ABSA Cape Epic video courtesy of TDA Boulder
Songo conquer Groenlandberg on route to 5th Stage win
Today’s 143 km stage, encompassing 2,800 m vertical , had been a stage many had been dreading. For some, the trepidation was well founded as both bikes and bones came off worse for wear. For the fortunate, open roads and favourable weather conditions made for a smooth ride to the base of the Groenlandberg , making the stage somewhat of a 43 km assault rather than 143 km.
Leaving Worcester, the riders had the luxury of smooth tar roads, and with the fast riding one could be forgiven for thinking the stage was a rode race. In Tour de France style, Milka Trek 2 (Pietteserma / Vastaranta) made a jump early, setting off alone for a solo mission to Oak Valley. Un-phased, the peloton ticked off the kilometers quietly until the first major challenge of the day at 30 km, a rocky rough climb which was certainly not pleasant on a moto, let alone a hard tail. The main players (with the exception of Multivan Merida 3 (Hermida / Naef) who suffered a mechanical around the 12 km mark) were present, with a few teams hoping to catch back up on the descent in order to make the most of the roads ahead. Milka Trek’s lead at this point hovered around the 75 s mark.
Out of water point 1, Milka’s lead extended whilst Songo were required to do a bit of work to chase back on, after a rare mechanical for the the pair. No major drama however, as the pace in the peloton settled in preparation for the second climb of the day.
Deja vu coming into water point 2, as the strong climbing teams were caught by hardworking chasers, determined to take advantage of a sit on the roads ahead. The peloton now consisted of approximately 14 teams, plus solo warrior David George (360 life) proudly wearing his Outcast jersey.
The picturesque course wound its way around dams and across farmland, whilst the formidable Groenlandberg loomed over head. Waterpoint 3 at the 100 km mark, offered a brief moment for refreshement before the third and final challenge of the day began a 15 km unforgiving climb with a challenging descent mid way and a steep descent into Oak Valley to finish.
At the base of the climb, the 4 min lead built by the Milka Trek 2 team was deemed great enough. Bulls took to the chase and it wasn’t long before the pair were caught. However, over the top,it was Songo (Sauser / Stander), Merida (Genze / Kaess) and the Fluckiger brothers of Trek World Racing leading the charge, with Stockli and Bulls chasing and Milka Trek 2’s valiant attempt well and trully over (they would later finish 8th). Stockli had a terrible time on the descent, crashing badly and cracking the frame of Looser’s bike – their race over, to again finish over an hour down.
Coming into the single track’s of Oak Valley, Songo had a slight gap over Merida and Trek which bar a total mishap could not be closed. The 5th win for the pair in this year’s Cape Epic was a foregone conclusion (5:19.30), with Trek World Racing second (+ 10s) and Merdia 3rd (+20 s). Both Bulls teams finsihed some 3.5 mins later, again no doubt wondering what they can do to stop the unstoppable duo of Sauser and Stander.
Another solid day for Australia’s Rockstar’s Hatton and Lewis. who survived the days early challenges to ride with the leaders until the Groenlandberg. Hatton, looking rock solid throughout the tour so far, did a stella job for the team, towing the pair along to rejoin the peloton on a few occasions. At the finish line, a time of 5: 27.16 was enough for 12th place, ahead of Olympic Gold medallist Bart Bretjens and paertner Jeroen Boelen (Milka Trek), and consolidate their top 15 position. However, we must spare a thought for MarathonMTB.com’s team of Mike Blewitt and Will Hayter, who did not fair so well today – Will meeting a similar fate to that of Kevin Evans, breaking his collarbone.
In the women’s event, the day’s podium had a thorough shake up, with South African duo Hannele Steyn and Leana De Jager taking the win by three minutes (6:28.32) over race leader’s USN, with Australia’s Niki Fisher and Jenni King (Swell / Giant) taking a well earned third (6:42.15).
All in all, stage 5 could have been far worse and did not provide any major shake ups to the overall classification. Riders now turn their attention to tomorrow’s 119 km stage and wonder if its too early to start dreaming of the finish in Lourensford on Sunday.