There were mixed fortunes for SCOTT teams at the opening stage of the 2013 ABSA Cape Epic in Durbanville, South Africa, on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Current Cross-country World Champion, Nino Schurter, and his SCOTT Swisspower teammate, Florian Vogel, finished a frustrated eighth overall on the 22km prologue stage around Meerendal Wine Estate following a crash. They were strongly tipped as likely winners of the stage.<\/p>\n
Nino Schurter leads his SCOTT Swisspower teammate, Florian Vogel to the top of the Meerendal climb during the prologue stage of the ABSA Cape Epic on Sunday.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Photo credit: Greg Beadle <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n But South Africans Philip Buys and Matthys Beukes of SCOTT Factory Racing produced a measured effort to claim ninth place overall and secure the African Leader\u2019s Jersey. Riding SCOTT Spark 29 RCs, they were the marginal favourites going into the stage due to their strength on short, steep courses.<\/p>\n \u201cThe crash was my own fault. About two thirds into the stage on a very fast descent I had a brief lapse of concentration and went off the singletrack,\u201d explained Vogel. \u201cLuckily I wasn\u2019t badly injured, but my saddle broke which wasn\u2019t ideal.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s racing,\u201d said Schurter. \u201cWe lost a bit of time, but there are still seven hard days to come. Hopefully that\u2019s our bad luck out of the way. I was feeling really good today and I think we will need all the strength possible because there are some very rough sections coming up.\u201d<\/p>\n Schurter and Vogel are riding prototype SCOTT Spark 650b bikes.<\/p>\n For Beukes, racing his first Cape Epic, and Buys, minimising any risk of an incident was their primary concern.<\/p>\n \u201cWe took it steady. We didn\u2019t want to risk any kind of crash or mechanical. In fact that\u2019s our mission for the whole event. We didn\u2019t take any risks at all today, so it\u2019s even more rewarding getting the African leader\u2019s jersey,\u201d said Buys.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the first time I\u2019ve led this competition. I\u2019ve been close before but it does make a good opening statement. We\u2019ll do our best to defend it, but this is the Cape Epic where anything can happen, so we\u2019ll take it one day at a time,\u201d added Buys.<\/p>\n Monday\u2019s Stage 1 is a 103km leg that starts and finishes in Citrusdal. With 2500 metres of ascent and a few sandy sections, as well as rocky descents, it promises to be a complete mountain biking test.<\/p>\n Brandon Stewart (front) and Neil MacDonald of the FedGroup ITEC team on their way to 18th place overall during the prologue of the ABSA Cape Epic on Sunday.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Photo credit: Greg Beadle <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt was unfortunate that Florian took a tumble today. That just shows the kind of pressure the riders are under at the Cape Epic. At least he\u2019s uninjured and will be able to fight on,\u201d said Brandon Els, Managing Director of SCOTT Sports Africa.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Philip and Matthys, it\u2019s a case of the first objective achieved. A top 10 finish on the prologue was the goal. The African leader\u2019s jersey is a nice bonus,\u201d added Els.<\/p>\n