On one of the most memorable stages in the race’s 20-year history, Nino Schurter and Sebastian Fini won Stage 4 of the 2024 Absa Cape Epic in a thrilling sprint against South Africa’s Matt Beers and Howard Grotts, who moved into the overall lead on a scorching hot day in Wellington.
With temperatures soaring in the Cape all week long, race organisers enacted Extreme Weather Protocols on Wednesday evening and reduced the initial 88km Stage 4 to 73km, removing around 400m of climbing at the same time.
While the changes to the Queen Stage provided some respite for a scorched field, the daunting stage still featured four fearsome climbs and a technical switchback descent named the Cliffhanger – today’s Toyota Tough Section – to the finish that allowed little margin for error.
In the UCI Men’s race, the pace was hot from the get-go, with BUFF – MEGAMO’s Hans Becking and Wout Alleman attempting an early attack. They were soon reeled in, though, and the stage became a three-way street fight between Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne, World Bicycle Relief and Stage 3 winners, Canyon SIDI (Andreas Seewald and Marc Stutzmann). BUFF – MEGAMO, already dropping back, lost further time with a minor mechanical issue.
Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne’s Howard Grotts enjoyed a good day on the climbs, with the larger-framed Matt Beers playing second fiddle to his American teammate on the steep ascents. “I’m carrying the weight of a small Labrador here,” joked Beers at the finish. Andreas Seewald of Canyon SIDI made the initial surges, roaring up the climbs in the first half of the route.
The lead chopped and changed between the three teams throughout the stage until the critical Aap d’Huez switchback climb. Schurter moved to the front, taking Fini with him; the pair then entered the narrow, twisting, turning Cliffhanger singletrack descent together and descended joyously, like two unattended minors with a day pass for the local waterslide park.
Grotts and Beers managed to haul them in on the flat, final kilometres, the four riders turning into the race village side-by-side. Ultimately, though, Schurter and Fini crossed the line first, by the finest of margins. Still, with both BUFF – MEGAMO riders enduring the worst day on the bike at this Absa Cape Epic, it was a good day for Beers and Grotts as they moved into the overall Yellow Leaders Jerseys – taking a healthy two-minute gap over second-placed World Bicycle Relief with them.
“Canyon went super hard from the start and we had to hang on,” said Schurter. “We eventually found our legs and we knew the last climb would suit us quite well, so we went to the front and then also on the downhill we tried to force the pace a bit. It was nice, a good race. We gained some time and now I think we’re in for a tough battle with Specialized. We are back in the overall battle. We lost a lot of time the past two days with bad luck. I hope from now on we have luck on our side.”
New overall Yellow Jersey leader Matt Beers also found the pace hard to start but eventually got into the rhythm of the stage. “It was just a real nice, hard stage. I mean, we had proper climbing, I knew it would be selective and I’m glad me and Howard both had the legs to make that group early. Andreas Seewald really pushed the pace like crazy during the first two hours. We were just hanging on and I’m just glad we could stick with it.”
In Yellow for the first time at this year’s Cape Epic, Beers said team tactics won’t change much for the remaining stages. “Being in Yellow is awesome motivation. It won’t change our tactics though. We’re still going to attack. We’re still going to race from the front. That’s the only way you can do this race, otherwise you’re in trouble.”
Men’s Category, Stage 4
1 Nino Schurter & Sebastian Fini (World Bicycle Relief) 3:22:39
2 Matt Beers & Howard Grotts – Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne 3:22:39
3 Andreas Seewald & Marc Stutzmann (Canyon SIDI) 3:23:49
Men’s Category GC after Stage 4
1 Matt Beers & Howard Grotts – Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne 15:54:04
2 Nino Schurter & Sebastian Fini (World Bicycle Relief) 15:56:04
3 Hans Becking & Wout Alleman (BUFF – MEGAMO) 15:59:07
For a full photo gallery, check out the Absa Cape Epic Facebook Page here.
Source: Absa Cape Epic Media
