Sauser/Kulhavy claim heat-shortened stage 2

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Extreme heat and humidity forced organisers of the Cape Epic to truncate stage 2, ending the race at the first water station at 62km. The stage had been scheduled to be 102km and finish in Greyton but race medics warned that a combination of heat and humidity on Tuesday could endanger the health of riders.

"This is a big decision for us and we have never done it before in 14 years of staging the race, but the safety of our riders is paramount," said Absa Cape Epic CEO Lynn Naudé.

"We made the call after extensive discussions with the medical team and key stakeholders. We considered various options but decided this was the fairest and safest option."

The shorter, less arduous stage still contained 1500m of vertical gain, down from 2350m on the original route. The top three men's teams finished within seconds of each other, with Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy taking the win over Nino Schurter and Matthias Stimermann. Race leaders Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini finished third.

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