March 20/13 19:45 pm - Cape Epic: Stage 3

Posted by Editoress on 03/20/13
 

For Stage three, the riders awoke to a beautiful, cool morning at the Saronsberg Wine Estate, where the surrounding Tulbagh mountains played host to a 94km figure eight course accompanied by 1950m of climbing in vineyards and farmlands around what is popularly known as the Tulbagh basin.

The Absa Cape Epic is known for the curve balls that it throws and today's was most certainly the heat. Temperatures peaked at 35 degrees, and there was little relief from clouds or a breeze.

The Stage was won by Karl Platt and Urs Huber (Team Bulls). Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy (Burry Stander-SONGO), lead by 2 minutes and 45 seconds when they took a wrong turn and lost some time, ultimately losing the stage win. Platt and Huber extended their overall lead and once again pulled on the yellow zebra jersey - Platt for the fourteenth time in his Absa Cape Epic career.

Charles Keey and Darren Lill rode fantastically once again and extended their lead in the Absa African leaders red jersey. The ladies race was won by overall leaders Yolande Speedy and Catherine Williamson (Energas) who also increased their overall lead in the ladies rust jersey competition. In the Mixed Category the dominance of Erik and Ariane Kleinhans was once again evident as they claimed their fourth consecutive stage win and extended their overall lead. Nico Pfitzenmaier and Abraao Azevedo (Team Bridge) claimed their first stage win of this year’s race and due to the unexpected drop out of overall leaders Udo Boelts and Carsten Bresser (Juwi), Pfitzenmaier and Azevedo also claimed the Telkom Masters blue jersey. Barti Bucher and Heinz Zorweg were ever consistent and claimed the stage win and defended the Grand Masters purple jersey. The Exxaro green jersey changed hands once again and is back on the Shoulders of Azukile Simayile and Siphosenkosi Madolo (Exxaro RMB Academy-Songo). Alex Stieda and teammate Tom Ritchey (Project Rwanda/Worldbike) finished 10th on the stage and sit 7th overall.

Tomorrow's stage four will include 3 major climbs coupled with extremely varied terrain, taking the riders from the Saronsberg Wine Estate in Tulbagh to the finish in Wellington 120km later, after having climbed a 2300m.

Stage 3: Saronsberg (Tulbagh) to Saronsberg (Tulbagh), 94 km

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