{"id":22417,"date":"2012-03-01T06:15:00","date_gmt":"2012-03-01T06:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/van-jaarsveld-and-nussli-looking-for-podium-finish-in-2012-absa-cape-epic-r77\/"},"modified":"2023-02-08T12:42:46","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T12:42:46","slug":"van-jaarsveld-and-nussli-looking-for-podium-finish-in-2012-absa-cape-epic-r77","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/van-jaarsveld-and-nussli-looking-for-podium-finish-in-2012-absa-cape-epic-r77\/","title":{"rendered":"Van Jaarsveld and N\u00fcssli looking for podium finish in 2012 Absa Cape Epic"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Absa Cape Epic, now in its ninth year, has become one of the most important events on the global mountain biking calendar. For the first time this year, riders in the Ladies category will be given the opportunity to earn UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) points at an HC (Hors Categorie) race. Two ladies to watch out for are Karien van Jaarsveld and Jane N\u00fcssli.<\/p>\n

Van Jaarsveld and N\u00fcssli will be riding as team MTN Quebeka<\/em>. This will be Van Jaarsveld\u2019s second Absa Cape Epic, after having won last year\u2019s Ladies category. \u201cThe Absa Cape Epic is the most prestigious mountain bike event and being part of it is a privilege and an achievement in itself. Having completed the race, and quite successfully, leave you wanting more. Participating in the Cape Epic is like getting a tattoo on your face – you must really commit,\u201d adds Van Jaarsveld.<\/p>\n

\"epic1.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Karien van Jaarsveld of Team USN, leading Women\u2019s team during stage 3 of the 2011 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held from Saronsberg Wine Estate in Tulbagh to Worcester Gymnasium in Worcester, South Africa on the 30 March 2011. <\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Photo by Sven Martin\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For N\u00fcssli, this will be her first Absa Cape Epic. Adds N\u00fcssli: \u201cI\u2019m glad I finally made it to the Cape Epic. I was asked before to participate but I was only going to race it with a partner I can rely on. I am very excited that it worked out for 2012.\u201d Fortunately this team are able to work well together. N\u00fcssli adds that mutual respect is important to make a good team. \u201cI really do believe that everyone fights at some point in such an extreme race and then it\u2019s good to know your partner is there to support you.\u201d Van Jaarsveld believes they match up well because of their similar strengths. \u201cJane has a good track record in mountain biking internationally and is eager to race. We have researched many potential partnerships and it seems that Jane and I might pair up well with similar strengths. We are mature athletes who both work, apart from training really hard,\u201d adds Van Jaarsveld.<\/p>\n

N\u00fcssli, who lives overseas (Switzerland), will be coming down to South Africa in February to train with Van Jaarsveld for three weeks. \u201cThis should give us enough time to find out where out strengths lie,\u201d adds N\u00fcssli. \u201cSince it\u2019s winter here, I\u2019ve had to train indoors a lot. In December, I trained in Gran Canaria for 10 days which meant lots of climbing. At the moment, I focus on training my core. As for my diet, I ensure that my body gets enough vitamins by eating lots of fruit and vegetables. I also bake my own bread and energy bars. This way, I know what\u2019s inside and I can avoid chemical additives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Van Jaarsveld follows a balanced diet and takes resting in her training seriously. \u201cI train in blocks of 3 with 3 hard days and a recovery day in between. I will do this for about 3 weeks, then take a few more days, like a week recovery in between. Recovery is key in the Absa Cape Epic and training your body to recover is as important as your hardest training day. My diet is typically lean proteins and a sufficient amount of complex carbohydrates.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"epic2.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Overall leading ladies Karien van Jaarsveld and Sally Bigham during the final stage (stage 7) of the 2011 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race held from Oak Valley to Lourensford, South Africa on the3rd April 2011. <\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Photo by Karin Schermbrucker\/Cape Epic\/SPORTZPICS<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Fortunately for these two riders, neither have any injuries which could affect their performance at this year\u2019s event. According to Van Jaarsveld \u201cthe last stage is probably the toughest on the body, as you\u2019ve been through so much during the previous stages. I really battled in last year\u2019s final stage and my legs said \u2018sorry for you!\u2019\u201d Regardless of the pain endured, Van Jaarsveld still had an incredible feeling of accomplishment when she crossed the finish line in first place last year. \u201cThere are no words to describe it, but I will try\u2026 Hearing the music from a kilometre away, and feeling so proud of finishing such a gruelling event makes any negative emotion you felt over the last week disappear. You get so excited and happy to finish the race, it\u2019s actually very emotional! I will always cherish that feeling of crossing the line with a double handed salute with me. It is the highlight of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Van Jaarsveld and N\u00fcssli are hoping for a podium finish. \u201cWe\u2019ll certainly give it our best. Lots can happen in a stage race! Karien and I wouldn\u2019t mind to stand at the very top!\u201d comments N\u00fcssli. Van Jaarsveld adds: \u201cThe Ladies field changed significantly from previous years. It\u2019s almost like a whole new competition with women also now qualifying for UCI points. There is an incentive for athletes to participate and it will be a very strong field going forward. As much as stage wins will be nice, ultimately, a podium position will be the goal.\u201d<\/p>\n

