Highlights, Results & Analysis from the Cape Epic 2024 Stage 2
The results are in from the third day of racing at the 2024 Cape Epic. After 97km of racing, the Ghost Factory Racing maintain the UCI Women's overall lead, but in the UCI Men's racing, the Buff Megamo team now leads into stage 3.
Anne Terpstra and Nicole Koller are still the women's team to beat leading from the front for nearly the whole stage, never dropping outside the top two. Mona Mitterwallner and Candice Lill of the Cannondale Factory Racing squad were pushing hard to threaten the current lead, but they were still seven seconds back at the finish line. With another second-place finish, the Cannondale team are now 1:13 behind after three stages.
The Buff Megamo team of Hans Becking and Wout Alleman secured their second stage win of the week as they now pass Nino Schurter and Sebastian Fini in the general classification to lead by 32 seconds. Stage 2 was the worst performance for Nino Schurter and Sebastian Fini so far, as they lost two minutes to the now leaders of the 2024 Cape Epic. The Orbea Leatt Speed Company team are slowly rising through the ranks with their best finish this week in third.
Check out the results from stage 2 below and we will be updating this page with analysis and highlights from the third day of racing.
Full Race Replay:
 | Withstanding the untamed and unrelenting challenges presented by the Witzenberg Valley requires endurance and skill. Stage 2 begins with an ascent from Absa Cape Epics of yore, climbing the waggon trail into the Wizenberg Valley. Famed for its relentlessly technical trails the valley itself might not feature an imposing amount of climbing, but do not be fooled by the profile. Ouplaas, Wakkerstroon, Slagboom and Welgemeen all provide singletracks which will demand absolute focus, as well as constant shifts in weight. The rocky trails deny momentum and reintroduce the concept of inertia to all but the most skilful. Ascending back out the valley is no easy feat either, nor is the Wagon Trail descent back to succour at Saronsberg. Withstanding Stage 2 will require mental as well as physical fortitude. |
Stage Results:
UCI Men:
1st. Buff Megamo - Hans Becking / Wout Alleman: 4:05:22
2nd. World Bicycle Relief - Nino Schurter / Sebastian Fini: 4:07:24 / +2:02
3rd. Orbea Leatt Speed Company - Georg Egger / Lukas Baum: 4:07:29 / +2:07
4th. Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne - Matthew Beers / Howard Grotts: 4:07:34 / +2:12
5th. Canyon SIDI - Andreas Seewald / Marc Stutzmann: 4:11:04 / +5:42
UCI Women:
1st. Ghost Factory Racing - Anne Terpstra / Nicole Koller: 5:11:00
2nd. Cannondale Factory Racing - Mona Mitterwallner / Candice Lill: 5:11:07 / +7
3rd. Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne - Sofia Gomez Villafane / Samara Sheppard: 5:11:25 / +25
4th. Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM - Vera Looser / Alexis Skarda: 5:18:06 / +7:06
5th. e-FORT PrivateClientHoldings - Léna Gérault / Hayley Preen: 5:20:53 / +9:53
Story of the Stage:
UCI Women:
UCI Men:
Race Lead Tracking:
UCI Women:
UCI Men:
Top 3 Teams Time Gained/Lost Through Track Sectors:
UCI Women:
UCI Men:
Overall Results:
UCI Men:
1st. Buff Megamo - Hans Becking / Wout Alleman: 8:48:20
2nd. World Bicycle Relief - Nino Schurter / Sebastian Fini: 8:48:52 / +32
3rd. Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne - Matthew Beers / Howard Grotts: 8:50:12 / +1:52
4th. Orbea Leatt Speed Company - Georg Egger / Lukas Baum: 8:55:45 / +7:25
5th. Wilier Vittoria Factory - Fabian Rabensteiner / Samuele Porro: 8:56:50 / +8:30
UCI Women:
1st. Ghost Factory Racing - Anne Terpstra / Nicole Koller: 10:51:27
2nd. Cannondale Factory Racing - Mona Mitterwallner / Candice Lill: 10:52:40 / +1:13
3rd. Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne - Sofia Gomez Villafane / Samara Sheppard: 10:58:04 / +6:37
4th. Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM - Vera Looser / Alexis Skarda: 11:08:48 / +17:21
5th. e-FORT PrivateClientHoldings - Léna Gérault / Hayley Preen: 11:18:22 / +26:55
Story of the Race (After 2 Stages):
UCI Women:
UCI Men:
Author Info:
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We live in cool times because the nutrition improvements and athlete improvement in tolerating insane sugar intake loads is leading to power outputs that were thought untouchable even 10 years ago!
(Must be getting training tips from World Champ Reece Wallace).
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