HIGHLIGHTS | STAGE 2 | 2024 Absa Cape Epic

It may be a rock-strewn wagon trail, but the (BUFF-Megamo) outfit of Hans Becking and Wout Alleman made the Old Wagon Trail singletrack look like a groomed race track at the end of Stage 2. Tuesday’s Stage 2, over 97 kilometres with some 2200 metres of climbing proved another great day for the Becking and Alleman, with the pair winning their second stage and claiming the team’s first-ever Ciovita Yellow Leaders’ Jersey.

While Becking and Alleman blitzed the course in a time of 4:05:22; and Anne Terpstra and Nicole Koller (GHOST Factory Racing) claimed a hattrick of stage victories in the Aramex Women’s Category, many riders were simply ticking over to get across the finish line in Saronsberg in under the maximum stage time of nine hours.

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[Applause] oh the Absa Cape epic takes mountain bikers through hundreds of kilometers of pristine Fain boss every year the floral Kingdom’s endemic vegetation Collective name refers to the Fine leaves of many of the Fain boss plants similar to the heath of the Scottish Highlands it boasts an incredible biodiversity and a

Relatively small geographic region isolated within the Western Cape Province 6,000 or 80% of the 8,500 species which are characterized as F boss are in fact endemic to the region F boss also supports an incredible array of insects many of which are specialized to fertilize one particular plant

Species there is prolific bird life as well as a number of small Antelope species baboon and of course the cape leopard proteas are the most iconic Jewel of the F boss flora and a bouquet featuring an endemic Arrangement including magnificent proteas are awarded to each of the rac’s stage

Winners stage two would take in more spectacular Trail through pristine Fain boss and offer fresh opportunities to earn those winners bouquets as buff Meo and ghost Factory racing had done the day before stage one had seen a tactical battle at the sharp end of the UCI men’s

Race Across the first half of the course the notable talking points were two crashes for tooto specialized 91’s Howard grotz though he and Matt beers made it back to the favorites group on occasion the clipy trails spread the leading group and thinned the field to Breaking Point as OB speed company and

Buff meamo put their Rivals Under Pressure unfortunately for Lucas Bal and G gagger their efforts told on their own legs too which meant that hunts becking Bart alaman Nino sh and Sebastian finny were handed the advantage GRS and beers were on the back foot scaling the final

Climb of Fun’s pass but was still in contact with the front of the race over the summit toyoto specialized 91 dragged them M themselves back to par with the leaders but a small crash for beers removed them from contention for the Sprint finish when it came down to it

Finny snapped his chain while becking and alaman powered across the line shurter and his Danish teammate maintained their hold on yellow seeding just two seconds to the day’s winners heading into stage two World bicycle relief lead Toyota specialized 91 by 1 minute and 10 seconds with buff meamo further 20 seconds back honeycomb

Pro pying war the apps African jerseys into stage two in the rmx women’s race the day began with concerns over mon while his health the Austrian double marathon world champion eased her way into the stage and felt better the longer the day wore on the steady first half of the day

Aided her recovery by the time ghost Factory racing and specialized Toyota 91 up the pace in the clippy Trails the Canada Factory racing team were ready to respond the first of the favorites to be distanced were the loss and Alexis scarter 10 km later Sophia Gomez vfan

And Samara Shepard slipped off the back of the group leaving mner andil to battle it out with anster NI Cola on Fun’s pass the teams could not be separated however and Lady Luck continued to shine on ghost Factory racing col nearly hit the Ste Bo but managed to break in time to avoid

Disaster that good luck continued to the Finish Line where ghost Factory racing out sprinted canadale Factory racing to claim their second successive stage victory the result meant that ghost Factory racing squeezed an additional second into their General classification lead taking it to 1 minute and 6 seconds overall Toyota specialized 91 with start

Stage 2 6 minutes and 12 seconds back in third stage two would be a rugged day out in the vitenberg located to the east of the tach Valley reaching the single Track Pack Veil would require a nearly 1,000 M Ascent of an Old Wagon Trail then it was into to the trails among

Rocks and prota and tidas before climbing once more back to the wagon trail the return to sburg followed the wagon trail downhill taking the day’s total kilometers to 97 with 2,200 M of climbing ahead of the stage the top teams all knew it would be a difficult

Day with lots of potential for punctures and issues yeah the early wakeups they hurt for sure uh but today will be again a nice stage Maybe difficult to make some gaps today but uh still it’s a long week so probably or maybe today will be a day to save some

Energy and uh yeah let’s see the weather is nice again the terrain here it’s super nice so looking forward to today yeah for sure today is a is a big climb at at the beginning uh there we want to be at the front for sure then uh yeah

It’s a it’s a fast race at the at the up there and then it’s along downhill to the Finish and let’s see what the what the day will unfold with a longest stage of the 2024 race ahead the UCI Men set out like they were taking on a course half as

