Coming into the 2016 Absa Cape Epic, Karl Platt and Urs Huber (Team Bulls) had already enjoyed a string of excellent results on South African soil.
Karl Platt and Urs Huber of Team Bulls 1 during stage 3 of the 2016 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held from Saronsberg Wine Estate in Tulbagh to the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Wellington, South Africa on the 16th March 2016. Photo by Nick Muzik/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS
As a pair they won the most recent edition of the Tankwa Trek, this after Platt had won the Attakwas Extreme earlier in the year and Huber had taken pole at the National MTB Series in Sabie (Platt finished second in that event).
So it should come as no surprise that Platt and Huber are dominating the Absa Cape Epic this year. With a third stage win, this time the 104km Stage 3 from Tulbagh to Wellington, Platt and Huber have moved nine minutes ahead of their nearest rivals, another German-Swiss team in the shape of Centurion Vaude by Meerendal 2’s Matthias Pfrommer and Nicola Rohrbach. The 2016 Stage 3 win is also Platt’s 17th stage victory in 12 Absa Cape Epic’s.
It seems that this Cape Epic has been all about preparation for Platt and Huber, with their team management confessing that both riders have been focussing on their mental preparation as much as their physical preparation for the race. Both have also spent time training and riding the trails in Wellington, which gave them a clear advantage in the last kilometres of today’s stage.
“In the last 30km we went very hard,” said Platt. “We know the trails well here, so we knew we could push and make a move the closer we got to the finish.”
Karl Platt of Team Bulls 1 console Alban Lakata of team Topeak Ergon Racing during stage 3 of the 2016 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held from Saronsberg Wine Estate in Tulbagh to the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Wellington, South Africa on the 16th March 2016. Photo by Nick Muzik/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS
Platt said the strategy for the stage was to keep it cool and also keep an eye on their nearest rivals until it was time to strike. “We put the pressure on after Bain’s Kloof Pass,” said Platt. “Simon Stiebjahn went into the trails ahead of us like a cannonball and we just followed him. There were two or three teams going into the trees at full pace, but we knew we could follow Simon and trust in his and our knowledge of the trails. It was another good day for us, and we are very happy to be home in first again.”
Two minutes back on the day were Stage 2 winners, Team Centurion Vaude by Meerendal 2. Matthias Pfrommer and Nicola Rohrbach are enjoying a solid Cape Epic debut, but admitted that after two days of furious racing the pace at the front is starting to take its toll.
“We’re very happy with the second place, but the pace was fast today,” said Pfrommer. “I don’t want to say it is too fast for us, but Karl and Urs were really going. It’s a good day, but it was hard work out there.”
Pfrommer said Team Bulls put their knowledge of the local trails to good use. “The guys pushed really hard at the finish. At one stage we were just behind them, and then we looked up and they were gone. There is a long descent to the finish and I think they knew it really well, so they could fly.”
With four stages to go, Pfrommer and Rohrbach are under no illusion about the hard work to come if they want to remain in the podium positions. “We are having a good ride in our first Cape Epic, and being in such a good position now we would like to podium,” said Rohrback. “But this is a tough race and there are lots of stages to go. Anything can happen between now and Sunday. I would like to say we are having fun, but the racing is hard!”
Nicola Rohrbach and Matthias Pfommer of Team Centurion Vaude by Meerendal 2 lead the bunch during stage 3 of the 2016 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held from Saronsberg Wine Estate in Tulbagh to the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Wellington, South Africa on the 16th March 2016. Photo by Nick Muzik/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS
For the third place overall team, Topeak Ergon Racing, there was more bad luck after a broken shoe derailed their Stage 2 efforts.
In the last five kilometres of Stage 3, previous winner Kristian Hynek took a nasty tumble that required medical attention to a bloodied arm on the finish line. Topeak Ergon Racing finished third on the day, but Hynek and Alban Lakata are now 11 minutes behind Team Bulls in the hunt for first place.
At the time of writing, Hynek had been sent to hospital for X-rays, after which the team will make a decision on his ability to continue in the race.
Nico Bell and Gawie Combrinck of NAD Pro MTB during stage 3 of the 2016 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held from Saronsberg Wine Estate in Tulbagh to the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Wellington, South Africa on the 16th March 2016. Photo by Nick Muzik/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS
In the Absa African Special Jersey competition, Team USN Purefit’s Darren Lill and Waylon Woolcock strengthened their grip on the red rider jersey. Finishing seventh on Stage 3, they now have a 15-minute lead on their nearest African challengers, Gawie Combrinck and Nico Bell of NAD Pro MTB.
“We felt good again today,” said Waylon Woolcock, “We spent some time riding with the front bunch until Darren punctured on the first climb. After a quick repair we stayed calm and just rode at our own pace to the finish. Things are going well so far.”
2016 Stage 3 Men
Stage Results
1. Bulls 3-1 Karl Platt (Germany) 3-2 Urs Huber (Switzerland) 4:25.54,9
2. Centurion Vaude by Meerendal 2 17-1 Nicola Rohrbach (Switzerland) 17-2 Matthias Pfrommer (Germany) 4:28.03,0 +2.08,1
3. Topeak Ergon Racing 2-1 Alban Lakata (Austria) 2-2 Kristian Hynek (Czech Republic) 4:28.48,1 +2.53,2
Overall Results
1. Bulls 3-1 Karl Platt (Germany) 3-2 Urs Huber (Switzerland) 14:22.36,1
2. Centurion Vaude by Meerendal 2 17-1 Nicola Rohrbach (Switzerland) 17-2 Matthias Pfrommer (Germany) 14:31.43,1 +9.07,0
3. Topeak Ergon Racing 2-1 Alban Lakata (Austria) 2-2 Kristian Hynek (Czech Republic) 14:33.52,1 +11.16,0
4. Trek-Selle San Marco A 13-1 Samuele Porro (Italy) 13-2 Damiano Ferraro (Italy) 14:39.55,9 +17.19,8
5. Cannondale Factory Racing 14-1 Manuel Fumic (Germany) 14-2 Henrique Avancini (Brazil) 14:46.55,7 +24.19,6
6. USN Purefit 7-1 Darren Lill (South Africa) 7-2 Waylon Woolcock (South Africa) 14:50.34,3 +27.58,2
7. Dolomiti Superbike 11-1 Periklis Ilias (Greece) 11-2 Tiago Jorge Ferreira Oliveira (Portugal) 14:52.07,0 +29.30,9
8. Bulls 2 10-1 Simon Stiebjahn (Germany) 10-2 Tim Boehme (Germany) 14:57.47,4 +35.11,3
9. Trek-Selle San Marco B 18-1 Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Spain) 18-2 Fabian Rabensteiner (Italy) 14:59.55,1 +37.19,0
10. NAD Pro MTB 8-1 Gawie Combrinck (South Africa) 8-2 Nico Bell (South Africa) 15:05.13,9 +42.37,8
Europros dominating our race... Now that's very much like the tour de France