March 24, 2010 (Ceres, South Africa) – For Stage 3 of the Absa Cape Epic riders experienced fast open roads taking the field to a short section of smooth, flowing singletrack. Riders were relieved to reach water point 1 after a leg-trashing 3km climb out of the Ceres bowl and up onto a plateau. A rough dual track then headed through some rare fynbos. Riders needed to stay alert on the challenging downhill section. Almost half of the day’s climbing was done within the first 40km. After traversing the farmlands past a very inviting dam, riders hugged the foothills of Matroosberg. More descending took them back down into the Ceres bowl, the first section was on tar, but the next was technical. The last climb of the stage was short but very steep and loose, forcing riders to walk. The profile appeared fairly flat from there on. The sandy patches and devil thorns on the last 15km almost broke the participants’ spirits.

It will be the last night that Absa Cape Epic participants will be staying in Ceres before heading off to Worcester during Stage 4 (for two stages). Worcester is tucked away in the magnificent Brandwacht and Langeberg mountains with the Breede and Hex Rivers flowing either side of it, complimented by vineyards and luscious green valleys. Worcester is the most central point of the Cape Winelands District as well as the focal and economic hub of the Breede Valley. Situated on the main route between Cape Town, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth, Worcester forms part of the Cape Route 62, the longest wine route in the world and offers visitors beautiful sceneries, award winning wines and great adventure. Its location is just an hour’s drive from Cape Town, Hermanus, Ceres, Tulbagh, Robertson and Stellenbosch and serves as a well deserved stopover for the traveller to experience true hospitality, friendliness and excellent cuisine.

Sauser and Stander back in top form
Christoph Sauser and Burry Stander (Songo-Specialized by DCM), winners of four stages during last year’s Absa Cape Epic, are back in top form after winning stage 3 of this year’s Absa Cape Epic in a time of 4:36.59,8. They finished 4 minutes and 10 seconds ahead of the Flückiger brothers, Lukas and Mathias, of team Trek World Racing, who finished in second place (4:41.09,5). The Bulls team of Karl Platt and Stefan Sahm finished in third place (4:41.50,6), only 0,6 seconds ahead of team Trek-Brentjens’ Bart Brentjens and Jelmer Pietersma (4:41.51,2).

Bulls now in the lead
The Bulls team of Karl Platt and Stefan Sahm have taken over the overall lead (at 13:30.06,8) from Kevin Evans and Alban Lakata (MTN Qhubeka Topeak Ergon) who had serious technical problems along the route and lost a lot of time. They are now in third position overall (13:36:36,8). Trek-Brentjens is now second overall (13:34:10,1).Winners of today’s stage 3, Songo-Specialized by DCM, are now in fourth position overall (13:40.00,1).

Says South Africa’s Burry Stander, winner of today’s stage: “It’s a huge relief to have done better than the first two days. I suffered a bit at the beginning of the stage, but felt very hungry at the first water point – a very good sign – and had something to eat. That made me feel better and I continued fuelling my body after not being able to do so for the first two days. I started feeling better and stronger and we started pushing to catch up with the leaders. As soon as we were with them, Christoph and I decided to go for it and open the gap. As long as I can eat, my body feels good. It’s a really nice feeling to have won this stage and to know the game is back on. We’re in fourth place overall. But, you never can tell what happens in this race. It’s still a long way to go. This is definitely the toughest Absa Cape Epic I’ve ever done and you can see that the riders are more fatigued. Hopefully during the next couple of days we’ll feel good.” Sauser is very pleased that Stander is back in shape. “It’s lovely that Burry’s back. Every morning at the start we didn’t know if he may have to pull out. Also, if your partner’s not feeling well, you also feel bad. Today after the long technical climb, I saw that we were back in the race. We had to inflate tyres on two occasions, so lost some time, but when the Flückiger brothers took the wrong turn, we went for it and made good time. In this race you don’t only need to pedal – you have to keep your eyes open and your brain switched on.”

The Flückiger brothers, winners of last year’s final stage, finished in second place today, their first podium finish in this year’s event. Says Mathias, who was still in school in Switzerland last Thursday: “We had very good legs today. Around 5km before the finish, we took the wrong turn and lost about 4 minutes. We were riding at a good pace today and are very happy with the results. It’s just very hot – I’ve come from a very cold Switzerland and my body is still acclimatizing.” Lukas adds: “It’s a pity that we took the wrong turn. Our legs and heads were good today, and our bikes perfect. It was a good technical ride.”

