INTERNATIONAL: The 17th edition of the Cape Epic mountain-bike race in South Africa came to an end on Sunday. It’s the biggest event of its kind on the African continent and attracted entrants from around the world, but the winners came as no surprise.

It’s as gruelling as the scenery is beautiful. Each of the week’s stages took the riders through some of South Africa’s most stunning towns and mountain passes, all laid out across the winelands of the Western Cape.

Frenchman Jordan Sarrou and Matthew Beers of South Africa finished second behind stage winners Hans Becking and Jose Dias on Sunday – but it was enough for them to win the 2021 Cape Epic. The NinetyOne-songo-Specialized riders became the first men's team to wear the yellow leader jerseys at the start of every stage. The BULLS 2 team of Martin Frey and Simon Stiebjahn, who came third in Sunday’s final stage, finished second in the overall classification while Becking and Dias ended up third.

The women's race was dominated by Sina Frei of Switzerland and Austria's Laura Stigger. The NinetyOne-songo-Specialized riders won every stage to take the title.

Organisers say post-pandemic, they expect the 18th edition of the Cape Epic in 2022 to be even bigger.