Absa Cape Epic 2022 – Stage 1 - Untamed Action

Today’s Stage 1 started and finished again in the hills of Somerset West, at Lourensford Wine Estate. It was the first marathon stage of the 2022 Absa Cape Epic that is notoriously tough, especially this year being declared as the Queen Stage. The bare numbers sit with 92km and 2.850m of climbing, the most of this year’s route. After a relatively mild Prologue, things are being turned up a notch. The route lead firstly through playful single trails at Helderberg Trails and Dornier Trails. The crux was the day’s most demanding climb “Die Nek”. Andreas Seewald (GER) and Martin Stošek (CZE) of team Canyon Northwave MTB take the win of Stage 1 with ease. The pair crosses the finish line with just under four hours (03:58.23). In the women’s Sofia Gomez Villafane (ARG) and Haley Batten (USA) from NinetyOne-Songo-Specialized claimed Stage 1. An excellent ride from the duo that partnered up for the first time this year!