![\"ccs-62657-0-78184600-1552834060.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-78184600-1552834060.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Annika LANGVAD (DNK) and Anna VAN DER BREGGEN (NLD) of team Investec-songo-Specialized during the Prologue of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa on the 17th March 2019. Photo by Greg Beadle\/Cape Epic<\/span><\/p>\nThe Investec-songo-Specialized pair removed any doubt they are going to be the team to beat this week as they powered along the slopes of Table Mountain and completed the 20km stage in a time of 51 minutes and 44 seconds. They will take a big two-minute 35-second lead into Stage 1 which starts and finishes in Hermanus on Monday.<\/p>\n
Ariane L\u00fcthi, who partnered Langvad to three Absa Cape Epic wins, and Maja Wloszczowska from the Kross-Spur Racing team ended second in the Prologue, with Summit Fin\u2019s Candice Lill and Adelheid Morath third, 14 seconds further back.<\/p>\n
Langvad and Van der Breggen were the final pairing from the elite women\u2019s race to set off in the time trial format and it was quickly obvious they were the team to beat. When they passed the first intermediate timing point after just six kilometres they had already negotiated the early climbs a massive 66 seconds quicker than any of their rivals.<\/p>\n
Effectively the Danish and Dutch World Champions had reduced the stage \u2013 and probably the entire event \u2013 to a race for second within six kilometres.<\/p>\n
At the highest point of Sunday\u2019s stage, after 16km and just before the riders began the more technical downhill sections back to the finish, Langvad and Van der Breggen had doubled that lead to over two minutes, giving them a cushion to ride a controlled descent back to the start\/finish.<\/p>\n
They made sure there were no mistakes and crossed the line with a healthy, morale-boosting lead over all their rivals.<\/p>\n \u201cGetting a good start is always very important,\u201d said Langvad after the finish. \u201cIt is good for the morale and good for the motivation.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it is the hardest and fastest Prologue I have ever done at the Absa Cape Epic.\u201d<\/p>\n Van der Breggen was relieved and pleased to have the Prologue behind her.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is nice it has finally started \u2026 and it started in a nice way,\u201d said the 2016 Olympic Champion. \u201cToday was better than we expected, but we have seven more days to go and we will have to see what is coming up.\u201d<\/p>\n As a road rider, there were question marks over Van der Breggen\u2019s speed in the technical sections but the current Road World Champion has established her credentials and was even lamenting the fact she had to slow down at times.<\/p>\n \u201cI liked the Land Rover Technical Terrain today, but they are not the most technical sections of the whole race,\u201d said Van der Breggen. \u201cFor me, the technical sections are quite difficult because I want to go fast always. On a road bike you can always go fast, but here you can go too fast so I have to get used to taking some speed off sometimes. At least with Annika, I absolutely have one of the best to follow and she can show me what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>Annika Langvad & Anna van der Breggen of Investec-Songo-Specialized cross the finish line during the Prologue of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa on the 17th March 2019. Photo by Dwayne Senior\/Cape Epic<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Maja Wloszczowska [L] and Ariane Luthi [R] during the Prologue of the 2019 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa on the 17th March 2019. Photo by Sam Clark\/Cape Epic<\/span><\/p>\n