![\"ccs-2-0-80678900-1395672631.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-2-0-80678900-1395672631.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nStage winners Jochen Kaess & Markus Kaufmann of Centurion-Vaudeduring stage 1 of the 2014 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held from Arabella Wines in Robertson, South Africa on the 24 March 2014<\/span><\/p>\n Photo by Nick Muzik\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/p>\n The Germans finished in 4h42m50,3s, two minutes ahead of a sprinting group of five teams led home by Switzerland\u2019s four-time Epic winner Christoph Sauser and his Czech teammate Frantisek Rabon (Meerendal Songo Specialized).<\/p>\n (L to R) Lukas Fluckiger of BMC Mountainbike Racing, Hannes Genze of Meerendal Centurion Wheeler, Christoph Sauser of Meerendal Songo Specialized, Tim Boehme of Bulls 2 and Frantisek Rabon of Meerendal Songo Specialized sprint to the line for second place during stage 1 of the 2014 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held from Arabella Wines in Robertson, South Africa on the 24 March 2014<\/span><\/p>\n Photo by Shaun Roy\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/p>\n The course took the riders through rain in a loop, starting and finishing in Robertson, over some of the most rugged terrain in the Western Cape and up three brutal climbs. All of the top teams had problems during the day, ranging from punctures and mechanical problems to crashes and illness.<\/p>\n Several teams who had an eye on the men\u2019s category podium were set back – among them favourites Karl Platt, from Germany, and Swiss teammate Urs Huber (Bulls), who slipped into seventh place overall and are five minutes off the pace, with fears that Huber may be getting ill.<\/p>\n Jochen Kaess & Markus Kaufmann of Centurion-Vaude during stage 1 of the 2014 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held from Arabella Wines in Robertson, South Africa on the 24 March 2014<\/span><\/p>\n Photo by Nick Muzik\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/p>\n But biggest setback of the day probably befell Spaniard Jose Hermida and his Dutch partner Rudi van Houts (Team Multivan Merida), who had won Sunday\u2019s prologue but finished more than one hour and 15 minutes off the pace yesterday. Hermida fell victim to stomach problems overnight and struggled throughout.<\/p>\n In the women\u2019s even, pre-race favourites and prologue winners Ariane Kleinhans and Annika Langvad had a disastrous day with a series of punctures and problems and fell 25 minutes off the pace.<\/p>\n Kaufmann and Kaess – who came into the Epic unheralded – survived a flat tyre and a fall to eventually pull away near the end of the stage. \u201cIt was really crazy – every team had a problem,\u201d said Kaufmann afterwards.<\/p>\n With 50km to go six teams had regrouped and were racing for the win, but then each of their rivals picked up problems.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had problems and the other guys had problems \u2026 but in the end we won it and we are very happy,\u201d said Kaess.<\/p>\n Moving ominously up the field, after finishing second yesterday, are Sauser and Rabon, who were two minutes behind the leaders in spite of having two punctures themselves. Sauser has won the race four times and yesterday\u2019s result moves them into third overall.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe we are one of the favourites now, if not the favourites,\u201d said Sauser. \u201cThe route is going to favour us more and more from now.\u201d He pointed to the long 134km stage three from Robertson to Greyton on Wednesday as one where he and Rabon – who has what his fellow professionals like to call a \u201cbig engine\u201d – could profit. The Czech, relatively new to mountain biking from a professional road riding career, said \u201cwe showed today we can fight back even if the luck was not on our side\u201d.<\/p>\n Second overall, and third yesterday in a sprint finish with Sauser and Rabon, are Team BMC\u2019s Lukas Fluckiger and Martin Fanger (both Swiss).<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n