Long racing off the fields of sensburg the battle for placings in the pack would be more important than ever as getting caught in the dust could easily lead to hitting a sharp Rock in the ARX women’s race the leading protagonists were also expecting another challenging day out on the trails we are

In the second stage today um I think it will be a long uphill to start with and uh yeah we come exactly the same Trail down so I think it will we will check some lines at least to see how it is and uh yeah the rest will see how tactics play and

Yeah rolling off the start line the women’s 97 km Odyssey got underway the fresh morning temperatures Belling the sweltering heat which awaited the entire Absa Cape epic field in the vitenberg valley it would be a day to survive for many even among the elite UCI women’s teams there would be major incidents and

Time losses having powered off the start line the UCI men were wasting no time in getting to the base of the climb in fact buff megao were doing their best to Splinter the field and reduce the group from 54 teams to less than 10 then beers took up the task and

Further stretched the line behind to single file but even that didn’t stop the counterattacks coming from Oria leot speed company eger’s attack created gaps behind and forced the men behind him to descend recklessly across Broken Ground in order to remain in contact with the German this was only going to end one

Way in punctures finny was the rider to succumb at the most inopportune moment just 5 km from the base of the climb this left the Dane and shurter with a mad cap Chase through the remaining dual track hoping against hope that they’d be able to get back to the

Front before the single track began as the slope tramed alaman came to the four and set a fierce Tempo behind Sherra and Finny were having to pick their way past mid pack teams burning valuable matches as they did the European Marathon Champions Pace kept the long line of Team strung out

Across the mountain side gaps formed behind growing from a single meter or second to tens of meters or tens of seconds this was hampering World bicycle relief’s comeback attempt but it was working well in the favor of the men in yellow’s general classification Rivals with buff megao clearly feeling strong

And keen on providing becking with a 38th birthday present they were eager to keep the pressure on though they would have to be cognizant of the fact that they were helping Toyota specialized 91 gained time on the race leaders too approaching the summit of the Old Wagon Trail only beers and grots were

Still in contact with alaman and becking the technicality of the route was slowing even the best climbers in the race to a snail’s pace despite this they remained faster than the men behind many of whom were forced to put a foot down or even Dismount and run in a battle of

Inches those extra heartbeats count and allowed the quartet to the front to reach the peak having expended less energy on the descent into the vitenberg valley buff megaan Toyota specialized 91 lead Through the Keyhole followed by pack containing the AL leot speed company combination the willia Victoria team of Fabian ravenstein and Samuell

Poro and the Canyon City squad of Andre sealt and Mark stutzman sh and Finny were next through one minute back they had the tough task of chasing a beers powered freight train which was flying across the flats B edar ravenstein and porro were nearly matching beers’ pace but World bicycle relief was seeding

Seconds a bit further back Honeycombs Tristan no and Mark priten were the top performing Absa African team after an hour of racing in the rmx women’s race those first 12 kilm were ridden at a higher intensity than in the previous day’s opening moments the threat of getting

Caught out behind slower teams on the long single track climb had Toyota specialized 91 forcing the tempo the plan worked to Perfection for Gomez vfan and shepher as they were joined at the front when the course constricted to a narrow and Technical Trail by canadell Factory racing and ghost Factory racing

Though even the very best women in the race were forc off their bikes at times by the steepness of the gradient behind them laa was experiencing mechanical difficulties she and Scar lost valuable minutes tracking down the issue ahead Cola and Lil LED their teammates and Rivals through the

Hole in the wall and down into the vitenberg valley once on the undulating valley floor the Toyota specialized 91 team came to the four once more and drove the tempo in order to maximize their gains over the stricken efficient Infinity Ure SCB stram combination in a long stage race like the absap EIC

Opportunities to put time into a key rival should not be passed by Anything Could Happen later in the week and secure advantages can easily evaporate unfortunately for Gomez vfan and Shephard the two Factory racing squads were more intent on marking each other and thus conserved energy when

They got the chance to take control of the group again separated by just over a minute on the general classification they did not want to give the other a free ride the Pace thus slowed as canadale Factory racing and the women in Orange ghost Factory racing played Cat

And Mouse until that is Lil’s luck turn handing Turner and cola a reason to increase their speed having suffered a front wheeel puncture in The Orchards Lil had to stop to reinflated a tire with Lil and melna on the back foot ghost Factory racing and Toyota specialized 91 forged ahead with more

Intensity forcing canadel Factory racing into a high-speed chase on the open roads the South African Champion could make inroads into the deficit but on the single tracks They exercised patience fighting their time knowing the Gap was not growing by water .2 48 km into the

