Absa Cape Epic 2019 - Stage 7 - Grand Finale - News

With 70km and 1 800m of vertical gain standing between Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing and overall victory on the Champs-Élysées of mountain biking at Val de Vie Estate, you could’ve forgiven them for playing it safe and cruising to the finish. Nino Schurter and Lars Forster went into the final stage from Stellenbosch University to Val de Vie Estate with a comfortable eight-minute lead over second-placed Cannondale Factory Racing.

With 70km and 1 800m of vertical gain standing between Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing and overall victory on the Champs-Élysées of mountain biking at Val de Vie Estate, you could’ve forgiven them for playing it safe and cruising to the finish. Nino Schurter and Lars Forster went into the final stage from Stellenbosch University to Val de Vie Estate with a comfortable eight-minute lead over second-placed Cannondale Factory Racing.

Following the leaders Forster / Schurter for most of the five time checks closely, when the disaster struck less than two kilometres from the finish, in the form of a puncture.The setback saw them eventually finish fifth overall, behind Cannondale Factory, KROSS-SPUR and 7C CBZ WILIER. “Bit of a lapse of concentration there,” said Matt Beers afterward. “We were going super hard and I hit a rock. It was close to home so we decided to just nurse it home for the final two kays,” he said. “Just b...

The all-Swiss pairing of Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing won the 111km Stage 1 of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic in emphatic fashion on Monday 18 March. Nino Schurter and Lars Forster finished in a time of 04:24:04 to extend their overnight lead to 3.33 over Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini of Cannondale Factory Racing, who finished second. The Team BULLS Legends outfit of Alban Lakata and five-time champion Karl Platt, rounded out the podium. There was a tacit admission from their nearest rivals that the m...

The all-Swiss pairing of Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing won the 111km Stage 1 of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic in emphatic fashion on Monday 18 March. Nino Schurter and Lars Forster finished in a time of 04:24:04 to extend their overnight lead to 3.33 over Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini of Cannondale Factory Racing, who finished second. The Team BULLS Legends outfit of Alban Lakata and five-time champion Karl Platt, rounded out the podium. There was a tacit admission from their nearest rivals that the m...

After a flat tire in yesterday’s race, the dominant Scott-SRAM MTB-RACING duo is back on top. Nino Schurter (SUI) and Lars Forster (SUI) annihilated the course in a time of 01:38:41 to eat nearly 90 seconds into Cannondale Factory Racing’s overnight lead. They now sit poised some 1:13 behind Henrique Avancini (BRA) and Manuel Fumic (GER), potentially setting up one of the closest ever Absa Cape Epic finishes.

The all-Swiss pairing of Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing won the 111km Stage 1 of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic in emphatic fashion on Monday 18 March. Nino Schurter and Lars Forster finished in a time of 04:24:04 to extend their overnight lead to 3.33 over Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini of Cannondale Factory Racing, who finished second. The Team BULLS Legends outfit of Alban Lakata and five-time champion Karl Platt, rounded out the podium. There was a tacit admission from their nearest rivals that the m...

After a flat tire in yesterday’s race, the dominant Scott-SRAM MTB-RACING duo is back on top. Nino Schurter (SUI) and Lars Forster (SUI) annihilated the course in a time of 01:38:41 to eat nearly 90 seconds into Cannondale Factory Racing’s overnight lead. They now sit poised some 1:13 behind Henrique Avancini (BRA) and Manuel Fumic (GER), potentially setting up one of the closest ever Absa Cape Epic finishes.