{"id":16958,"date":"2017-03-19T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-03-19T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/2017\/03\/19\/scorching-pace-set-at-cape-epic-prologue-r6298\/"},"modified":"2023-02-08T07:05:06","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T07:05:06","slug":"scorching-pace-set-at-cape-epic-prologue-r6298","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/scorching-pace-set-at-cape-epic-prologue-r6298\/","title":{"rendered":"Scorching pace set at Cape Epic prologue"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2017 Absa Cape Epic started exactly as they 2016 edition ended, with Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini (Cannondale Factor Racing XC) powering onto the Meerendal Wine Estate fields to take the win.<\/p>\n

\"ccs-62657-0-31658700-1489932058.jpg\"<\/a>Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini during the Prologue of the 2017 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held at Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville, South Africa on the 19th March 2017. Photo by Ewald Sadie\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/span><\/p>\n

Last year the pair claimed the final stage of the Cape Epic; this year they put their considerable cross-country talents to good use to out-race a star-studded field to claim the 26km Prologue at a blazing hot Meerendal.<\/p>\n

2016 Olympic cross-country champion Nino Schurter and teammate Matthias Stirnemann (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing) finished second, with Trek-Selle San Marco\u2019s Samuele Porro and Alexey Medvedev taking the final podium place.<\/p>\n

Defending champions Karl Platt and Urs Huber (Bulls) finished sixth, while returning five-time winner Christoph Sauser and Czech teammate Jaroslav Kulhavy (Investec-Songo-Specialized) were fourth on the day.<\/p>\n

As ever, Fumic was all smiles off the bike. \u201cWe are very happy with the result,\u201d he said. \u201cOur plan was to put up a good time and that\u2019s exactly what we did. Obviously, the Prologue is a cross-country day and that really suits us. We targeted this day and our aim was always to be number one on the podium. But 26km is very routine for us. Tomorrow the race starts and we will hopefully be near the front for the rest of the week.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like the rest of the elite men\u2019s field, Fumic said that race conditions were extremely trying. \u201cIt was very warm out there, one of the hotter days I\u2019ve had. We realised very quickly that we had to pace ourselves, ride together and take turns doing the work. On Saturday we rode the Prologue route, so we knew what to expect. It also helped us make the right adjustments to the bikes overnight. Our strategy worked and we also had a faultless ride; we made no mistakes on the bike today. Everything came together nicely.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ccs-62657-0-47347800-1489932127.jpg\"<\/a>Nino Schurter and Matthias Stirnemann during the Prologue of the 2017 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held at Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville, South Africa on the 19th March 2017. Photo by Ewald Sadie\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/span><\/p>\n

World Champion and Olympic champion Nino Schurter gave it his all on the day, but the heat appeared to take a heavy toll on his teammate Stirnemann. \u201cIt was very warm, which came as something as a surprise to us,\u201d said Schurter. \u201cWe are here for stage wins and today just didn\u2019t work out. Looking ahead to the rest of the week, we will target a few more stages and hopefully stick in the top three or four of the overall race. Our focus is not the overall win, but the podium is definitely a target.\u201d<\/p>\n

Returning Cape Epic legend Sauser, who rode last year but didn\u2019t race, appeared fresh at the finish and was particularly heartened by what he called his \u201cbest Prologue ever\u201d. \u201cI am super happy with that result; I think we were one of the first marathon teams home, which is a good result for us. It feels great to be back racing – maybe I won\u2019t say that in the middle of the week – but right now it\u2019s a good feeling,\u201d Sauser said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am feeling very good with my form, in fact I think that was probably one of the best Prologues I\u2019ve ever had at the Epic. I felt like I was completely in sync with the bike and I was just able to flow through the stage. Initially, I was worried about being dropped by Jaro, but after a few kilometres I was feeling good so we were able to let loose.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sauser and Kulhavy, who last rode to victory in 2015, will be among the favourites for the overall title this week.<\/p>\n

\"ccs-62657-0-61539300-1489931970.jpg\"<\/a>(Left to Right) 2nd Place Matthias Stimemann & Nino Schurter of Scott-Sram MTB Racing, 1st Place Manuel Fumic & Henrique Avancini of Cannonade Factory Racing XC and 3rd Place Samuele Porro & Alexey Medvedev of Trek-Selle San Marco during the Prologue of the 2017 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held at Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville, South Africa on the 19th March 2017. Photo by Shaun Roy\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking slightly disappointed after their Prologue ride were defending champions Platt and Huber. Platt in particular seemed to have taken strain in the hot conditions after the pair had blasted out of the starting block.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was very hot. Normally there is wind at Meerendal to make it a little bit cooler, but today the wind was gone,\u201d he said. \u201cOur ride did not go according to plan; I think we were maybe a little over-motivated at the start and went out too fast. We were going hard, but just couldn\u2019t keep the pace up all the way to the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

Platt, though, was his usual pragmatic self when reflecting on the sixth-place. \u201cIt\u2019s only one stage and we have the whole week to make it back. We will look to make time back little by little every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tomorrow the five-time winner will have 101km to make a splash at the 2017 Absa Cape Epic, as the event moves to Hermanus for the first time since 2008. Stage 1 will start and finish at Hermanus High School and features 2300m of climbing.<\/p>\n

Absa Cape Epic Prologue Highlights<\/h2>\n

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