![\"ccs-62657-0-35682800-1521382302.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-35682800-1521382302.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Nicola Rohrbach and Daniel Geismayr of team Centurion Vaude win the Prologue of the 2018 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in Cape Town, South Africa on the 18th March 2018. Photo by Greg Beadle\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/span><\/p>\nConditions couldn\u2019t have been any better as the 2018 Absa Cape Epic Prologue kicked off on Table Mountain National Park for the first time in two years. With a somewhat technical course featuring washed-out corners and steep, tricky climbs the 20km route has been touted to favour the cross-country specialists, or at least that\u2019s what everybody thought\u2026<\/p>\n
Canyon Topeak\u2019s Alaban Lakata put it bluntly at a press conference held on Thursday in Cape Town: \u201cUs marathon riders are going to show the cross-country guys just how to race the Absa Cape Epic.\u201d And that\u2019s exactly what panned out as marathon specialists Daniel Geismayr and Nicola Rohrbach powered to victory in calculated fashion ahead of Cannondale Factory Racing\u2019s Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini, and darkhorse team, Buff Scott MTB\u2019s Francesc Guerra Carretero and Luis Leao Pinto who finished third.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great feeling to win the Prologue and I could feel leading up to the race that we had good legs \u2013 but to win is incredible and to wear the yellow jersey tomorrow is important to us,\u201d said Geismayr. Partner Nicola Rohrbach was equally ecstatic and had the following to say: It\u2019s unbelievable that we won today. We are feeling super strong and are looking forward to the next four days and the longer stages.\u201d<\/p>\n
Defending champions Nino Schurter and Matthias Stirnemann were the last team to leave the ramp and despite coming into the race as defending champions, the paring looked relaxed ahead of the start. \u201cWe are looking forward to this ultimate adventure. We showed last year what we can do, and we will try to win the race and have a fun week,\u201d said Schurter. We don\u2019t have any pressure this year because we showed last year that we can win it.\u201d<\/p>\n The Scott-Sram duo took some time to get going but once they found a rhythm they managed to eat away at the clock, eventually finishing in fourth place in a time of 0:45.23,3. \u201cWe started well. Maybe over paced it a bit in the beginning so we struggled in the end,\u201d said Schurter. \u201cBut the gap is not that massive and we\u2019re not unhappy with the result.\u201d<\/p>\n The Cannondale Factory Racing pairing of Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini finished strong \u2013 to the delight of cheering fans \u2013 using all of their expertise to scythe through the technical sections and single track, restoring a semblance of pride for the cross-country in the process. \u201cWe\u2019re very happy with the start,\u201d said Fumic. \u201cWe would have liked to be in yellow but we don\u2019t mind chasing!\u201d<\/p>\n The biggest shock of the day belonged to team BULLS who were unable to stamp any ascendancy during the 20km Prologue. Five-time winner Karl Platt laboured on the climbs and trailed partner Urs Huber for the majority of the course. In fact, they were beaten by their teammates \u2013 the BULLS 2 contingent of Simon Stiebjahn and Tim Bohme who finished four places ahead of them in 13th position. \u201cI just did not have enough power today,\u201d said Platt. I was the one holding Urs (Huber) back and I struggled to get into any kind of rhythm.\u201d<\/p>\n The Absa African Men\u2019s special jersey race was shaken up before it had even begun with the news of PYGA Euro Steel\u2019s Philip Buys having to withdraw due to illness. This unfortunate turn of events resulted in the promotion of rookie Julian Jessop to ride alongside veteran Matthys Beukes. \u201cJulian is a fast youngster and I\u2019m going to look after him,\u201d said Beukes before starting the Prologue. \u201cHe is stepping up and I think he will do a good job.\u201d Beukes and Jessop would eventually finish in sixth place in the Absa African Men\u2019s special jersey category after Beukes punctured with 5km to go.<\/p>\n<\/a>Nino Schurter or Scott SRAM during the Prologue of the 2018 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in Cape Town, South Africa on the 18th March 2018. Photo by Nick Muzik\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Manuel Fumic & Henrique Avancini during the Prologue of the 2018 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in Cape Town, South Africa on the 18th March 2018. Photo by Ewald Sadie\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Karl Platt of Team Bulls during the Prologue of the 2018 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in Cape Town, South Africa on the 18th March 2018. Photo by Nick Muzik\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/span><\/p>\n