Video & Results: Cape Epic 2022 - Prologue & Stage 1
 | The Absa Cape Epic is back with the 18th edition of the untamed African mountain bike race. The eight-day race is often referred as the "Tour de France of mountain biking" and it‘s the most prestigious mountain bike stage race in the world. It attracts this year 530 teams from 48 nations including multiple World, Olympians, and National Champions next to aspiring amateurs testing themselves against the best. The teams of two riders tackle around 681 untamed kilometers and 16.900 meters of climbing through the picturesque Western cape of South Africa. |
Prologue Results
Men
1st. Matthew Beers (RSA) & Christopher Blevins (USA) - 00:58.06,7
2nd. Georg Egger (GER) & Lukas Baum (GER) – 00:58:47 (+40.7)
3rd. Andreas Seewald (GER) & Martin Stošek (CZE) – 00:59:12 (+01:06.3)
Women
1st. Pauline Ferrand Prévot (FRA) & Robyn De Groot (RSA) - 01:09.05
2nd. Candice Lill (RSA) & Mariske Strauss (RSA) - 01:09.48 (+42.6)
3rd. Ariane Lüthi (SUI) & Amy Wakefield (RSA) – 01:10.33 (+01:27.2)
You can watch the full broadcast of the prologue below.
| Today’s Stage 1 started and finished again in the hills of Somerset West, at Lourensford Wine Estate. It was the first marathon stage of the 2022 Absa Cape Epic that is notoriously tough, especially this year being declared as the Queen Stage. The bare numbers sit with 92km and 2.850m of climbing, the most of this year’s route. After a relatively mild Prologue, things are being turned up a notch. The route lead firstly through playful single trails at Helderberg Trails and Dornier Trails. The crux was the day’s most demanding climb “Die Nek”. |
Stage 1 Results
Men
1st. Andreas Seewald (GER) & Martin Stošek (CZE) // 03:58.23
2nd. Hans Becking (NED) & José Dias (POR) // +3.23
3rd. Fabian Rabensteiner (ITA) & Wout Alleman (BEL) // +3.49
Women
1st. Haley Batten (USA) & Sofia Gomez Villafane (ARG) // 04:50.02
2nd. Ariane Lüthi (SUI) & 50-2 Amy Wakefield (RSA) // +1.49
3rd. Candice Lill (RSA) & 52-2 Mariske Strauss (RSA) // +3.42
You can watch the full broadcast of Stage 1 below.
OVERALL Standings after Stage 1
Men
1. Andreas Seewald & Martin Stošek 03:58.23,7
2. Hans Becking & José Dias +3.00,0
3. Fabian Rabensteiner & Wout Alleman +4.00,0
4. Maxime Marotte & Keegan Swenson +5.00,0
5. Nino Schurter & Lars Forster +5.00,0
6. Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez & Francesc Guerra Carretero +6.00,0
7. Georg Egger& Lukas Baum +6.00,0
8. Daniel Geismayr & Cameron Orr +7.00,0
9. Keagan Bontekoning & Arno Du Toit+ 7.00,0
10. Kristian Hynek & Matouš Ulman +9.00,0
Women
1. Haley Batten & Sofia Gomez Villafane 06:00:39.5
2. Ariane Lüthi & Amy Wakefield +00:01:45.2
3. Candice Lill & Mariske Strauss +00:02:53.4
4. Pauline Ferrand Prévot & Robyn De Groot +00:09:14.3
5. Mari Rabie & Hayley Preen +00:22:28.7
6. Janka Keseg Stevkova & Martina Krahulcova +00:48:16.3
7. Sarah Hill & Kaysee Armstrong +00:53:23.9
8. Elrika Harmzen-Pretorius & Lehane Oosthuizen +01:08:23.8
9. Serena Gordon & Crystal Anthony +01:10:11.9
10. Ingrid Kjellström & Marika Wagner +01:33:19.8
Author Info:
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It was his first time riding in the PNW or anywhere like it. His bike didn't have a dropper on it. He was 19 years old.
He finished 11th overall, and there were days when he was within minutes of Kabush and Burke, who were pros racing in their element.
He was so damned unassuming I would have had no idea who he was, except that I sat down next to him at a meal halfway through the race, and finally got out of him that he was (at that time) in the top-10.
Turns out his whole family was there. His dad and mom were racing, and his sister was a volunteer. I got to know them all during the week, and they were all incredibly nice.
I'd be thrilled to be half the rider Keagan is, and feel like the world's greatest dad if I raised kids like he and his sister.
So, yeah, if you're not sure who you should be rooting for in the Cape Epic, join me on team Keagan.
1 Andreas SEEWALD & Martin STOŠEK 04:57:36.7
2 Hans BECKING & José DIAS +00:05:04.3
3 Maxime MAROTTE & Keegan SWENSON +00:05:57.0
4 Georg EGGER & Lukas BAUM +00:06:10.1
5 Fabian RABENSTEINER & Wout ALLEMAN +00:06:25.8
6 Sergio MANTECON GUTIERREZ & Francesc GUERRA CARRETERO +00:08:08.9
7 Matthew BEERS & Christopher BLEVINS +00:08:14.7
8 Nino SCHURTER & Lars FORSTER +00:08:45.4
9 Cameron ORR & Daniel GEISMAYR +00:08:48.7
10 Keagan BONTEKONING & Arno DU TOIT +00:10:53.1
Huge numbers of DNF's especially in the Masters & Grand Masters. IINM, A total of 106 Riders dropped out today.
The last team to finish was out on the course for 12h 40m and 18.4s. Ouch!
Rough day for Beers & Blevins. I hope Beers recovers. He's known for not doing well when it's super hot.
Conversely it was a great day for Haley & Sofia.
Annika Langvad is back this year doing color commentary which adds a really cool perspective. The coverage seems to be improving every year. It's lot of course to cover... Day 3/Stage 2 kicks off in about an hour.... Untamed Indeed.
Matt Beers