Karl Platt of the Bulls team was very happy with today’s results: “It was a good stage and it feels great to be in the Leader jersey. We missed one of the signs and followed the motorcycle – we lost 4 minutes or so. We feel really sorry for Kevin and Alban. They’re incredibly strong and had some bad luck today. It must be hard for them. Fortunately we only had small punctures, so nothing major.” Sahm adds: “Yes, we’re very happy to have the Leader jersey back again. It’s perfect to be in the overall lead, but now the fight really starts.”

According to Kevin Evans, of the MTN Qhubeka Topeak Ergon team, “we were in the lead when we started having problems around halfway. We probably had about 4 punctures and you start running out of tubes and boms. Today was unlucky for us, but there’s still a good few days to go.” His team mate Alban Lakata adds: “I had to run with my bike on my back for the last 2km as my rim exploded. When I hit the tar I could feel that it wasn’t going to make it – it was already that bad. Today was just unlucky. We even got some boms from the other riders to inflate the tyres, but the damage was too severe. In a way this is actually not all bad – I was starting to feel the pressure of riding in the Leader jersey. Now we can watch the leaders and maybe narrow the gap again.”

Sister power in Ladies category
The first ladies to complete Stage 3 were Kristine and Anna-Sofie Noergaard (Team Rothaus-CUBE) in a time of 5:41.33,6. They remain in second position overall (16:56.52,8). They were followed by the winners of the first two stages, Hannele Steyn-Kotze and Ivonne Kraft (team Sludge Ladies) in a time of 5:49.36,4. They are still the overall leaders in this category (16:53.41,7). They were followed by Julia Skea and Carla Rowley of Team RBS Biogen in a time of 6:16.12,8 (4th position overall – 18:35.28,1). In fourth place today were Giuliana Vitali and Tamara Horn (Team bike2help.ch – Big Tree) who finished in a time of 6:27.38,7, placing them in third position overall (18:21.13,0).

The Danish power sisters, Kristine and Anna-Sofie Noergaard, who finished in first place today, are enjoying the race so far. Says Kristine: “We’re never the fastest at the beginning of the race, so we haven’t been disappointed with our results so far. From experience we know that it’s important to race our own race all the way and to follow our own speed. Today we didn’t decide to attack – I asked Anna-Sofie how her legs were feeling, she said well, so I said let’s go. We’re here to have fun, do what we can and sometimes a bit more. We don’t put too much pressure on ourselves. Since Anna-Sofie had a baby, we’ve both realised that mountain biking is not the most important thing in the world. Of course it’s nice to be on the podium though.” Adds Anna-Sofie: “I started riding again about 4 weeks after giving birth. My son’s called Karlo and is named after one of our favourite riders Karl Platt. Karl always manages to have fun, so we think Karlo is going to be strong and also have fun. This year’s Absa Cape Epic is harder than ever, with so many rocks and stones. It’s also really tough because of the heat. In Europe we can get water wherever we like – even from people standing next to the road. And we really don’t enjoy getting up at 5am in the morning, but at least we’re not staying in a tent like in 2007. We promised ourselves then that we won’t do that to ourselves again so we’ve booked the premium package.”

The ladies team of RBS BIOGEN (Julia Skea and Carla Rowley) from South Africa (impressively finishing third during stage 3) might look like twins, but they are not even related. As two attractive, tall, dark girls with endless legs, they seem to be two of the most popular ladies amongst the male competitors. Asked about whether they are worried about their ‘famous’ legs, they laughed and said that they are full of scars already and it will most likely be much worse by the time they turn sixty. “And then we’ll just jump out of a plane without any parachutes,” Rowley chuckled. Skea did the Absa Cape Epic before, riding more socially during that event in the Mixed Category. Skea and Rowley met through mountain biking, and decided to participate together this year in the Ladies Category. Both work fulltime in the financial industry and have to train at 04h30 in the morning. Skea’s husband thinks that she is absolutely crazy to ride this race, but he supports her 100% while she spends so much time preparing for the event. Rowley joked that she is still looking for the right man to support her, and figures that the Absa Cape Epic might just be the place to find a suitable partner with similar interests.

New leaders in Mixed Category
Yolande Speedy and Paul Cordes (MTN Business Qhubeka) again finished in first place today in a time of 5:13.50,7. They have taken the overall lead in their category (15:21.14,7). They were followed by Nico Pfitzenmaier and Sally Bigham of the Adidas Big Tree team (5:37.08,7) who are in third position overall (15:59.54,6). In third place today were Bärti Bucher and Esther Süss (Wheeler – BIXS) in a time of 5:45.23,3, who are placed second overall (15:49.01,5).