97 km stage the catch had been made and the race was reset all square between the top three Teams epic Legend five-time UCI men’s race winner and two-time NTI data Masters champion Kyle Platt started his 20th ABS Cape epic in 2024 the team bullstar did not finish the 2014 and 2021 races but has been an Ever present throughout the Race’s two decade history

So when I when I look back when when the Epic started in 2004 it was uh more like an Adventure Race I mean it’s completely clear that they have to improve and uh to learn but uh the learning curve was so so big and so

Good so I would say from 2007 it became like the to Def Frost of mountain biking and uh they still improving every year they do they bring a little bit more spice into the whole thing and uh now we we’re having the best tracks in the

World I would say so if I look on on on the tracks from on the stages this year it’s so nice and it’s so special we have some really special stages with great views with yeah it’s just unbelievable and the atmosphere here with the pros and the media and everything around I

Mean there are more than 3,000 people acting in in in the whole race it is something very special where people want to be I think as a masters ride I use it it it gives you a complete new opportunity um you’re not you’re still on a high level of uh of your

Class but uh if you want to race with the Young Guns it’s just not impossible yeah I mean we we I train the half of the early days and I’m not that focused anymore I drink my beer I drink my wine and I’m not looking or watching after

Food so it gives you great opportunity still to be like on 90% or 95% Being Fit but it’s still a lot of fun to ride so for me it’s a it’s a huge privilege to be still in the race as a Master Rider enjoying and still fighting

With uh other people but the mindset is now a little bit more different because I’m not taking it too serious if you win it’s nice if you’re not win it’s also nice because you the beer T is still the same after three days of racing in the

2024 Edition plat is on route to a third NTT data Masters title alongside Thomas misser for the second time unimed for lab a second 43 minutes back with Craig Uriah and Michael postumus a further 37 minutes down after having to run a bike with a broken rear wheel to the finish on stage

Two in the men’s race the beers Le front group charging on remaining just out of touch of the chasing pack the pack had five men in it with only a single Canyon City Rider present World bicycle relief were not giving up the Chase shter and Finny were Relentless in their effort

Especially whenever the trails pitched uphill ahead or L speed company had bridged across to Toyota specialized 91 and buff megao having been forced to wait stutzman was reunited with his Canyon City teammate sealt ravenstein and poro had also dropped off the pace though they were ahead of Canyon City and the hard

Charging men in yellow shurter and Finny did not know if their efforts were doing them any good in pursuit of the leaders in the hukom brothers Trails the pace at the front Lo the snaking train of six Riders was unable to match the speed of the more Nimble chasing Duo

Behind them ravenstein and por made the catch and joined Beer’s grotz backing alaman edar and Bal at the front just in time for the next moment of drama in a rocky section of Trail beer smashed his wheel into a sharp edge the resulting impact cracked the rim but

Somehow it held the air when reinflated or be at speed company buff megamon willia Victoria look to exploit the Toyota specialized 91 men’s Misfortune but the rush left ravenstein on porro with a similar issue a sidewall puncture required a plug and a bomb and kept the Italian

Team stationary on the side of the trails until beers and grots passed them by back on their bike bear was nursing his rear wheel which brought shurter and Finny back into the mix again though they had yet to receive that news out front alaman and becking had

Begun the final climb and a distanced B manega on the lower slopes of the climb World bicycle relief and Canyon City had caught Toyota specialized 91 there was no catching buff Mega however they were maintaining their advantage over sh and Finny aad speed company were next to be

Overhauled out front alaman and becking began the wagon trail descent with a two-minute advantage on the men behind they were clearly loving the technical Trail and even a slight Mistake by the Dutch Marathon Champion did not dampen their speed even shurter and Finny despite the speed at which they assaulted the Toyota tough

Segment were unable to make a dent in buff Mega’s lead though they had fun trying back on the valley roads towards sburg alaman and becking were riding to an historic Victory behind them a three-way team time trial was unfolding buff meamo crossed the line elated then waited for a time

Check by the time will bicycle relief sprinted home alaman and becking knew they had done enough to leap frog from third to first on the general [Applause] classification I have not so much to say Feld crazy day we felt both good and and yeah of this we attacked on the last climb and

Was super hard we then we just did that we take the the leader Jersey it’s it’s been a childhood dream and you know that it comes through now it’s it’s crazy and you know he’s crying with one of my best friends it’s w something special W it’s a pleasure to ride with

Him uh the last 10 kilometer I was just shouting when go easy go easy because the old man is on the limit but it’s my birthday today and we have a yellow Jersey that means we don’t have to clean the clothes this afternoon which is quite good I have to do it with

A friend and we have such amazing team and I think since you can remember buff is coming to the cape epic and to have the honor to have the first yellow Jersey for all that work is just absolutely pleasure and proud of them proud of him and proud of the old man

