Recos Epic Enduro 2017 - SP8 - Jurassic

Race debutants Andri Frischknecht and Michiel Van der Heijden (SCOTT-SRAM Young Guns), with a whole lot of help from 2016 Olympic champion Nino Schurter and partner Matthias Stirnemann (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing), ruled the day on Stage 4 of the 2017 Absa Cape Epic. Overall leaders Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini (Cannondale Factory Racing XC) finished third on the day, two-and-a-half minutes off the pace. Their time was enough to retain the yellow zebra leader jersey, though.

Water crossings, steep hillslopes and on board action in the ABSA Cape Epic 2017 – Stage 3 – GoPro Highlight Clip. The riders traverse some of the most beautiful scenery in the Western Cape. Enjoy!

Jaroslav Kulhavy from had a crash near the end of the stage, relinquishing their chances of stage win. Meanwhile Sabine Spitz went over her bars just before the Haarkappers ascent after water point 2, opening up a nasty gash above her left eye. Spitz went on to finish the stage.

In this clip an athlete got some difficulties with his foot pedal. He continues the race with just one pedal until he reaches the next water point, where he can fix it up.

After two days of extreme weather conditions Stage 2 of the Absa Cape Epic was shortened to 62km. Instead of riding the 102km to Elandskloof near Greyton, riders finished at what would have been the second water point for the day at the Botanical Gardens just outside Caledon.

Sauser and Kulhavy lay down the law. Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy claimed a second consecutive stage win at the 2017 Absa Cape Epic, and at the same time managed to eat into the time gap of the overall leaders, Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini. Second on Stage 3, which ended in a sprint finish, were Nino Schurter and Matthias Stirnemann, with third-place going to Nicola Rohrbach and Daniel Geismayr.

Stage 3 was a relatively short 78km that took riders out of the Elandskloof race village towards Genadendal and through the Greyton network of mountain bike trails. It was a day for the cross-country specialists to rise to the occasion, with Schurter and Stirneman duly obliging.

There was a second stage win for the SCOTT-SRAM Young Guns of Michiel van der Heijden and Andri Frischknecht at the Grand Finale of the 2017 Absa Cape Epic, but the crowds at Val de Vie in Paarl had lined up to watch Olympic champion Nino Schurter and partner Matthias Stirnemann claim their maiden Absa Cape Epic crown.