Says Sally Bigham of the Adidas Big Tree team: “It’s actually quite amazing that we finished in second place today. We had to stop at the second feed zone because I had a mechanical problem. For some unknown reason, my back break stopped working but luckily they managed to fix it. I felt really strong today, so let’s keep our fingers crossed that we carry on as we have been.”

Bärti Bucher (Wheeler – BIXS) says that they had a terrible chain of unfortunate events during Stage 3. “We were struck by bad luck all day long. Yolande Speedy crashed early on in the race and we tried to get out of the way, and then Esther almost stumbled over her. In the process, Esther’s back wheel was damaged and it took three minutes to fix it. As we were catching up and saw the leading team again, my chain broke. After fixing it, we sped up to catch them again, and then something ripped off my bike’s derailleur. Thankfully, Esther kept a clear head throughout the race, and encouraged me to make my bike a single speed by shortening the chain. We could at least carry on and later swapped bikes so I could lead again. What a day! ButŠ it’s not over until the fat lady sings.”

From zero to hero
The Big Tree Masters Team Corrie Muller and Robert Sim finished first in the Masters Category in a time of 5:27.27,2. They are in sixth place overall (17:02.50,8). Cyclelab’s Shan Wilson and Andrew Mclean finished second in 5:29.09,4 and they remain the overall leaders in the Masters (15:20.43,4). They were followed by the Adrian Enthoven and Gary Marescia (Cycle Lab Jag Foundation) in 5:35.28,0 and are placed second overall (16:16.56,0).

Corrie Muller of the Big Tree Masters Team says he had to wait seven years to win a stage of the Absa Cape Epic and is so stoked that he finally managed to do so. “In the first stage we were struck by bad luck when Rob lost his derailleur and had to ride single speed most of the way. As we’re supporting the Big Tree Foundation we were feeling really bad that we weren’t getting the publicity and podium finishes they were hoping for.” Adds Sim: “We were becoming totally demoralised and today we’re all smiles. One day in the Absa Cape Epic can change it all, anything can happen in this race.

Says Cyclelab’s Andrew Mclean: “We didn’t have a good day from the beginning and decided to ride at our own pace and recover a bit. Shan was also not feeling well. You have to take the good days with the bad. It’s the Absa Cape Epic! We’re still in the lead but still have a long way to go. We didn’t really have technical problems today – just no legs.”

Tragedy at the 2010 Absa Cape Epic
It was an incredibly sad and emotional day during Stage 3 of this year’s Absa Cape Epic. Twenty-six-year old James Williamson, participant at the event and editor of the Australian Enduro mountain bike magazine passed away in Ceres Private Hospital at 6h47 this morning, after his riding partner Shaun Lewis (28) could not rouse him.

James was a strong young athlete, who had an uneventful ride during stage 2, feeling completely well with no complaints. He and his partner ate well last night and everyone who spent the afternoon and evening with him said that he was perfectly fine. After the first two stages they were in the 18th overall position.

On behalf of the race organisation, Kevin Vermaak, director of the Absa Cape Epic, has expressed his most sincere condolences to James’ partner Nicky, his family and his riding partner Shaun. Says Sonja Güldner-Hamel, international media director of the Absa Cape Epic, who has liaised for several years with James stated: “James was a very enthusiastic mountain bike journalist who had expressed interest to ride the race over the last few years. 2010 was the year that he could fit it into his publishing schedule and he was thrilled to finally be participating in the race. After yesterday’s Stage 2 through singletrack paradise, he was all smiles and repeatedly expressed how he enjoyed yesterday’s route. He will be deeply missed in the mountain biking media fraternity.”

Feeding more than 2000 mouths at the Absa Cape Epic
Green Catering, the official on site caterer of the Absa Cape Epic, is responsible for feeding more than 2 000 hungry and exhausted people a day, including riders and crew who travel across the most scenic routes as part of the eight days of adventure.

Thirty-seven-year old Greg van Rensburg, one of the 114 people working at Green Catering, revealed how they manage to accomplish this mammoth task. “This is my second Absa Cape Epic and I totally love this race. Before we started working at this event I never realised how technical and professional the race is. One day I’d like to ride it myself. The magnitude and spirit of the race, combined with the actual toughness of making it to the finish line, make it a unique race. By the fifth day last year, we as the catering staff were totally exhausted.”

