A MANAGER’S TALE

It is a quarter to five in the morning and the race village of the 2011 ABSA Cape Epic is beginning to stir for another tough day in the world’s premier MTB stage race. While the majority of the field is being accommodated in the tented village, many of the professional riders are staying in the adjacent camper van area and this where the defending champions, Team Bulls are readying themselves for the days action.

Team Bulls have two teams entered in the race along with their support staff, who are busy preparing the rider’s food on only a few hours sleep after working late into the previous evening to make sure that everything is in order.

Mission accomplished is the best way to describe Adrien Niyonshuti and Mannie Heymans (Garmin-adidas/MTN) overall victory in the Absa Cape Epic’s African Jersey competition.

Moments after finishing the last stage on Sunday at Lourensford Heymans made it clear that finishing ninth overall in the Epic and winning the African Jersey with Niyonshuti is a definite highlight in his already illustrious mountain biking career.

South African Burry Stander and team mate Christoph Sauser continued to dominate this year’s Absa Cape Epic by winning the 5th stage of this year’s Absa Cape Epic in a time of 5:19.30,7.

They were followed by the Flückiger brothers, Lukas and Mathias, of Trek World Racing in a time of 5:19.41,2, with the Multivan Merida team, Hannes Genze and Jochen Käss, in third place with 5;19.51,1.

Switzerland’s Christoph Sauser and his South African teammate Burry Stander are on a winning streak by again finishing first in Thursday’s trial ride (Stage 4) of this year’s Cape Epic.

They completed the tough 32km course in a time of 1:10.01,1 and are now 7 minutes and 48 seconds in the lead. They were again followed by Hannes Genze and Jochen Kloss in 1;11.34,0 with the team of Sergio Gutierrez Mantecon and Carlos Nicolas Coloma in third place in 1:12.08,0.

It is a first for the Cape Epic’s two time trials in the 2011 race.

The Men’s Category for the prologue was won by the South African / Swiss team of Burry Stander and Christoph Sauser (team 36ONE Songo Specialized) in a time of 1:02.40,7. They were followed by Hannes Genze and Jochen Käss of the Multivan Merida Biking team (1:04.22,9) with the Bulls team and 3-times winners of the Absa Cape Epic, Karl Platt and Stefan Sahm in third place (1:04.35,6). In fourth place was the South African 360LIFE team Kevin Evans and David George (1:04.50,5) with José Hermida and Ralph Näf in fifth place (1:04.53,0).

To go one better will always be the greatest challenge in any sporting event.

David George (360life), who was all smiles on Saturday afternoon (15 January), had every reason to be satisfied with himself, because he had just won the MTN Attakwas ultra-marathon.

There is no guarantee that a South African mountain biker will win the MTN Attakwas ultra-marathon race on Saturday, 15 January.

For the first time there will be international ranking points on offer, it is a safe bet to say that the overseas ‘visitors’ will race to win.