Silvio Bundi closed his mountain-bike career at the DCM Cape Pioneer, but he may regret a quip to race rival Kevin Evans at the race. The Swiss rider won the third stage of the race alongside teammate Christoph Sauser, but was forced to settle for second on the final stage of the race, and his career.
Evans admitted after his and Adrien Nyonshuti’s stage six win that a comment by Bundi’s that the two were the only top pair not to take a stage win may have backfired on his rival. Evans pipped Bundi in the final sprint of the race.
“Going into the stage we definitely had something to prove,” said Evans, of his stage win with teammate Adrien Niyonshunti. “The sprint to the line worked out perfectly for us. I knew that I had to be ahead of Silvio going into the last corner, because then there would be no way that he could outsprint me.
“As far as I am concerned it is a well-deserved victory. I am glad that I was able to play a small part in what is certainly one of Adrien’s biggest victories as a professional cyclist.”
Irrespective of his narrow loss in his final race as a professional, Bundi made it clear that he enjoyed every moment of the six days of racing. He indicated that he will return to South Africa to continue racing, albeit as a retired pro.
“It is an amazing race and the fact that I will not ride as a professional any longer, does not mean that the South African riders will not see me again. I will still be involved in mountain biking and I promise that I will be back to enjoy myself.”
For overall race winner Max Knox, who won alongside Thomas Zahnd it was also time to celebrate. “I could not have asked for a better finish to my season than first winning the Three Towers Tour in the Lowveld and now the DCM Cape Pioneer Trek.
“But for the next few weeks I don’t want to hear the words ‘tour’ or ‘mountain bike’. I’m off to Cape Town.”
For Knox’s teammate Zahnd, the race win represented his first victory in a mountain-bke stage race and indicated that more may lay in stall for the pair. “I really enjoyed racing in South Africa and especially having Max as my teammate. I think we were a very good combination. Who knows, maybe we will also do the Cape Epic as a team.”