The job of the catering staff is far more complicated than one would expect. They are responsible for making sure the meals for the cyclists are well-balanced in terms of nutritional value, while at the same time tastes exquisite. “We also have to prepare the food so that cyclists can eat at the correct times, and throughout the day we provide water and cold beverages to keep them hydrated,” says Van Rensburg.

Van Rensburg is one of the members of the team responsible for the planning and supervision of the meal preparation and distribution. Says Van Rensburg: “The entire team works a minimum of 18 hours per day. We use a leap frog system when transporting our kitchen equipment, which means that while we’re set up in Ceres, another kitchen is being set up in Worcester to be ready when the riders and support crew arrive. The kitchen equipment from Ceres is then transported to Oak Valley after this section of the race is complete, and then the process continues.

Another staff member that has stood out with his big smile and positive work attitude is Sakhumzi Nqayi. This is also his second Absa Cape Epic. “I wish they would extend the event to two months,” Nqayi says. “It’s by God’s grace that these people from all the different countries come here to compete in this race. They’re all so friendly and many of them are as close as brothers and sisters are.” His work motto is to be patient with all those he helps, be friendly with all those he meets and to make the stay enjoyable for everyone. “I’ve often asked myself why the cyclists do this race but after I’ve seen them compete, I immediately understood that this is the ultimate challenge of fitness.” Nqayi confesses. His favourite meal is the melt-in-the-mouth steamed vegetables.

Van Rensburg has been employed at Green Catering for the last 4 years and of all the meals they serve at the Absa Cape Epic, he enjoyed the Chicken Lasagne that was served at Oak Valley in 2009 the most. “Who knows we might serve it in Oak Valley again this year, but I’m not saying anything,” Van Rensburg jokes.

Stage 4: Ceres to Worcester (86km distance, 1640m climbing)
Riders will leave Ceres for the last time during Stage 4 of this year’s Absa Cape Epic. It will be a short climb up Mitchell’s Pass followed by a fast downhill section on tar, before turning off into the winelands past Waverly Hills Farm and Mountain Ridge. Then comes a long zig-zagging section of rustic dual and singletrack up and down the foothills of the mountains, before the cyclists finally climb up onto the saddle. After another descent and climb to the next saddle ahead, riders will be rewarded with spectacular views into the Breede River Valley. Even when they have home in their sights, there is still the rough 2km Boesmansberg climb to scale. This stage is not the toughest or the longest ever, but after the combination punches of the first three stages, riders will be counting the pedal strokes to the short time trial of stage 5, the following day.

For full results please click here.

Stage 3 – from Ceres to Ceres, 118km

Men
1. Songo-Specialized by DCM (Christoph Sauser, SUI/Burry Stander, RSA) 4:36:59
2. Trek World Racing (Lukas Fluckiger, SUI/Mathias Fluckiger, SUI) 4:41:09
3. Bulls 1 (Karl Platt, GER/Stefan Sahm, GER) 4:41:50

72. Sarto Gagné Sports (Michel Bujold, CAN/David Grenier, CAN) 6:18:02
293. Off Road Toad (Gavin Brown, CAN/Michael Golinski, CAN) 9:19:49

Women
1. Rothaus-CUBE (Kristine Noergaard, DEN/Anna-sofie Noergaard, DEN) 5:41:33
2. Sludge Ladies (Hannele Steyn-kotze, RSA/Ivonne Kraft, GER) 5:49:36
3. RBS BIOGEN (Julia Skea, RSA/Carla Rowley, RSA) 6:16:12

Mixed
1. MTN Business Qhubeka (Yolande Speedy, RSA/Paul Cordes, RSA) 5:13:50
2. Adidas-Big Tree (Nico Pfitzenmaier, RSA/Sally Bigham, GBR) 5:37:08
3. Wheeler-BiXS (Barti Bucher, SUI/Esther Suss, SUI) 5:45:23

22. Corazon (Dan Thauvette, CAN/Caroline Pinard, CAN)

Masters
1. Big Tree Masters (Corrie Muller, RSA/Robert Sim, RSA) 5:27:27
2. Cyclelab (Shan Wilson, RSA/Andrew Mclean, RSA) 5:29:09
3. Cycle Lab Jag Foundation (Adrian Enthoven, RSA/Gary Marescia, RSA) 5:35:28

47. Angola PMS (Scot Buell, USA/Tim Baumbach, CAN) 7:20:14
97. Fubar Fakirs (Andrew Harrison, CAN/Duncan Harrison, CAN) 9:02:09