![\"ccs-62657-0-34721700-1553003632.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-34721700-1553003632.jpg\")
<\/a>Annika Langvad and Anna van der Breggen of Investec-Songo-Specialized celebrate winning stage 2 of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race from Hermanus High School in Hermanus to Oak Valley Estate in Elgin, South Africa on the 19th March 2019. Photo by Shaun Roy\/Cape Epic<\/span><\/p>\nThe MTB and road world champion pairing made the decisive move about three-quarters of the way through the 90km stage from Hermanus to Oak Valley Estate in Elgin; but their plan before the start was to not attack their nearest rivals, the Kross-Spur Racing duo of Ariane L\u00fcthi and Maja Wloszczowska.<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday (Monday) we were quite broken when we crossed the finish line, so today we actually wanted to try and save energy as much as we could,\u201d said five-time World Marathon Champion Langvad as she recovered after the stage. \u201cIt was so far today that we just wanted to try and hang on to (L\u00fcthi and Wloszczowska), but at the last big climb we could feel that they were fading and so we pushed the pace a bit and got a gap. The climb is at the end of the stage, so you need to time it well to have something left in the tank after the climb.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the end of the stage Langvad and Van der Breggen had opened up a two minute gap which leaves them with a healthy cushion of close to eight minutes going into the 107km Stage 3. Wednesday\u2019s stage is a tough out-and-back loop from Oak Valley that takes in the famed Groenlandberg climb and its treacherous descent.<\/p>\n The Summit Fin pairing of South Africa\u2019s Candice Lill and her German partner Adelheid Morath crossed the line third and they are now 18 minutes off the pace in third position overall.<\/p>\n Despite building a big advantage before the riders have even reached the halfway stage of the eight-day event, Langvad refuses to be drawn into any talk of a clean-sweep of eight wins in eight stages.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing about this race is ever sure until you cross the finish line \u2013 but so far so good,\u201d was as far as she would go toward contemplating victory at Val de Vie Estate on Sunday.<\/p>\n Langvad\u2019s Olympic Road Champion partner also refused to look too far ahead, but was clearly pleased to have come through the transition stage to Oak Valley unscathed.<\/p>\n \u201cI am really tired, but I am really happy with today\u2019s stage,\u201d said Van der Breggen after the finish. \u201cWe stayed with Maja and Ariane on the downhills and the technical sections, including the Land Rover Technical Terrain. We managed to keep up without crashing \u2013 and it was very easy to crash today because it was very fast. So that makes it a good day for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite losing time on their main rivals for the third day in a row, L\u00fcthi was clearly content to have increased their lead over the third-placed Summit Fin team.<\/p>\n<\/a>Anna van der Breggen and Annika Langvad during stage 2 of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race from Hermanus High School in Hermanus to Oak Valley Estate in Elgin, South Africa on the 19th March 2019. Photo by Sam Clark\/Cape Epic<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Candice Lill and Adelheid Morath of Summit Fin lead Anna van der Breggen and Annika Langvad of Investec-Songo-Specialized up a climb during stage 2 of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race from Hermanus High School in Hermanus to Oak Valley Estate in Elgin, South Africa on the 19th March 2019. Photo by Shaun Roy\/Cape Epic<\/span><\/p>\n