N\u00fcssli advises that a good team and partner that you can rely on will help one to complete the Absa Cape Epic successfully. Adds Van Jaarsveld: \u201cRecovery is also important. The minute you get off the bike, it\u2019s important to settle down, eat, get a massage, rest, eat some more and sleep.\u201d This team is looking forward to the countryside and single trails that lie ahead of them for this year\u2019s Cape Epic. One favourite for many and for Van Jaarsveld in particular, is Lourensford, no doubt because it\u2019s the finish line!<\/p>\n

In her free time, which Van Jaarsveld has very little of, she enjoys sneaking away to Cape Town and riding her Vespa. She also enjoys cooking and Bikram yoga. N\u00fcssli enjoys friends and hockey: \u201cWhen I have time, I love to meet up with my friends. I also love ice-hockey and currently our city hockey club (Zug) is number 1 in the Swiss National League.\u201d<\/p>\n

N\u00fcssli\u2019s ambitions for 2012 include completing a couple of races in Switzerland. \u201cThere are a few classic races in Switzerland I\u2019d like to win, if all goes well. I\u2019m also looking forward to the European Championships. I was unlucky last year and finished 4th<\/sup> so I have unfinished business!\u201d Van Jaarsveld is looking forward to completing some of the well-known mountain biking events in South Africa, besides the Absa Cape Epic. \u201cI would also like to complete the Trans Alps. I want to do well in the national marathon series and helping my team MTN Quebeka on the road circuit.\u201d<\/p>\n

N\u00fcssli concludes: \u201cFollow you dreams, but don\u2019t forget to learn to stand on your own two legs.\u201d Van Jaarsveld believes young athletes must be curious and explore their talents and dreams. \u201cI never even dreamed of being a professional cyclist and only by participating and doing something I loved, did I discover I had some talent. That lead to my first South African marathon title and Cape Epic victory – all this while having fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

From 25 March to 1 April, all eyes will be on the Western Cape as the world’s top riders vie for position in what is billed to be the most competitive event in the race\u2019s history. Covering a distance of 781km with 16 300m of climbing, the race will finish eight days later at Lourensford Wine Estate.<\/p>\n

Visit www.cape-epic.com<\/a> for more details and to see where the riders are online during the race.<\/p>\n

Share in the legend!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Absa Cape Epic, now in its ninth year, has become one of the most important events on the global mountain biking calendar. For the first time this year, riders in the Ladies category will be given the opportunity to earn UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) points at an HC (Hors Categorie) race. Two ladies to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":53946,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"featured_location":[],"class_list":["post-22417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22417","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22417"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22417\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22417"},{"taxonomy":"featured_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured_location?post=22417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}