Absa Cape Epic 2018 - Stage 2 - Untamed Montage
Absa Cape Epic 2018 - Stage 2 - Untamed Montage
The pressure that comes with wearing the yellow jersey was etched onto the faces of Cannondale Factory Racing’s Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini ahead of Stage 2 this morning – a demanding 106km/2000m course that would yet again favour the diesel engines of the marathon racers. A new-found sense of maturity is paying off for the exuberant duo who spent most of the day conserving energy and riding smart.
Marathon incumbents and Prologue winners Nicola Rohrbach and Daniel Geismayr (Centurion Vaude) made up for yesterday’s ordinary display by riding to a calculated and powerful tempo. Their efforts were not without drama however… The pair experienced a mechanical early in the stage but the back-up team of Markus Kaufmann and Jodok Salzmann were on hand to assist with a rear-wheel change – a move that would ultimately keep them in third position on the general classification.
Daniel Geismayr (Centurion Vaude) tried to mix things up by attacking just after the Breede River crossing but Rohrbach was unable to match his partner’s effort and the bunch came together yet again. In the end it was Cannondale Factory Racing who asserted their dominance in the final 500m, communicating on an almost telepathic level which saw them outsmart Centurion Vaude and Canyon Topeak to win in a sprint finish for a second day in a row.
Once again Annika Langvad and Kate Courtney stamped their authority on the Women’s category of the Absa Cape Epic when they collected their third win in three days over the 106km out-and-back Stage 2 from Robertson on Tuesday. A brutal attack 30 kilometres from the finish allowed the Investec Songo Specialized pairing to drive home the advantage gained on the opening two days of racing, and by winning by over four minutes they have extended their lead to a daunting six and a half minutes over Team Spur’s Ariane Lüthi and Githa Michiels.
While the leaders are turning this into a one-team procession, the dice for second remains intriguing with the Spur pair edging out Mariske Strauss and Annie Last (Silverback-KMC) by the narrowest of margins after a tense sprint on Tuesday. Their brutal tussle for podium places left Michiels lying prone on the finish line at the end of the stage and glassy-eyed as she prepared for the podium presentation.
Stage Results
Men
1. Cannondale Factory Racing 6-1 Manuel Fumic (GER) 6-2 Henrique Avancini (BRA) 4:05.52,3
2. Centurion Vaude 3-1 Nicola Rohrbach (SUI) 3-2 Daniel Geismayr (AUT) 4:05.54,0 +1,7
3. Canyon Topeak 7-1 Alban Lakata (AUT) 7-2 Kristian Hynek (CZE) 4:05.54,5 +2,2
Women
1. Investec Songo Specialized 54-1 Annika Langvad (DEN) 54-2 Kate Courtney (USA) 4:37.43,8
2. Spur 53-1 Ariane Lüthi (SUI) 53-2 Githa Michiels (BEL) 4:42.10,4 +4.26,6
3. Silverback - KMC 51-1 Mariske Strauss (RSA) 51-2 Annie Last (GBR) 4:42.11,1 +4.27,3
Marathon incumbents and Prologue winners Nicola Rohrbach and Daniel Geismayr (Centurion Vaude) made up for yesterday’s ordinary display by riding to a calculated and powerful tempo. Their efforts were not without drama however… The pair experienced a mechanical early in the stage but the back-up team of Markus Kaufmann and Jodok Salzmann were on hand to assist with a rear-wheel change – a move that would ultimately keep them in third position on the general classification.
Daniel Geismayr (Centurion Vaude) tried to mix things up by attacking just after the Breede River crossing but Rohrbach was unable to match his partner’s effort and the bunch came together yet again. In the end it was Cannondale Factory Racing who asserted their dominance in the final 500m, communicating on an almost telepathic level which saw them outsmart Centurion Vaude and Canyon Topeak to win in a sprint finish for a second day in a row.
Once again Annika Langvad and Kate Courtney stamped their authority on the Women’s category of the Absa Cape Epic when they collected their third win in three days over the 106km out-and-back Stage 2 from Robertson on Tuesday. A brutal attack 30 kilometres from the finish allowed the Investec Songo Specialized pairing to drive home the advantage gained on the opening two days of racing, and by winning by over four minutes they have extended their lead to a daunting six and a half minutes over Team Spur’s Ariane Lüthi and Githa Michiels.
While the leaders are turning this into a one-team procession, the dice for second remains intriguing with the Spur pair edging out Mariske Strauss and Annie Last (Silverback-KMC) by the narrowest of margins after a tense sprint on Tuesday. Their brutal tussle for podium places left Michiels lying prone on the finish line at the end of the stage and glassy-eyed as she prepared for the podium presentation.
Stage Results
Men
1. Cannondale Factory Racing 6-1 Manuel Fumic (GER) 6-2 Henrique Avancini (BRA) 4:05.52,3
2. Centurion Vaude 3-1 Nicola Rohrbach (SUI) 3-2 Daniel Geismayr (AUT) 4:05.54,0 +1,7
3. Canyon Topeak 7-1 Alban Lakata (AUT) 7-2 Kristian Hynek (CZE) 4:05.54,5 +2,2
Women
1. Investec Songo Specialized 54-1 Annika Langvad (DEN) 54-2 Kate Courtney (USA) 4:37.43,8
2. Spur 53-1 Ariane Lüthi (SUI) 53-2 Githa Michiels (BEL) 4:42.10,4 +4.26,6
3. Silverback - KMC 51-1 Mariske Strauss (RSA) 51-2 Annie Last (GBR) 4:42.11,1 +4.27,3