Kevin Evans, South Africa\u2019s most prolific ABSA Cape Epic podium finisher, predicts that the 2013 edition will be a battle of the cross-country (XCO) specialists for early ascendancy, with experience becoming the key factor later on in the eight-day race that gets underway at Meerendal, Durbanville on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Evans is recovering from surgery to treat the persistent after effects of abdominal infection caused by a leaking appendix back in December 2011 and will miss the 2013 edition of the world\u2019s highest profile mountain bike stage race. It\u2019s the first edition in 10 years that he won\u2019t be starting as a rider, but he will be in the thick of the race action on the sidelines and will be TREAD magazine\u2019s race expert.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was feeling pretty down the last few days that I can\u2019t be starting the 10th<\/sup> anniversary event, but I\u2019ve decided that I\u2019ll just enjoy the race from the outside as best I can. When you\u2019ve started all nine previous editions and have been on the podium a few times, you gather great insight. I look forward to sharing that through TREAD\u2019s online and magazine coverage of the event,\u201d said Evans.<\/p>\n TREAD is South Africa\u2019s only mountain bike-specific media brand.<\/p>\n Four-time overall podium finisher, Kevin Evans, will offer daily insight during the race for TREAD\u2019s online coverage of the 2013 ABSA Cape Epic.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Photo credit: Zoon Cronje<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In addition to almost a decade of Cape Epic racing experience, which includes three third places and one second place, the FedGroup ITEC team member has some insider knowledge of route details too since his father, Leon Evans, is the course designer. Leon Evans is known to participants as Dr Evil for his lack of compassion when designing the route for the world\u2019s toughest mountain bike stage race.<\/p>\n \u201cMy dad has once again thrown in some super tough sections that might not break bikes, but will definitely break spirits,\u201d smiled Evans. \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t be the Cape Epic without those sections, which turn the nicest people into cursing wrecks!\u201d<\/p>\n Evans believes that Sunday\u2019s short 23km prologue stage will see XCO specialists contesting the race\u2019s first Yellow Jersey.<\/p>\n \u201cNino Schurter and Florian Vogel (SCOTT Swisspower), Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy (36ONE Songo Specialized) and Marco Fontana and Manuel Fumic (Cannondale Factory Racing) are sure to be the top three teams in the prologue. The amount of XCO talent in those six riders is remarkable. For a short, sharp stage, I\u2019d be surprised to see any other teams in the top three,\u201d predicts Evans.<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough it\u2019s short, the prologue shows you who is in form and gives a glimpse of who the overall contenders might be, especially with 700 metres of climbing,\u201d says Evans, who feels that experience will ultimately be the key factor that will decide the overall winners of the 10th <\/sup>ABSA Cape Epic.<\/p>\n \u201cIn this race, experience counts for a lot. Experience and good luck! If everything goes fairly well, with no major problems, I see the experience of Sauser, Karl Platt, Thomas Dietsche and Tim Bohme counting in their favour. I\u2019d say the winner will probably come from one of those three teams.<\/p>\n Sauser (SUI) is a three-time Cape Epic champion, winning the past two editions with the late Burry Stander. With 26 stage wins, he\u2019s the most prolific winner in Cape Epic history. He\u2019ll be teaming up with Kulhavy (CZE), a Cape Epic debutant with a remarkable XCO pedigree. The former World Champion, World Cup champion and current Olympic champion, who is racing in Stander\u2019s place \u2013 and memory \u2013 will do well to temper his enthusiasm and rely on Sauser for guidance in the demanding eight-day race.<\/p>\n Platt (GER), has won the race overall four times, including the inaugural edition in 2004. His Team Bulls partner this year is 27-year-old Swiss racer, Urs Huber, who is starting his third Cape Epic. Huber couldn\u2019t ask for a better partner, but will need to match Platt\u2019s consistency if they are to have any hopes of a win.<\/p>\n And Dietsche (FRA) and Bohme (GER), also of Team Bulls, have elevated themselves to title contender status for two reasons, according to Evans.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve done a total of nine Cape Epics between them, have won stages and were a strong fourth overall last year. Of the top four teams in 2012, they\u2019re the only combination still intact. That cohesion between teammates is a very under-rated factor, but very important, especially in a race that\u2019s so physically and emotionally demanding,\u201d says Evans.<\/p>\n \u201cThe other reason I rate them is because they were first and second overall at the recent Nashua Grape Escape three-day race. They were up against some big names on similar kind of terrain to the Cape Epic and they showed strength and composure that\u2019s hard to ignore if you\u2019re a rival,\u201d adds Evans.<\/p>\n The four-time winner of the African Leader\u2019s Jersey says this jersey will take on greater significance this year for South Africans in the Cape Epic.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be honest, no South African team stands out as a potential overall winner this year. I\u2019d love them to prove me wrong of course, but I do think they\u2019ll be doing battle more for the African Jersey in the lower half of the top 10 overall,\u201d says Evans.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to call any standout favourites because there\u2019s are some unknown elements and Cape Epic debutantes. But I think we can expect to see my FedGroup ITEC teammates, Brandon Stewart and Neil MacDonald, the Cannondale Blend pair of Darren Lill and Charles Keey, the Westvaal Bells Cycling pair of Nico Bell and Gawie Combrinck and Phil Buys and Matthys Beukes of SCOTT Sports all in the daily mix for that podium.<\/p>\n