![\"ccs-62657-0-93273700-1458153408.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-93273700-1458153408.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Team Ascendis Health’s Jennie Stenerhag leads Team Spur Specialized’s Annika Langvad and Ariane Kleinhans during stage 3 of the 2016 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held from Saronsberg Wine Estate in Tulbagh to the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Wellington, South Africa on the 16th March 2016. Photo by Ewald Sadie\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/span><\/p>\nStenerhag later pulled out of the race and De Groot indicated that she would probably continue on her own as an Outcast \u2013 a UCI rider whose partner has left the race. Team Ascendis Health announced on twitter that Stenerhag \u201ccannot continue due to illness\u201d.<\/p>\n
And men\u2019s challenger Kristian Hynek took a nasty tumble towards the end of the stage and crossed the line with a bloodied arm and battered ribs. He too was taken off to hospital for x-rays.<\/p>\n
The overnight leaders in both categories meanwhile consolidated their positions.<\/p>\n Coming into the 2016 Absa Cape Epic, Karl Platt and Urs Huber (Team Bulls) had already enjoyed a string of excellent results on South African soil.<\/p>\n So it should come as no surprise that Platt and Huber are dominating the Absa Cape Epic this year. With a third stage win on the ride from Tulbagh to Wellington Platt and Huber have moved nine minutes ahead of their nearest rivals, another German-Swiss team in the shape of Centurion Vaude by Meerendal 2\u2019s Matthias Pfrommer and Nicola Rohrbach. The 2016 Stage 3 win is also Platt\u2019s 17th stage victory in 12 Absa Cape Epics.<\/p>\n Both have also spent time training and riding the trails in Wellington, which gave them a clear advantage in the last kilometres of today\u2019s stage.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the last 30km we went very hard,\u201d said Platt. \u201cWe know the trails well here, so we knew we could push and make a move the closer we got to the finish.\u201d<\/p>\n Platt said the strategy for the stage was to keep it cool and also keep an eye on their nearest rivals until it was time to strike. \u201cWe put the pressure on after Bain\u2019s Kloof Pass,\u201d said Platt. \u201cSimon Stiebjahn went into the trails ahead of us like a cannonball and we just followed him. There were two or three teams going into the trees at full pace, but we knew we could follow Simon and trust in his and our knowledge of the trails. It was another good day for us, and we are very happy to be home in first again.\u201d<\/p>\n Two minutes back on the day were Stage 2 winners, Team Centurion Vaude by Meerendal 2. Pfrommer and Rohrbach are enjoying a solid Absa Cape Epic debut, but admitted that after two days of furious racing the pace at the front is starting to take its toll.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re very happy with the second place, but the pace was fast today,\u201d said Pfrommer. \u201cI don\u2019t want to say it is too fast for us, but Karl and Urs were really going. It\u2019s a good day, but it was hard work out there.\u201d<\/p>\n For the third place overall team, Topeak Ergon Racing, there was more bad luck after a broken shoe derailed their Stage 2 efforts.<\/p>\n In the last five kilometres of Stage 3, previous winner Hynek took a nasty tumble that required medical attention to a bloodied arm on the finish line. Topeak Ergon Racing finished third on the day, but Hynek and Alban Lakata are now 11 minutes behind Team Bulls in the hunt for first place.<\/p>\n At the time of writing, Hynek had been sent to hospital for X-rays, after which the team were to make a decision on his ability to continue in the race.<\/p>\n In the Absa African Special Jersey competition, Team USN Purefit\u2019s Darren Lill and Waylon Woolcock strengthened their grip on the red rider jersey. Finishing seventh on Stage 3, they now have a 15-minute lead on their nearest African challengers, Gawie Combrinck and Nico Bell of NAD Pro MTB.<\/p>\n \u201cWe felt good again today,\u201d said Waylon Woolcock, \u201cWe spent some time riding with the front bunch until Darren punctured on the first climb. After a quick repair we stayed calm and just rode at our own pace to the finish. Things are going well so far.\u201d<\/p>\n In the women\u2019s race Ariane Kleinhans and Annika Langvad of Spur-Specialized moved a step closer to clinching their third straight Absa Cape Epic title by winning Stage 3 in a time of 5:18.47.<\/p>\n While the Swiss-Danish pair arrived at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology\u2019s Wellington campus 32,1 seconds ahead of the Topeak Ergon and added another 1.11,3 to their overall lead on Ascendis Health, they didn\u2019t have it all their own way on Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t see that coming,\u201d Langvad told Kleinhans as they celebrated their victory.<\/p>\n The three contenders in the Sasol Women\u2019s category, as well as Sport for Good, remained within a minute of each other at all three water points on the 104km transition stage from Tulbagh. While it didn\u2019t end in a sprint finish, they all described the racing as fierce and exactly what the women\u2019s category has been calling out for.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a very close race and we had no idea how it was going to finish. The racing was super close and very tough because we were all together until the last 20 kilometres or so,\u201d said Langvad.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t win because we were stronger today, but only because we chose best when to use our advantage. After the last descent we went through vineyards and the corners were very slippery\u2026 that\u2019s where we made our advantage count.\u201d<\/p>\n Among the triumphant scenes of Kleinhans and Langvad, were the tears of Adel Morath (Topeak Ergon) and clear signs of the day\u2019s toil when Stenerhag required medical attention.<\/p>\n \u201cToday was the best women\u2019s stage that I\u2019ve been involved in during my Cape Epic history,\u201d said Morath\u2019s partner Sally Bigham, riding in her sixth straight Absa Cape Epic. \u201cWe had a great time and really enjoyed the close racing. The separate starts worked well today and it will be very good for the sport if we have more racing like today \u2013 there was lots of attacking and counter-attacking.\u201d<\/p>\n Morath echoed Bigham\u2019s sentiments. \u201cIt was an amazing stage\u2026 we watched each other, we attacked each other, it was very tactical. It was super hard so in the end everyone was suffering and looking forward to seeing the finish line.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLook, there were sections that were very hot,\u201d revealed De Groot before adding that they had too enjoyed the stage. The racing was actually very exciting. It was a proper race today\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>Kristian Hynek of Topeak Ergon Racing receives medical attention after crashing during stage 3 of the 2016 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held from Saronsberg Wine Estate in Tulbagh to the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Wellington, South Africa on the 16th March 2016. Photo by Gary Perkin\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Karl Platt & Urs Huber of Bulls win stage 3 of the 2016 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held from Saronsberg Wine Estate in Tulbagh to the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Wellington, South Africa on the 16th March 2016. Photo by Gary Perkin\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Ariane Kleinhans (front L) and Annika Langvad (Second L) lead a bunch during stage 3 of the 2016 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held from Saronsberg Wine Estate in Tulbagh to the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Wellington, South Africa on the 16th March 2016. Photo by Sam Clark\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/span><\/p>\n