CAPE EPIC 2017 DAY 6 TREAD NOTES & OBSERVATIONS

Day 6, Stage 5. At 84km a shortish stage, but with 2100m of climbing and a high percentage of singletrack, far from easy… Olympic champion, Nino Schurter and his young SCOTT SRAM Racing teammate, Matthias Stirnemann, won the stage and took the overall lead. The women’s race ended in another very tight sprint and the Master’s division saw BMC Absa’s Cadel Evans and George Hincapie win another stage and move into title contention. 

Compiled by Sean Badenhorst

Photos by Dino Lloyd

SCOTT SRAM do it again

We can’t recall such a close race for the men’s title. Today saw the two SCOTT teams go on the charge on the very first climb, shortly after the start. They managed to ride clear of the lead pack, most of whom were surely mindful of tomorrow’s Queen Stage, rated by the organisers as the hardest of the 2017 event, and stayed away for the whole stage to once again collect the first two places.

The stage win went to Schurter and Stirnemann, who gained enough time to take the overall lead, with their young stablemates, Michiel van der Heijden and Andri Frischknecht taking second place and moving up to sixth overall.

This is the first time Schurter has led the Cape Epic overall. It’s his fourth Cape Epic, having finished 13^th in 2010, 12^th in 2013 and 5^th in 2014 (with two stage wins).

For Stirnemann, it’s an even more remarkable achievement as it’s his first Cape Epic!

“Nino called the two teams together after yesterday’s stage and said that the plan has changed from a ‘let’s-see-how-we-go Epic’, to a ‘let’s-win-this-race Epic’,” said team manager Joggie Prinsloo.

The early aggression of the two SCOTT teams caught their rivals off guard and by the time they responded, the field was significantly split. Did they push too hard? Will that effort today count against them on tomorrow’s tough stage?

We think the ‘Young Guns’ team may struggle to stay with Schurter and Stirnemann all stage, and saw that Stirnemann looked shattered after today’s stage. His team will ensure he’s as recovered as possible for a big Stage 6.

Yellow no more for Cannondale Factory Racing

Overnight leaders, Cannondale Factory Racing’s Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avencini punctured early on and had to spend the day chasing, puncturing again and then pretty much limiting their losses as best they could.

As we predicted yesterday, Avencini, who’s been looking vulnerable recently, cracked today and had to be nursed home by Fumic. While Avencini collapsed on the grass after the finish, struggling to maintain his composure, Fumic was smiling and chatting to the media.

They are now third on the GC 9:12 off SCOTT SRAM and eight minutes behind second-placed Jaroslav Kulhavy and Christoph Sauser (Investec-Songo-Specialized). The Brazilian-German duo won the Prologue and Stage 1 and have worn the race leader’s jerseys from Day 1.

The team is a media favourite, both riders able to speak English well and both very relaxed, accommodating guys. And they go against the grain somewhat, racing in baggy shorts.

“I am very happy with our performance this week. I think it’s been amazing. There are also still two days left; it’s not over yet. We had some bad luck today, and my friend also struggled. But we made it. We keep fighting. That happens at these events. But now, you know, there is no yellow jersey on us, so maybe tomorrow we can have some fun. Now we party on the trails,” smiled Fumic.

Kulhavy and Sauser ready to pounce

Incredibly, five-time Cape Epic winner, Christoph Sauser and his Investec-Songo-Specialized teammate, Jaroslav Kulhavy, are just 50 seconds behind new leaders Schurter and Stirnemann after Stage 5. It’s probably the narrowest margin between the two top placed teams this late in the race and has set up Saturday’s penultimate stage as a likely thriller!

After struggling to find his strength and rhythm early on during today’s stage, Sauser recovered to finish strong. They turned what was a two-minute gap at one stage into a slim 17-second margin by the finish.

“Tomorrow’s stage suits Jaroslav and me. It’s a longer stage with longer climbs. We can’t start as quick as some of the other teams, but we are strong over the long distances. The pace has been so fast this year, but everyone is feeling tired now. It will be a decisive day for the yellow jersey,” Sauser told us, after finishing a rollers session after today’s stage.

Masters race gets tight

Former Tour de France winner, Cadel Evans and his BMC Absa teammate, George Hincapie, won the Master’s category stage today. It was their second successive stage win and it moved them from 9:22 down in third place to 5:43 behind the category leaders, Tomi Misser and Ibon Zugast (Orbea Factory) with two days remaining.

Significantly, they also moved to just 97 seconds behind second-placed defending champions, Bart Brentjens and Abraao Azevedo (CST Sandd American Eagle) to set up what should be an exciting Stage 6, which is sure to see a titanic podium order battle.

Hincapie looked spent at the finish line, while Evans was more upbeat.

“That was hard. I did not enjoy that,” said Hincapie, a 17-time Tour de France finisher.

Watching the top three teams finish today, we reckon the leading Spaniards looked the most fresh, but will they be able to hold of two very experienced, pedigreed teams tomorrow?

TREAD is carrying extensive coverage of the 2017 Absa Cape Epic, brought to you by Momsen Bikes. Follow us on twitter: @TreadMTBmag, Facebook: Tread – Mountain Biking with Soul and Instagram:@treadmtb