April 3, 2005 – At 7:00 a.m. sharp yesterday morning a field of 866 mountain bikers from 32 countries around the globe started their adventurous South African journey on two wheels, called The CAPE EPIC. In just 8 days the 433 two-person teams will ride 900 kilometres and climb 16,000 metres (i.e. almost twice the Mount Everest) on their way from Knysna at the Garden Route to Spier Wine Estate in Stellenbosch near Cape Town.

Lined up in the front were the best mountain bikers in the world: the Olympic Champion of 1996 Bart Brentjens (NDL), the current number one in the UCI World Ranking Roel Paulissen (BEL), the reigning overall World Cup Champion Cross Country, Christoph Sauser (SUI), top World Cup rider Fredrik Kessiakoff (SWE) as well as last year’s winners Karl Platt (GER) and Mannie Heymans (NAM) with their new team partners Jacques Rossouw (RSA) and Carsten Bresser (GER). Together with amateur riders from all over the world between the ages of 18 and 75 they take up the strenuous challenge of an 8-day stage race, among them also a one legged mountain bike athlete from Seattle, USA. In total, the top teams will win a total prize purse of
R150 000.

The international start field consists of 243 Men teams, 131 Masters (the age of both riders combined must be 80 years), 48 Mixed, and 11 Women teams. Around 25 per cent of the athletes have travelled across the globe to compete in The CAPE EPIC, 75 per cent originate from South Africa.

Stage 1 – Knysna to Saasveld (128.5 km, 2950m)
Day one of The CAPE EPIC started with a tough but exciting and technical ride. Route chief Leon Evans tried to put all the scenic beauty and diversity South Africa has to offer into his first stage – indigenous forest, desert, splendid vistas, river crossings as well as many stunning trails. And the riders awarded him with compliments. “It was an awesome stage”, Roel Paulissen said in the finish. “The diversity of the scenery was absolutely incredible. And I was surprised that South Africa has these kinds of mountain bike tracks.”

Roel and his team partner Bart Brentjens (Giant) put on a phenomenal start to the 8-day race. When they reached the finish line in the Saasveld Forestry Training College after 4 hours 31 minutes and 16.58 seconds they had build up a lead by more than 21 minutes to Christoph Sauser (SUI) and Fredrik Kessiakoff (SWE) (Siemens Cannondale). “Roel was very strong in the beginning, I was strong in the end”, summarised Bart Brentjens their extraordinary team performance. “During the first 80 kilometres I really had to suffer. The track was very difficult with lots of short and steep climbs. It was a constant up and down and very tiring.”

Despite heavy rainfalls on registration day, the route was in top condition with firm ground and only few muddy sections. Fredrik Kessiakoff and Christoph Sauser who came in second today (4:41:53.40) also raved about the first stage. “The course was WOW”, Kessiakoff said with a bright smile. “So varied – we went through thick green rainforest-like jungle and a few kilometres later through the desert.” The two Siemens Cannondale Riders that are normally competitors at the World Cup enjoyed the team experience. “It is great to ride in a team”, so Fredrik. “You look after each other, can help when you have a mechanical, and talk during the ride. It gives racing another dimension and is quite a nice change to our World Cup routine.”

Last year’s winner in the Women category, Hanlie Booyens (RSA), who was still handicapped by a bad flu, and her team partner Michelle Lombardi (RSA) (Scott Ladies), decided to ride stage one at their pace today regardless of possible attacks of teams. Yet they had a leading role in the first suspense battle between the top two teams in the Women category, which they won with a lead by 2.5 minutes minutes today. Marshals along the route watched a constant change at the front between Hanlie and Michelle and team Fiat Bianchi Adidas 2 with Hannele Steyn-Kotze (RSA) and Zoe Frost (RSA). “We really rode our own race today and we didn’t expect this result at all”, Hanlie said in the afternoon. “In fact our goal of the day was to minimise the loss, because I was really sick this week and still in bed on Tuesday. So I had to take it easy today.”

Results

Men
1. Giant – Roel Paulissen (BEL), Bart Brentjens (NDL) – 4:31.16.58
2. Siemens Cannondale – Christoph Sauser (SUI), Fredrik Kessiakoff – 4:41:53.40
3. Papival-Stoeckli-Move Magazine – Sandro Spaeth (SUI), Thomas Zahnd – 4:46.42.99

Women
1. Scott Ladies – Hanlie Booyens (RSA), Michelle Lombardi (RSA) – 6:14:48.73
2. Fiat/ Bianchi/ adidas 2 – Hannele Steyn-Kotze (RSA), Michelle Lombardi (RSA) – 6:16:01.81
3. Hai-Bike/ Scrane.de РKirsten R̦sel (GER), Petronella Hattingh (RSA) Р6:28.33.79

Master
1. Sauna Diana – Jan Siemons (NDL), Jos v. Aert (NDL) – 5:32.16.88
2. Getaway Mongoos – Doug Brown (RSA), Friedrich Coleske (RSA) – 5:37:53.03
3. Psychotic and Neurotic – Gary Cooper (RSA), Mark Prince (RSA) – 5:43:33.44

Mixed
1. Manic Cycles/ Enduren – Geddan Ruckock (RSA), Janine Bomford (RSA) – 6:05:50.85
2. Marsillo Projects – Yolande de Villiers (RSA), Tony Conlon (RSA) – 6:07:51.38
3. Team Microsoft – Nic White (RSA), Anke Erlank (RSA) – 6:08:50.11

Stage 2
Tomorrow the riders are facing the longest and hardest stage of this year’s CAPE EPIC: 144.6 km and 2720 m from Saasveld to Herbertsdale