South African success on Stage 3 of Cape Epic

Local riders made it a banner day for South African cycling on the third stage of the Cape Epic on Wednesday between Hermanus and Oak Valley. 

Amy Wakefield and Candice Lill (e-FORT. net | SeattleCoffeeCo) won the transition stage in the CM.com Women's category, while Matt Beers won the Men's Stage 3 race alongside American partner Christopher Blevins (Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne).

Lill and Beers are the reigning SA marathon champions, while Wakefield was the 2022 South African marathon champion.

And it worked! Beers surges ahead, Blevins goes mental and catches him. Another stage win; Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne take Stage 3. #capeepic pic.twitter.com/KVHITclACK

The consecutive stage successes for Wakefield and Lill further cemented their overall lead in the CM.com Women's category. Sofia Gomez Villafane and Katerina Nash (NinetyOne-Songo-Specialized) now sit eight minutes back in second place overall. 

Another tactical ride and explosive finish gave Beers and Blevins their third stage win in four days. They also moved up one place from fifth to fourth in the men's general classification. 

They now sit seven minutes and 40 seconds behind GC leaders Nino Schurter and Andri Frischknecht (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing), with Georg Egger and Lukas Baum (ORBEA x Leatt x Speed Company) in second overall and Fabian Rabensteiner and Wout Alleman (Wilier Pirelli Factory) in third.

"The route made it hard today,” Blevins said the end of the stage.

"The climb after Houw Hoek was brutally rough. The chasing group came back at Houw Hoek, and everyone was jostling for position. We just made sure we were in the right place at the right time. The tactics are so much fun and a big part of the puzzle when you ride with a partner. I’m really enjoying