 km stage after taking a hard fall in Monday’s racing. The two have vowed to try finish out the race, but still have five long days of racing ahead of them.
Up front, Nino Schurter and Lars Forster rode to a third straight win. Despite his extensive success at the race, it marked Shurter’s first trio of consecutive stage victories. The Scott-SRAM team’s 3 hour 37 minute 41 second finishing time sees the duo extend their led over Cannondale Factory Racing.
A fierce rivalry has developed between the top two teams, with Schurter and Cannondale racer Henrique Avancini taking turns attacking during the race. While Scott-SRAM has come out on top so far, the added pressure will surely cause one team or another to crack over the long, demanding race.
Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez and Ondrej Cink (Kross-Spur Racing) squeezed between the two dueling teams to take second on the stage, but do not currently figure in the overall race standings. Damiano Ferraro and Samuele Porro (Trek Selle San Marco) currently sit third overall.
Van der Breggen and Langvad continue to control women’s race
Anna van der Breggen and Annika Langvad continue to use their extensive experience to control the women’s race. The two reigning world champions, van der Breggen on the road and Langvad in XCM, have won three straight stages at the Absa Cape Epic. They now lead second place team of Maja Wloszczowska and Ariane Luthi (Cross-Spur Racing) by just shy of eight minutes.
Wloszczowska and Luthi had double reason to celebrate on Tuesday. They extended their gap over the third place Summit-Fin team of Candice Lill and Adelheid Morath to a full 10 minutes. They were also joined on the podium by their Kross-Spur teammates in the men’s race, who finished second on the stage.
Kelowna’s Sonya Looney sits eighth overall, racing with her FreakShow-Scott teammate Catherine Williamson.