For the first time in the race’s history, the Absa Cape Epic extended a stage cut-off time retrospectively after Saturday’s Stage 6 at Lourensford Estate. A large number of riders had their boards cut off by UCI officials after missing an already extended cut-off time in extremely wet conditions, but were given an unexpected post-stage reprieve allowing them to aim for an official finisher’s medal on Sunday.
By Sean Badenhorst
Absa Cape Epic Race Director, Katie Csak, made the unprecedented decision in conjunction with the UCI officials after the final riders crossed the finish line, most of them physically exhausted and emotionally creased.
The 2023 edition of the has been one of the wettest in the race’s 19-year history. This, after the early part of the race experienced strong winds. The field faced both strong winds and steady rain throughout the stage, which was held entirely on Lourensford Estate.
Heavy overnight rain continued into the morning which prompted the organisers to trim the total stage distance from 78 to 73km in anticipation of another rain-drenched day. Once the winners completed the stage, later than expected, Csak took the decision to the extend the stage time by 30 min.
But the final 10km, most of it downhill, eventually became unrideable and most participants in the latter part of the field were forced to portage, delaying their finish time and leading to blanket desperation and disappointment in the final hour of the already extended stage time.
Disillusioned riders slumped over their bikes or fell to the ground as they crossed the finish line and faced the side cutters of the UCI officials who removed their number boards, the confirmation that they were essentially out of the official race. Based on the race rules, they are permitted to start the following stages, but don’t get official finisher recognition or a finishers medal.
Csak and the UCI officials waited in the rain at the finish until the Hyenas crossed the finish line. The Hyenas are the two riders that sweep the race and follow the last riders on the course. They are experienced Absa Cape Epic riders and their perspective of the final section of the route is what convinced an always-firm Csak to retrospectively extend the already stretched stage cut-off by another 45 minutes.
“We heard from a number of riders that the conditions towards the finish were extreme, but we had no way of officially confirming this during the stage. I decided to consult with the Hyenas when they got in and they confirmed this. This is the first time I have made a retrospective stage extension decision in my 18 years with the Absa Cape Epic and I feel it was justified,” said Csak.
The final stage of the 2023 Absa Cape Epic is an 80km leg with 2400 metres of climbing from Lourensford Estate in Somerset West to Val de Vie in Paarl. There are 524 complete teams that will tackle the final stanza.
