![\"ACE2012_NM_Stage04_5569.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-2-0-43347000-1333030741.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nRaynard Tissink during stage 4 of the 2012 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held at the Overberg Primary & High School in Caledon, South Africa on the 29 March 2012<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Photo by Nick Muzik\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In his first ever finish at the World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, he became the first South African to finish in the Top 10. In 2005, he finished in seventh place and in 5th place in 2010.<\/p>\n Tissink and Heymans are currently in 20th position overall with a time of 23:19.27,8. Today was a really hard stage for riders, as they were still recovering from yesterday\u2019s long stage and the wind was pushing riders to their limits. Says Tissink: \u201cWe thought because it\u2019s a shorter stage, it would be easier. The riding was a lot harder today with the horrendous wind. It was still a long stage – 5 and a half hours isn\u2019t much shorter than our time of yesterday – but yesterday\u2019s 147km obviously meant a really long day in the saddle.\u201d<\/p>\n Tissink is grateful to have Heymans as his riding partner and says he is extremely experienced. \u201cHe was really nursing me today – I was going through a bad patch coming into the wind but he was telling me where to draft and where to sit in the bunch. Obviously, you know that type of thing but when you\u2019re as tired as I am, you\u2019re not really thinking straight.\u201d<\/p>\n Adds Tissink: \u201cI\u2019m definitely still looking forward to the end, and tomorrow is the last stage longer than 100km, so I think everyone is going to enjoy it from there. It\u2019s really tiring and hard and the novelty has worn off, but it\u2019s so great to be out here riding every day in such fantastic conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n Heymans says it is getting a little easier every day. \u201cIt\u2019s really good to be here and not racing in the front \u2013 I think it\u2019s tough up there. We\u2019re having fun and improving daily. I think it\u2019s really motivating for both me and Ray \u2013 we can really stick to our guns now. I\u2019m just trying to nurse him to the finish. It\u2019s his first stage race, so we don\u2019t want to overdo it. But yes, we\u2019re having fun. I\u2019m teaching him some new skills – he might even consider doing some Xterra (off road triathlon) after this,\u201d concludes Heymans<\/p>\n For those wishing to pledge a donation toward their race, visit: www.raymannieepic4jag.givengain.org<\/a><\/p>\n