Buys/Beukes surprise on stalemate day in Cape Epic

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South Africans Philip Buys and Matthys Beukes (Scott Factory Racing) gave the host country its first stage win of the 2015 Absa Cape Epic with an audacious early attack that managed to succeed as the top hitters watched each other on the 111km stage.

Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy, and rivals Kristian Hynek and Alban Lakata finished together, giving up 3:31 to the stage winners, who are seventh overall.

Buys said the attack was a “long shot ”that paid off. “We went hard from the start,” he said. “I said to Matthys that I couldn’t hold the pace for another three hours, so we backed off.”

“But then I started feeling better and the gap just kept growing. Towards the end we controlled it … accelerating when we felt good,” said Buys.

The pair held a six minute lead on the chasing quartet at one point, but the leaders almost halved the gap over the three closing “Skyscraper” climbs.

Sauser and Kulhavy remain in the lead with 7:22 on Hynek and Lakata, with Jose Hermida and Rudi van Houts (Multivan Merida) in third. Karl Platt and Urs Huber are fourth conceded another 1:18 to the overall leaders, and are fourth at 14:50.

Annika Langvad and Ariane Kleinhands strengthened their grip on the orange leader's jersey in the women's category with another powerhouse display on the 111km loop of the Worcester countryside. They finished more than 20 minutes ahead of the second placed team, Jennie Stenerhag and Robyn Lee de Groot (Ascendis Health), and now have almost half an hour on the pair in the overall standings.

“It was really sandy again, and so rocky at the start,” said Kleinhans. “It was also real Karoo riding out there today, so you had to watch for thorns and sharp stones.” The pair are riding slightly heavier and thicker tyres than normal, and it’s a strategy that appears to be paying off.

“They are only slightly heavier than our usual tyres,” said Kleinhans, “but it really gives you the confidence to push on, especially when you are slightly tired towards the end of the day and you aren’t able to dodge obstacles quickly. With these you can go over stones feeling confident that you won’t puncture.”

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