INTERNATIONAL: Andreas Seewald showed his World Champion credentials at the Cape Epic on Wednesday, powering to an important stage three win with team mate Martin Stosek. The Canyon Northwave MTB pair remain in second overall, but they have cut the lead of NinetyOne-songo-Specialized's Matt Beers and Jordan Sarrou down to 01:43.
The stage provided plenty of drama, with crashes and snapped chains occurring at high frequency. Initial Stage 3 pace-setters Phil Buys and Pieter du Toit, who won the Dimension Data Hotspot Sprint on Tulbagh's 300-year-old Church Street, were leading when they took a tumble on the Bone Trail singletrack. The fall broke du Toit's handlebar.
For much of the men's Stage 3 race, the leading teams remained together - indeed, the real racing would only start on the blockbuster Fanties Pass, arguably the toughest climb in the 2021 event. Canyon Northwave MTB made their move halfway up the climb and it was only Trek-Pirelli that could respond. Urs Huber and Simon Schneller of BULLS were able to finish third on the day, with BULLS 2's Martin Frey and Simon Stiebjahn (fourth) riding home just ahead of yellow jersey wearers, Beers and Sarrou.
Meanwhile in the women's race, Sina Frei and Laura Stigger remain in overall control after another stage win. They finished the stage nearly four minutes ahead of their nearest rivals, Robyn de Groot and Ariane Lüthi (Salusmed), giving themselves a mammoth 11-minute lead in the women's race general classification.
Stage 4 of the Absa Cape Epic will take the riders from Tulbagh to a rearranged finish at Goudini Spa in the Slanghoek Valley. At 73km-long, the ride may seem short, but it includes punchy climbs and rocky terrain on the route. The Cape Epic ends on Sunday.
PHOTO: HIGHLIGHTS OF STAGE THREE OF THE CAPE EPIC, WON BY CANYON NORTHWAVE MTB'S ANDREAS SEEWALD AND MARTIN STOSEK (MEN) AND 91 SONGO PAIRING OF SINA FREI (SUI) AND LAURA STIGGER (WOMEN)