Now yeah it was definitely a tough day Fe had the flat after the 7ks just before the climb started uh so we had to pass a lot of teams than uphill and also at the top in all the flat sections we have been all alone and we saw the teams

In front working nicely together and it was like a tough day and we try to to go as steady as possible to not to uh uh yeah to to blow us uh but I also struggled with with the heat at the end so was a tough day but uh still a long

Way a lot of trails coming up and I think uh there we can uh make up some time then [Applause] after their stage one success it was backing and alman’s second time on top of an Absa cap epic Podium but stage two was B and Egger’s first trip to the DI

In the race more importantly for the day’s winners was their two minute and 2 second margin of Victory behind them only 10 seconds separated sherter and Finny in second from beers and grots in fourth the yellow Chita jerseys were buff Mega most first in their storyed

History with the ABS Cape epic they now lead the 20th edition of the race by 32 seconds over World bicycle relief Toyota specialized 91 or 152 back with a leot speed company a further 5 and a half minutes back in the fierce ABS African jersey battle P eurus steals Philip Bas

And Peter DET toy lead Toyota specialized by Just 2 minutes and 19 seconds Canada Factory racing still led the ARX women’s favorites group a fact which was not to the liking of a Gomez vfan though the Argentine was unwilling to drive up the tempo herself as a result the efficient Infinity insur SCB

Stram team were riding their way back into contention after having lost nearly 7 minutes with their early mechanical by the time the leaders began the final climb all four teams of pre-race favorites were present and accounted for in the group LA and Scara had ridden

Hard to get back to parity on the trails and were the pair most visibly feeling the strain of the the rising heat as they passed through the third water Point even a bottle of ice water over ahead did little to cool the American champion behind the quartet the E4

Private Client Holdings team of Lenard Geral and Haley PR were riding a lonely race in fifth when the gradient steepened and the surface got rougher the efforts losser and Scara had made earlier saw them dropped by the canadale factory racing ghost Factory racing and thir her specialized 91 teams under the

Pressure of turpster there remaining Trio of teams are stretched to Breaking Point to though worryingly Cola was often the rider at the back of the group The Swiss Rider did not relinquish her grip on the group however but Gomez vfan and shepher were distanced near the summit mavala forced

Her way to the front in order to control the speed on The Descent the Austrian led the remaining Riders into the Toyota tough segment and down towards the tach Valley far below the dominative star then continued to drive the pace until she got worse heard that her partner was

Nursing another puncture a slow flat was deflating nil’s chances of Victory after 5 km of slow speed cat and mouse the ghost Factory racing team kicked away from a half crippled Canyon Factory racing they quickly opened up a handful of second lead and then held it with a

Powerful drive towards the line swooping into sburg they made it a perfect three for three what exactly happened at the beginning uh I didn’t really know suddenly konale was gone um but to be honest the day was still so long I don’t think anybody really wanted to be on on

Her own at that moment so uh we still kind of took control and wanted to be like at least good at the front on the single track part and we did um but of course they came back and we just had a nice group ride basically until we went

Up that climb um that pace went a bit up a again a bit um yeah but we still I think we’re at similar strength when it comes to climbing so we came at the top together again and then uh yeah we had some time to talk I saw they were

Talking I think after they lost the Sprint against us yesterday they wanted to like give some punches like early on uh but we could hang on and we could also talk a bit so uh yeah we just decided to try something else uh and and

Risk it uh but it worked out well for us we thought we just try to best them get a gap and then see if we if we make it until the Finish Line I was riding through it wasn’t even on the D I was riding through like a grassy field and

All of a sudden just heard like and then I thought okay it would be okay it’s sealed but then I knew what still coming and my tie was flat guess so it wasn’t it wasn’t really safe to carry on like that something worse would have happened

So I had to stop and vomit and it actually held the whole stage but when I put the air in um I put it like really hard in case it was carrying on leaking so I rode the whole day like a really hard front tire and on the last descent

I think because it was was not a pressure that I’m used to um yeah something happened again and I yeah I flattered it so I rode on the luckily we have inserts and I rode on on the insert to the Finish after their hatrick of stage victories tster and cola were

Joined on the podium once again by Lil and mner as well as Gomez vfan and Shephard behind the top three L and Scara conceded 7 minutes on the day while jro and PR were further 2 minutes and 53 seconds back for the third down row ghost Factory racing earned a fresh set of

Aramax Tu leaders jerseys ghost Factory racing thus Lead canadale Factory racing by 1 minute and 13 seconds Toyota specialized 91 or third at 637 the first transition stage in the 2024 race takes the teams from saronsberg in tach to the cput campus in Wellington the route is 94 km long with

2,100 M of climbing it takes in rugged riding in the Z flux over Blueberry Hill and down full monty but also the silky smooth asphalt of Baines CL Pass For