Sauser and Kulhavy win opening Cape Epic prologue

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The fourth prologue in the nine-year history of the Cape Epic set the seeding order for tomorrow's stage 1. 1,200 racers from 41 countries covered 22km in sunny weather. The Swiss/Czech team of Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy (Burry Stander - Songo) will wear the sought-after yellow zebra leaders' jerseys.

Other top rides came from Philip Buys and Matthys Beukes (Scott Factory Racing) as top Africans; Esther Süss and Jane Nuessli (BMC Wheeler) as top ladies; Bart Brentjens and Robert Sim (Superior-Brentjens 2) as top masters; Bärti Bucher and Heinz Zorweg as top grand masters; and Siphosenkosi Madolo and Azukile Simayile (Exxaro RMB Academy-songo) as top development riders.

Set off with a bang, riders left the start chute riding through the historic Meerendal Manor House and almost immediately thereafter faced a challenging climb up "Stairway to Heaven" to the top of Dorstberg, a mountain top boasting magnificent 360-degree views of world famous landmarks such as Table Mountain, Robben Island and Cape Point.

Pressed for time, teams had to forego sight-seeing as they dove straight into a rugged, Renosterveld-lined trail that descended into the quarry and adjacent Hoogekraal farm, where sweeping singletrack formed part of the Tygerberg Mountain Bike Club trail system. Well bermed turns made for a fun roller coaster descent as the route ultimately headed back through steep vineyards and a steady climb past dairy fields onto the picturesque Meerendal Wine Estate, finishing off with some more single-track and ensuring riders finished the first day with big smiles on their faces.

Men

For the third year in a row, the men's category for the prologue was won by Christoph Sauser. This year, he won with new Burry Stander-Songo teammate, Olympic gold medalist Jaroslav Kulhavy, in a time of 55:10.

They were followed by Multivan Merida's José Hermida and Rudi van Houts in 56:17, with Italian/German combo Marco Fontana and Manuel Fumic (Cannondale Factory Racing) in third place (in 56:34). In fourth place were Alban Lakata and Robert Mennen of Topeak Ergon Racing in 57:04 with four-times winner Karl Platt and Urs Huber of the Bulls in fifth place in 57:19.

"I knew Jaroslav was going to be strong, but he was a powerhouse," said Sauser. "We had perfect team harmony and did a good job. We have similar riding styles and take it slow in the corners and fast on the flats."

"Our bikes were amazing as we could sit and just ride. It was very emotional for me and when the spectators shouted Burry's name, I had goodsebumps."

Kulhavy said, "It was amazing, and I enjoyed it. We were in good shape for today. I enjoyed the prologue and feel excited about the next week."

Multivan Merida's Hermida said, "I really liks this country and also liked the route today. I enjoy riding fast and taking corners, followed by some singletrack. Today we just tried to stay in front. We had fun and our aim is to finish on the podium overall. It was a great tribute to Burry (Stander) that the Specialized team of Sauser and Kulhavy took the jersey. We have a white shadow following us - Burry will be with us for the whole race."

Rudi van Houts said, "Our focus was to finish on the podium and we made it. Now we still have a goal for the week - to try and get the leaders' jerseys. Of course we'd like to finish on the podium, so we can't lose too much time in any of the stages."

Ladies

Esther Süss and Jane Nuessli of BMC Wheeler won the ladies' category in a time of 1:08:22, ahead of Sally Bigham and Milena Landtwing (Topeak Ergon) in 1:10:19. South African/British duo Yolande Speedy and Catherine Williamson (Energas) finished third in 1:11:56, with South Africans Hanlie Booyens and Ischen Stopforth (Pragma Volcan Ladies) in fourth place in 1:15:23.

"This was my first race of the season and I'm really happy with how it went," said Süss. "Jane and I work well together and hopefully we'll recover for tomorrow. We'll see how it goes. At least I know where I stand."

