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Swiss riders Martin Gujan and Fabian Giger staged an upset in the prologue of the 2015 Cape Epic, topping five time overall Cape Epic champion Karl Platt and his partner Urs Huber (Bulls) by 18 seconds, with 2013 winners Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy in third at 24 seconds.
Ariane Kleinhans and Annika Langvad demolished the women's field, coming in a whopping 3:36 ahead of the next pair Jennie Stenerhag and Robyn Lee de Groot, with Milena Landtwing and Hielke Elferink a dozen seconds further behind.
Giger said the team benefitted from tackling the course earlier than the favourites, who started after the bulk of the field had churned up the course.
“I didn’t expect it at all but I’m very happy to get the win,” said Giger. “We left quite early (before the favourites for the stage) and had a good time out there.”
Platt said the team took it out steady and had one moment where the trail disappeared into a dust cloud. “I went ‘whoa! where’s the track?’, but then it was fine.”
Results
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| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martin Gujan (Swi) / Fabian Giger (Swi) Novus OMX Pro | 0:46:18 |
| 2 | Karl Platt (Ger) / Urs Huber (Swi) Bulls | 0:00:18 |
| 3 | Christoph Sauser (Swi) / Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) Investec-Songo-Specialized | 0:00:24 |
| 4 | Emil Lindgren (Swe) / Brendon Davids (RSA) Kargo Pro MTB | 0:00:31 |
| 5 | Jose Hermida (Spa) / Rudi van Houts (Ned) Multivan Merida | 0:00:42 |
| 6 | Rourke Croeser (RSA) / Travis Walker (RSA) USN #1 | 0:00:50 |
| 7 | Kristian Hynek (Cze) / Alban Lakata (Aut) Topeak Ergon | 0:00:52 |
| 8 | Darren Lill (RSA) / Waylon Woolcock (RSA) RED-E Blend | 0:00:52 |
| 9 | Robert Mennen (Ger) / Jeremiah Bishop (USA) Topeak Ergon 2 | 0:01:21 |
| 10 | Philip Buys (RSA) / Matthys Beukes (RSA) Scott Factory Racing | 0:01:31 |
| 11 | Jochen Kaess (Ger) / Daniel Geismayr (Aut) Meerendal Centurion Vaude | 0:01:54 |
| 12 | Erik Kleinhans (RSA) / Nico Bell (RSA) RECM | 0:02:12 |
| 13 | Gawie Combrinck (RSA) / Johann Rabie (RSA) EAI South Africa | 0:02:23 |
| 14 | Jan Jobanek (Cze) / Filip Adel (Cze) Mitas Superior | 0:02:25 |
| 15 | Greg Saw (Aus) / Ola Kjøren (Nor) iHUS 2 | 0:03:17 |
| 16 | Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) / Matthias Pfrommer (Ger) Meerendal Centurion Vaude 2 | 0:03:21 |
| 17 | Kevin Evans (RSA) / Max Knox (RSA) Biogen-Volcan | 0:03:23 |
| 18 | Adriaan Louw (RSA) / Lourens Luus (RSA) CONTEGO Swift Carbon | 0:03:56 |
| 19 | Lars Granberg (Nor) / Soren Nissen (Den) iHUS | 0:04:10 |
| 20 | Stefan Sahm (Ger) / Timo Cooper (RSA) JAG Foundation | 0:04:18 |
| 21 | Gert Heyns (RSA) / Arno Du Toit (RSA) Scott Factory Racing 2 | 0:04:43 |
| 22 | Nic Lamond (RSA) / Carl Pasio (RSA) RSAWEB Biogen | 0:05:01 |
| 23 | Dariusz Miroslaw (Pol) / Andrzej Kaiser (Pol) Specialized Martombike | 0:05:06 |
| 24 | Lucien Besancon (Swi) / Konny Looser (Swi) Meerendal Wheeler 2 | 0:05:13 |
| 25 | Manuel Rojo Nieto (Spa) / Jose Maria Sanchez Ruiz (Spa) GACOSUR/SCOTT | 0:05:18 |
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| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ariane Kleinhans (Swi) / Annika Langvad (Den) RECM Specialized | 0:53:39 |
| 2 | Jennie Stenerhag (Swe) / Robyn Lee de Groot (RSA) Ascendis Health | 0:03:36 |
| 3 | Milena Landtwing (Swi) / Hielke Elferink (Ned) Meerendal Wheeler C'dale | 0:03:47 |
| 4 | Esther Suss (Swi) / Alice Pirard (Bel) Meerendal Wheeler | 0:04:45 |
| 5 | Yolande de Villiers (RSA) / Janka Keseg Stevkova (Svk) SasolRacing | 0:05:31 |
| 6 | Sally Bigham (GBr) / Christina Kollmann (Aut) Sellaronda Hero | 0:05:36 |
| 7 | Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesja (Nor) / Kathrin Stirnemann (Swi) World Bicycle Relief | 0:06:39 |
| 8 | Sanne van Paassen (Ned) / Jolien Janssen (Ned) Lovechock Specialized | 0:07:33 |
| 9 | Theresa Ralph (RSA) / Jeannie Bomford (RSA) RBS | 0:07:36 |
| 10 | Mariske Strauss (RSA) / Cherie Vale (RSA) Novus OMX Pro | 0:07:58 |
| 11 | Leana de Jager (RSA) / Yolandi du Toit (RSA) SasolRacing 2 | 0:08:58 |
| 12 | Ann Harrison (RSA) / Marleen Lourens (RSA) Dawn Wing/Momsen | 0:12:48 |
| 13 | Kathrin Muller (Ger) / Maud Golsteyn (Ned) Skinfit | 0:15:41 |
| 14 | Genevieve Weber (RSA) / Wanda Tattersall (Nam) Central Family Practice | 0:16:47 |
| 15 | Debra Doss (USA) / Melissa Ross (USA) Bitty Bitty | 0:18:56 |
| 16 | Giuliana Massarotto (Ita) / Elena Perin (Ita) Titanium | 0:20:15 |
| 17 | Joanie Kift (RSA) / Samantha Oosthuizen (RSA) Fresh to Go | 0:24:14 |
| 18 | Minione Lategan (RSA) / Sue Lategan (RSA) SAC trucks 2 | 0:25:58 |
| 19 | Sandra Aaden (Swe) / Britta Alstad (Swe) SPIF OffRoad | 0:30:20 |
| 20 | Elizma Kock (RSA) / Marelise Wilson (RSA) Ruwacon | 0:32:12 |
| 21 | Teresa Coetzee (RSA) / Lulu Ceronio (RSA) Beeld/Lipco | 0:34:35 |
| 22 | Danielle Nagaoka (Bra) / Juliana Cozzi (Bra) Legionárias Brasil AKSA | 0:38:39 |
| 23 | Maria Gumennaya (Rus) / Anna Fridlyanskaya (Rus) World Class Outdoor Girls | 0:38:56 |
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