{"id":18551,"date":"2016-03-13T16:20:00","date_gmt":"2016-03-13T16:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/2016\/03\/13\/prologue-wrap-up-platt-rides-like-the-wind-r4337\/"},"modified":"2023-02-08T08:34:12","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T08:34:12","slug":"prologue-wrap-up-platt-rides-like-the-wind-r4337","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/prologue-wrap-up-platt-rides-like-the-wind-r4337\/","title":{"rendered":"Prologue Wrap-up: Platt rides like the wind"},"content":{"rendered":"

Four-time Absa Cape Epic winner Karl Platt of Germany and Swiss partner Urs Huber (Bulls) laid down a marker for the week ahead by blitzing the course to win Sunday\u2019s prologue.<\/p>\n

\"ccs-62657-0-16139500-1457885769.jpg\"<\/a>Gareth Chilton of South Africa and England’s Adam Foster were the first riders of the Prologue of the 2016 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held at Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville, South Africa on the 13th March 2016. Photo by Mark Sampson\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/span><\/p>\n

And in the Women\u2019s category South African Robyn de Groot and her Swedish teammate Jennie Stenerhag (Ascendis Health) gave notice that they will be a force in this year\u2019s race when they beat favourites Ariane Kleinhans and Annika Langvad (Spur-Specialized).<\/p>\n

Wind was the word of the day, which turned out to be rather fitting as Platt likes to talk about there being only one gas, \u201cand that\u2019s full gas\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"ccs-62657-0-72560400-1457886095.jpg\"<\/a>Winners of the prologue Karl Platt and Urs Huber during the Prologue of the 2016 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held at Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville, South Africa on the 13th March 2016. Photo by Dominic Barnardt\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/span><\/p>\n

Going into the event as one of the pre-race favourites, the pressure was on the Bulls pair to live up to the hype after a few years of middling Absa Cape Epic results. With a flawless Prologue, they couldn\u2019t have asked for a better start as they raced home on the 26km Meerendal course in 1:04.34,7.<\/p>\n

The Swiss-German pairing Nicola Rohrbach and Matthias Pfrommer of Centurion Vaude by Meerendal 2 finished in second place, with Trek-Selle San Marco A\u2019s Samuele Porro and Damiano Ferraro, both of Italy, rounding out the top three.<\/p>\n

The other pre-race favourites, Kristian Hynek and Alban Lakata of Team Topeak Ergon Racing, battled on the day and only managed a ninth place finish, two minutes and 19 seconds behind Platt and Huber.<\/p>\n

\"ccs-62657-0-10060600-1457886012.jpg\"<\/a>James Reid and Gert Heyns during the Prologue of the 2016 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held at Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville, South Africa on the 13th March 2016.Photo by Dominic Barnardt\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/span><\/p>\n

With five-time winner Christoph Sauser participating this year, but not racing competitively, the gap is there for Platt to tick off his fifth win. Judging by the huge smiles as he stepped on to the winner\u2019s podium, things are going according to plan in the early stages of the race.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never won the Prologue,\u201d said Platt. \u201cSo to get off to such a good start makes me happy. The conditions were so tough, and we were battling a side-on wind at the top. There was nowhere to hide out there, so to have such an awesome ride was the best way to start. I\u2019m confident about our team shape and I\u2019m excited about the week ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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