Bigham said, "Today was really good. It wasn't as hot as last year and a nice temperature. We did a test ride yesterday, and I was unsure whether I liked the course, but really enjoyed it today. The spectators on the course were also really nice and added to my enjoyment of the race. I felt stronger than last year. We're here to enjoy the race and will see what happens. I've won the last two years, so maybe it's someone else's turn to win. This is my fourth stage race with Milena and we'll have a good time."

Landtwing said, "It's hard to bike with Sally as she's faster than I am. I'm happy though as I did my best and we still have a long way to go."

Third placed Williamson said, "It's always nice to get the first day out of the way. We can now get into a rhythm. It's the first time we rode together and we're both happy with how today went. All bodes well and I'm happy with my legs. I'm sure Yolande is also happy with hers. Now the nerves have gone we can focus on tomorrow which is a really hard stage. The Cape Epic is a long race and our aim is a podium finish, but we'll take it one stage at a time."

Speedy noted that was very nervous at the start of the race. "I wasn't sure what to expect, but we had a strong ride today. I'm looking forward to the next seven days - we're happy with our position."

Masters

Former Olympic medalist Bart Brentjens and Robert Sim of Superior-Brentjens 2 won the Masters category. Their winning time was 1:01:15. They were followed by Nico Pfitzenmaier and Abraao Azevedo of team Bridge in 1:01:15. Carsten Bresser and Udo Bolts of Juwi finished third (1:0159).

Mixed

The RE:CM team of Erik and Ariane Kleinhans won the mixed category (1:06:24), followed by Theresa Ralph and Damian Perrin of Biogen Britehouse in 1:08:41. The South African/Swiss team of Jennie Stenerhag and Craig Gerber (Big Tree) finished in third place (1:11:13).

Erik Kleinhans said, "We're happy with everything. We wanted to catch the two mixed teams ahead of us and managed to do so. We increased the gap from there. Our mission was to win the prologue and we accomplished that. There's still a long way to go, but our form is good. We'll ride conservatively and cleverly."

Ariane Kleinhans said, "I'm very happy with today's results. I felt much better than last year and really gave my best. We're a good team and Erik supports me so well. Tonight we'll look at tomorrow's stage and take it from there."

Grand masters

Bärti Bucher and Heinz Zorweg of Songo.info finished in first place in the grand masters in a time of 1:06:12. They were followed by Paul Furbank and Chris Brand of Genesis Capital in 1:08:54 with Linus van Onselen and Doug Brown (Balamory) in third place (1:09:30).

African Jersey

A hotly contested "race within a race" is the one for the red African jersey, awarded to the highest placed team, with both members holding African nationalities. Team Scott Factory Racing Philip Buys and Matthys Beukes finished first in 58:17 with Darren Lill and Charles Keey (Cannondale Blend) in second (58:24). They were followed by Brandon Stewart and Neil Macdonald of FedGroup-Itec in third place in 1:01:48.

Exxaro Jersey

Siphosenkosi Madolo and Azukile Simayile of team Exxaro RMB Academy-songo managed to secure the Exxaro jersey with their impressive performance during the prologue. Their time was 1:06.15, and they are placed 32nd overall.

Stage 1: Citrusdal to Citrusdal (103km, 2500m of climbing)

Stage 1 will cover 96km on virgin Cape Epic territory. It starts and finishes in Citrusdal, a small farming town at the foot of the Cederberg Mountains. The stage begins climbing from the word go, up Piekenierskloof on relatively smooth and sandy roads, before descending nearly 600 meters in seven rocky kilometers of a wet Olifants River crossing. A steady eight-kilometer climb leads to a four-kilometer section of rugged dual track and a short, but thrilling, singletrack descent. The gradual descent to water point two, is on uneven farm roads through citrus orchards. Riders need to fill up here as the most challenging section of the day awaits - seven kilometers of climbing, a brief rutted descent and then a portage that will test bodies and humour. The long descent to water point three is followed by approximately 20 kilometers through the farmlands in the Olifants River Valley. With no significant climbs, though by no means flat, riders will enjoy a slight reprieve before reaching the final obstacle of the day: a tough, sandy slog up the mountain side and the just reward of a fast, fun descent into the race village in Citrusdal.

Full Results for prologue and general classification after prologue