Cape Epic Stage 6: New leaders in men’s and women’s race after dramatic day at Cape Epic

Matt Beers and Christopher Blevins (NinetyOne-Songo-Specialized) won Stage 6 of the Absa Cape Epic - their fifth stage win of the event - and moved into second place on the general classification at the same time on Saturday.

Nino Schurter and Andri Frischknecht (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing) moved back into the overall lead after finishing second on the stage. They sit 90 seconds ahead of Beers and Blevins with one day of racing to go. Lukas Baum and Georg Egger (ORBEA x Leatt x Speed Company), after a day of wild weather and high drama, sit in third overall, five-and-a-half minutes off the lead.

In the Women’s Category, Kim le Court and Vera Looser (Efficient Infiniti Insure) claimed a hat-trick of stage wins by winning Stage 6, riding into the overall leaders Orange jersey in the process. Amy Wakefield and Candice Lill ( e-Fort.net | SeattleCoffeeCo) finished fourth on Stage 6, losing more than 30 minutes to the new category leaders. 

Both the men’s and the women’s races were heavily impacted by mechanical issues for the leading teams on a day of racing that many elite riders called one of the toughest ever. Rain fell throughout the 73km stage, turning climbs into sticky streams of clay and singletrack descents into treacherous mud baths. 

Around 33km into the Women’s Category race, Wakefield broke the rim on her back wheel after hitting a hole and was forced to ride 8km to the next tech zone without a rear tyre. Up until that point, Wakefield, Lill, Looser and Le Court were riding together comfortably.

The broken rim changed everything, and from that moment on, Wakefield and Lill dropped further and further behind, eventually finishing 39 minutes after stage winners Looser and Le Court. The new Orange jersey leaders will start