INTERNATIONAL: The 17th edition of the Cape Epic got underway in Cape Town, South Africa, on Sunday. Sina Frei and Laura Stigger won the women's prologue, with Jordan Sarrou and Matthew Beers winning the men's.

One of the most beautiful cities in the world, although mountain biking certainly isn’t the most leisurely way of seeing it. The prologue was a 20-kilometre loop starting at the University of Cape Town and winding through the city’s fabled Table Mountain.

At the end of the day, Switzerland's Frei and Austria's Stigger held a one minute and 33-second lead over South African pair Candice Lill and Mariske Strauss. Ariane Luthi of Switzerland and Robyn de Groot of South Africa were just five seconds behind Lill and Strauss in third.

Frenchman Sarrou and South African Beers held a one minute, 39 seconds lead over Switzerland's Filippo Viero Colombo and Italian Juri Zanotti who finished second in the men's competition. Andreas Seewald of Germany and Czech Martin Stosek were in third.

All in all, 600 mountain bikers are competing in the 17th edition of the race. They face seven more days of gruelling rides throughout South Africa's Western Cape province, before the winners are crowned on Sunday.

^{PHOTO: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PROLOGUE OF THE 2021 CAPE EPIC}