![\"ccs-62657-0-40363100-1457969949.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-40363100-1457969949.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Karl Platt of Team Bulls 1 during stage 1 of the 2016 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held from Saronsberg Wine Estate in Tulbagh, South Africa on the 14th March 2016. Photo by Nick Muzik\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/span><\/p>\nGerman Karl Platt, riding for Team Bulls with Swiss Urs Huber, was still on track for a record-equalling fifth win after winning Stage 1 by 38 seconds, but second placed Albvan Lakata of Austria and his Czech teammate Kristian Hynek signalled their intent with a strong finish.<\/p>\n
And for the second day running Ascendis Health\u2019s South African\/Sweden pairing of Robyn de Groot and Jennie Stenerhag pipped defending champions and overwhelming favourites Annika Langvad of Denmark and Araine Kleinhans of Switzerland (Spur-Specialized) to the post.<\/p>\n
It was evident after a day of gruelling racing in heavy dust and soaring temperatures that the race for the top step of the podium in both categories is going to be a very close one.<\/p>\n
In the men\u2019s race Platt and Huber, along with Cape Epic first-timers Periklis Ilias and Tiago Ferreira (Team Dolomiti Superbike), went out hard from the start, with the small bunch of four leading practically from start to finish on the 108km Tulbagh to Tulbagh stage. The tactic paid off for Platt and Huber, with the pair claiming victory in a time of 4:32.12,5.<\/p>\n
Dolomiti Superbike finished third on the day, after a wrong turn towards the end allowed Topeak Ergon Racing\u2019s Albana Lakata and Kristian Hynek to shoot into second place, 38,5 seconds after Team Bulls.<\/p>\n
For Platt, it was a celebratory birthday victory a day before the Absa Cape Epic celebrates its 100th stage. \u201cThe beginning was tough in the dust, but the middle section was unbelievable,\u201d said Platt. There was lots of great singletrack that really made the racing enjoyable. I\u2019m happy with the win on my birthday, though I could think of a few more relaxing things to be doing \u2013 maybe a nice glass of wine instead of racing.\u201d<\/p>\n Topeak Ergon Racing, after a disappointing Prologue, arrived at the Stage 1 finish looking relaxed and happy with their ride, a major shift from the post-Prologue grumbles. Lakata and Hynek both felt that the pace was too fast at the start, and so held back before striking. \u201cTeam Bulls and Dolomiti went out hard, but we didn\u2019t panic,\u201d said Lakata. \u201cOur plan was always to be steady all day.\u201d<\/p>\n Lakata said the heavy dust at the start of the stage was nerve-wracking. \u201cIt was very dry and dusty in the beginning. It felt very dangerous because we couldn\u2019t see anything for a while, and at one point I was actually quite scared.\u201d<\/p>\n At one point trailing the two leading teams by over two minutes, Lakata and Hynek decided to attack from water point three. \u201cWe chose to put the hammer down and gave it a lot of gas. In the end, it was a perfect ride for us and well-paced. It didn\u2019t feel like we were in the red zone at all today and second is a very good result after the Prologue.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking somewhat disappointed with a third-place finish, but still managing a smile on the podium, Greece\u2019s Periklis Ilias and Portugal\u2019s Tiago Ferreira made a strong statement in their debut Cape Epic. Ilias, the 2012 marathon world champion, was taken by surprise with the dusty conditions, but still managed to race hard from the start. \u201cToday was the real Cape Epic. It was so dusty at the start that we decided to go out with the Bulls to get ahead of the dust,\u201d said Ilias. \u201cWe worked hard and I\u2019m happy with the result. There is no pressure on us to perform because we are new, but Tiago and I feel like there is a good pressure because we can just go out there and ride.\u201d<\/p>\n In the race for the Absa African Special Jersey, USN Purefit\u2019s Darren Lill and Waylon Woolcock made a move to the front, finishing almost nine minutes ahead of next African challengers, NAD Pro MTBs Gawie Combrinck and Nico Bell.<\/p>\n The USN Purefit team of had a good day on the bike overall, finishing the stage in seventh place.<\/p>\n Gert Heyns of Team Spur, who started the day in the red Absa African Special Jersey alongside James Reid, was forced to withdraw from the race with flu.<\/p>\n When De Groot and Stenerhag Health crossed the finish line first among the women in a time of 5:22.18,4 the most surprised people at Saronsberg Wine Estate were the two of them.<\/p>\n \u201cWe saw the helicopter, then we saw Ariane [Kleinhans] and thought maybe we can go for a stage win,\u201d said De Groot of their passing manoeuvre on the Spur-Specialised pair of Ariane Kleinhans and Annika Langvad.<\/p>\n Up until that dramatic moment, in the final two kilometres of Monday\u2019s 108km stage, the South African-Swedish pair of De Groot and Stenerhag feared for their Sasol Women\u2019s category leader\u2019s jersey.<\/p>\n \u201cWe thought we had lost it,\u201d said De Groot. \u201cWe didn\u2019t expect to catch up to them after we all split.\u201d<\/p>\n Stage 1 was the first time in Absa Cape Epic history where the UCI-registered women\u2019s teams started in their own batch, taking off 10 minutes after the UCI men on Monday morning. De Groot believes that it added an interesting element to the racing among the women.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was very nice and gave us all a fair chance to leverage off the start. Once we were caught by the men who started behind us we then rode tempo,\u201d said De Groot, the reigning South African Marathon champion.<\/p>\n Langvad and Kleinhans came home in second place, losing 39.9 seconds on the day, and the pain was etched on the Swiss rider\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was actually a very good day,\u201d recalled Langvad, speaking for the pair while Kleinhans struggled through the day\u2019s exertions.<\/p>\n \u201cWe got away on the first climb when the Grand Masters caught up with us. Up until that stage it was actually very slow. When the men caught us I think they expected us to do the work but it didn\u2019t really happen. We knew today would be interesting with the new start and nobody had an idea how it would go.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>Team Dolomiti Superbike in hot pursuit of Bulls during stage 1 of the 2016 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held from Saronsberg Wine Estate in Tulbagh, South Africa on the 14th March 2016. Photo by Mark Sampson\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Kristian Hynek and Alban Lakata during stage 1 of the 2016 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held from Saronsberg Wine Estate in Tulbagh, South Africa on the 14th March 2016. Photo by Mark Sampson\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Leading womens team Ascendis Health’s Robyn de Groot and Jennie Stenerhag on their way to victory during stage 1 of the 2016 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held from Saronsberg Wine Estate in Tulbagh, South Africa on the 14th March 2016. Photo by Ewald Sadie\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/span><\/p>\n