Highlights, Results & Analysis from the Cape Epic 2024 Stage 4

Mar 18, 2024 at 2:14
by Ed Spratt  

The results are in from the fifth day of racing at the 2024 Cape Epic. After another gruelling stage, Ghost Factory Racing holds their lead in the UCI Women's race, but Matthew Beers and Howard Grotts of Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne now lead the Men's GC.

Anne Terpstra and Nicole Koller are still the dominant force in this week's UCI Women's racing at the Cape Epic, as they are yet to finish without the fastest time of the day. Stage four saw an incredibly close finish with the top three split by two seconds after four hours of racing. Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne's Sofia Gomez Villafane and Samara Sheppard secured their first second-place finish ahead of Cannondale Factory Racing's Mona Mitterwallner and Candice Lill.

After falling to sixth place on stage three, the World Bicycle Relief squad of Nino Schurter and Sebastian Fini returned as stage leaders today with a photo finish against Matthew Beers and Howard Grotts. Stage three winners Andreas Seewald and Marc Stutzman of the Canyon SIDI team ended the day in third. It was a tough ride for previous race leaders Buff Megamo as a sixth-place stage result bumps them down to third in the general classification.

Check out the results and some quick analysis from stage four below and we will be updating this page with highlights once they are available.

photo

Full Race Broadcast:


bigquotesThe Queen Stage of the 2024 Absa Cape Epic, Stage 4 will demand every individual and team rises to the gauntlet laid down by the untamed. Featuring more meters of climbing than any stage in recent years Stage 4 is defined by ascents.

Pataskloof and the Hawequas Scout Camp climbs are the first order of the day, before Beula and Buffet Olives lead to the Hawequas Bergpad. Once the dual tracks turn to singletracks the climbing becomes even steeper, up 7 Peaks and the never-ending switchbacks of Aap d’Huez, DNF and the Cliff Hanger.

There are incredible descents too, with Cool Runnings, Cool Runnings Too, Brandslang Neck, Full Monty and Route 66 all adding excitement to a day rising into the clouds.—Cape Epic


Stage Results:


UCI Men:

1st. World Bicycle Relief - Nino Schurter / Sebastian Fini: 3:22:39
2nd. Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne - Matthew Beers / Howard Grotts: 3:22:39 / +0
3rd. Canyon SIDI - Andreas Seewald / Marc Stutzmann: 3:23:49 / +1:10
4th. Orbea Leatt Speed Company - Georg Egger / Lukas Baum: 3:26:38 / +3:59
5th. Klimatiza Toteemi Cabberty - Roberto Bou Martin / Miguel Munoz Moreno: 3:28:43 / +6:04


UCI Women:

1st. Ghost Factory Racing - Anne Terpstra / Nicole Koller: 4:08:50
2nd. Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne - Sofia Gomez Villafane / Samara Sheppard: 4:08:52 / +2
3rd. Cannondale Factory Racing - Mona Mitterwallner / Candice Lill: 4:08:52 / +2
4th. Scott Calabandida Bulls - Natalia Fischer Egusquiza / Irina Luetzelschwab: 4:25:58 / +17:08
5th. e-FORT PrivateClientHoldings - Léna Gérault / Hayley Preen: 4:28:38 / +19:48



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. Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne - Matthew Beers / Howard Grotts: 15:54:04
2nd. World Bicycle Relief - Nino Schurter / Sebastian Fini: 15:56:04 / +2:00
3rd. Buff Megamo - Hans Becking / Wout Alleman: 15:59:07 / +5:03
4th. Orbea Leatt Speed Company - Georg Egger / Lukas Baum: 16:03:37 / +9:33
5th. Canyon SIDI - Andreas Seewald / Marc Stutzmann: 16:05:40 / +11:36


UCI Women:

1st. Ghost Factory Racing - Anne Terpstra / Nicole Koller: 19:31:44
2nd. Cannondale Factory Racing - Mona Mitterwallner / Candice Lill: 19:34:15 / +2:31
3rd. Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne - Sofia Gomez Villafane / Samara Sheppard: 19:39:40 / +7:56
4th. e-FORT PrivateClientHoldings - Léna Gérault / Hayley Preen: 20:34:49 / +1:03:05
5th. Scott Calabandida Bulls - Natalia Fischer Egusquiza / Irina Luetzelschwab: 21:03:48/ +1:32:04



Story of the Race (After 5 Stages):


UCI Women:


UCI Men:




Author Info:
edspratt avatar

Member since Mar 16, 2017
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15 Comments
  • 4 0
 On Stage 2, the 800 m climb at the beginning was re-used as the descent at the end, but there were still riders with race plates climbing when the leaders began the descent, 3.5 hours into the stage.

Do the race organisers not vet the entrants at all?
  • 4 0
 Nope if you got bucks to throw away then you can enter , been a very contentious issue but never been resolved or any qualifying criteria brought in
  • 22 0
 A voice from the ground on that one- I am currently in the race. The pros started 1.5 hours before the slowest group. Climb was moderately technical singletrack, but literally the entire climb became one long line for the amateur groups. So the minute one person unclipped, it set off a chain reaction of everyone stopping and restarting. When my partner and I got higher on the climb u could look down and see a line of hundreds of people standing or walking. Even if u had the technical skill to climb u had no chance unless u were in the first 1 or 2 groups. Very predictable problem that should have been foreseen. And is repeated on literally every climb in race.
  • 5 0
 @Gnarcoticsanonymous: Glad you are pointing this out. It is an issue in the amateur class at every XC / marathon type event I have ever entered. In a single file line it only takes one mistake for a rider to stop a very large group.
  • 4 0
 @BrianMageemOt: Yeah, I had to learn very quickly the importance of getting to the front of the pack as soon as possible. Though, I don't think it is just an issue with just amateur races. Even in world cups there are chain reaction backups mid pack.
  • 1 0
 @Gnarcoticsanonymous: Thanks for the insight, and that sounds like a nightmare.
  • 2 0
 That cliffhanger trail is absolut spectacular - on my bucket list for next week Smile
  • 2 0
 Those switchbacks both uphill and downhill are awesome...
  • 4 2
 The fact that after almost 3.5 hours of racing two teams tied is insane.
  • 2 1
 The magic of mass start and performing on demand.
  • 2 1
 The fact that the top 3 teams are separated by 5 minutes after almost 16 hours of racing is crazy too!
  • 3 0
 Possibly a bit of Gentleman's Agreement took place. Two teams decide to work together to create a gap on third then some discussion over whether to line sprint, burning matches for future stages, or roll across together. It happens, I'm not saying that was the case here.
  • 1 0
 My head can't process these numbers, day after day...
  • 1 1
 Americans always seem to do pretty well here (I am counting Sophia as an American)
  • 1 0
 Brutal!







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