![\"ccs-62657-0-11855800-1553168246.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-11855800-1553168246.jpg\")
<\/a>Nino Schurter and Lars Forster of SCOTT SRAM during stage 4 of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race from Oak Valley Estate in Elgin, South Africa on the 21st March 2019. Photo by Nick Muzik\/Cape Epic<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cToday was amazing,\u201d Lars Forster said of the route, which featured some 1000-metres of climbing and took in all the best sections of the Oak Valley and Paul Cluver trails. \u201cI had so much fun! And, fun is fast!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did well!\u201d Senior partner Nino Schurter added. “Lars was super strong today, he pulled hard and it was a good performance for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cannondale Factory Racing couldn\u2019t ride as aggressively as they perhaps would\u2019ve liked, after Manuel Fumic crashed three kilometres in, breaking his suspension lockout system in the process. This meant they had to play a game of limiting losses rather than cement their lead, as was their initial strategy.<\/p>\n \u201cI was riding more-or-less 40kms with a locked suspension,\u201d the German commented afterward, adding that this eventually affected his back. \u201cThis left \u2018Ava\u2019 to do all the work and he was really strong,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe brought me to the finish, we\u2019re happy with the second place and kept Yellow – that\u2019s alright!\u201d<\/p>\n The 7C CBZ WILIER outfit of Louis Meija and Johnny Cattaneo rounded out the podium on the day seeing them move into ninth on GC. Other notable moves on the GC saw the Italian Trek Selle San Marco pairing of Damiano Ferraro and Samuele Porro climb into third ahead of BULLS Heroes (Urs Huber and Simon Stiebjahn) while SpecializedFoundationNAD leapfrog to sixth.<\/p>\n They Absa African Men\u2019s Jerseys had a storming day, with a heavily bandaged Matt Beers not showing any ill effects from his big crash on Stage 3. They remain solidly in Red and are just over a minute back on fifth-placed Centurion Vaude.<\/p>\n<\/a>Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini during stage 4 of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race from Oak Valley Estate in Elgin, South Africa on the 21st March 2019. Photo by Sam Clark\/Cape Epic<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Nino Schurter and Lars Forster of Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing on the leaders couch during stage 4 of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race from Oak Valley Estate in Elgin, South Africa on the 21st March 2019. Photo by Shaun Roy\/Cape Epic<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Karl Platt and Alban Lakata of Bulls Legends during stage 4 of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race from Oak Valley Estate in Elgin, South Africa on the 21st March 2019. Photo by Nick Muzik\/Cape Epic<\/span><\/p>\n