The ABSA Cape Epic camp woke to cold temperatures and a heavy dew in Citrusdal this morning. This was far removed from what all racers would experience today. The temperature was already starting to lift before the 7am start, and the heat from the pace came soon after. There is an air of familiarity in the start chute. Many of the faces do not change. Team Bulls are present, Sauser, Knox, Yamamoto, Hermida… and then there are plenty of other familiar faces from stage races and marathons around the globe.
The start was down the main road for a couple of kilometres at most, and it was filled with the usual early nervousness, with some added interest from the race organisation. While we all know to ‘keep left’ or right as required by different road rules – that just never happens. Especially when so much is on the line for prize money, infamy and positions coming into a sandy climb. Witches hats or traffic cones, call them what you will. Either way, that had no place on the middle line of the road, and there was carnage throughout the bunch as they flicked left or right and wedged in or under wheels. That’s a bad choice.
The front bunch winds it up on the opening climb of the 1st stage of the Cape Epic. Nick Muzik/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS
Just as bad as those of us who hung left into the dirt road, playing in a huge sandpit in a reasonably unfriendly manner. Those to the right flicked the switch and boosted – hard. I lost contact with Will and so began the theme for the day. Struggle, then be in the box and on my own. After the sand, the climb was actually really good. Further up, Will had pulled aside and we got on with trying to make up some places. I’m pretty good at just climbing at threshold – even if that is pretty low. I can maintain that pretty happily. I’m not one for punchy efforts in stage races. Will is good at that too. But then his maintainable output is far higher. So gaps would form, I’d struggle across as Will eased, then it would go again. That’s mentally crushing. While Will has perfected his training and taper, and is having no trouble with the heat after flying out to Cape Town well before the start – I’m floundering.
On the bike, I was pulling myself together. We made up some places and figured we were about where we should be. There were a lot of loose climbs, including plenty of hike-a-bike. Sore legs and slow legs were the result, but it was great to hit the descent. After soon passing two riders who had punctured and another running a bike down with a destroyed front wheel – I eased. Then Peta Mullens bombed past…
In the valley, Alban Lakata passed me. Having never raced a lap based race with Lakata, this is a new experience for me. He is never behind. He is pretty much the strongest MTBer around. I think he might even be riding XX1 at the Cape Epic. I’ve heard that his Topeak Ergon team mate Robert Mennen was taken out by some large African animal. Broken bike and collarbone.
We hit sand in a good group, and thankfully I was recovering. If you race two Crocodile Trophy races and can’t ride sand, then you have wasted 20 days of your life. This worked well for a while, low gear, weight back, don’t steer, don’t brake, and keep the cadence so high you will need to wash the sand out of your chamois. We moved up, and some others fell back. With more loose climbs we rode some great ridge line single track and caught a few groups. Then the hills got punchy. Lowest gear and struggling sort of punchy. Everything groaned, be it riders, bikes or joints. It was clear who was managing and who wasn’t. Leading Grand Master Barti Buchli is no fan of sand.
Into the next check point, and on the way out it seemed we had to climb an endless sand dune covered in scrub. Everything became a little bit less fun at this point. Even the Pro riders had to walk. And this was yet another section of walking. It was just the breaking point for a lot of people.
The endless sand dune. And this is just the start. Nick Muzik/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS
From here I just did my best to pedal squares, as that was an improvement from triangles. Will was still stomping, and occasionally flailing in sandy corners like a gazelle. But otherwise it was pretty average. I was broken. We slipped back through groups and I couldn’t hold Will’s wheel. In time, the kilometres ticked down, but until the last 2km we were still battling deep sand.
Topeak Ergon’s Robert Mennen hit a buck on stage 1, sadly ending his race
The stories of injuries today are many and varied. Catherine Williamson crashed hard and has a gaping wound on her elbow and a heavily bruised back. Thomas Dooley crashed hard and broke his collarbone, scoring a helicopter trip to the hospital. Robert Mennen had his race finished by wildlife. And this is just a few instances. No doubt the Bum Clinic will also be seeing heavy traffic with so much sand.
But this is stage racing, and the Cape Epic is not known to be easy. Full results and live tracking are on the Cape Epic website.
Will Hayter. Nice hat.
Hermida and Van Houts now lead the men’s category with an overall lead time of 1 minute 42 seconds. Sauser and Jaroslav of team Burry Stander – SONGO are placed second with an overall time of 5:28.56,1 with Karl Platt and Urs Huber of team Bulls in third place overall (5:29.36,3). In fourth place overall are team Bulls 2 consisting of Thomas Dietsch and Tim Boehme with an overall time of 5:30.10, 8.
Mens:
1. Multivan Merida Hermida and van Houts
2. Bulls Huber and Platt
3. Bulls 2 Dietsch and Bohme
Mixed:
1. RE:CM Kleinhans Uber couple
2. Target Trek-Moronis Bikes Peta Mullens and Jarrod Moroni
3. Exxaro Cycle Lab 1 Labusschagne ad De Villiers
Womens:
1. BMC Wheeler Suss and Nuessli
2. Energas Yolande Speedy and Catherine Williamson
3. Pragma Volcan Ladies Booyens and Stopforth
Masters:
1. Juwi Bresser and Boelts
2. Superior Brentjens Bart and Robert Sim
3. HCL/Harvest Foundation 1 Bradford and Osrin
Some video footage of today’s stage: