ABSA Cape Epic 2016 – Stage 6 – Daily news

8 Days of Courage culminated at the Grand Finale of the 2016 Absa Cape Epic today! In the Men’s category Manual Fumic and Henrique Avancini took the final stage win with Karl Platt and Urs Huber winning overall. Yana Belomoina and Sabine Spitz enjoyed a Grand Finale win, but Ariane Kleinhans and Annika Langvad remained the overall leaders to take the Orange jersey.

The Grand Finale, started in Boschendal and finished at the Meerendal Wine Estate. After 86km of racing and 1200m of climbing through the untamed landscapes of the Western Cape, the riders finished the 2016 ABSA Cape Epic.

Watch the stage winners, Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini roll over the Grand Finale finish line to win the final stage of the 2016 Absa Cape Epic!

After toiling in Tulbagh, riders have been enjoying the trail networks of Wellington and Stellenbosch.

The Absa Cape Epic route changes every year. The dedicated route team takes two years to plan where in South Africa's rugged Western Cape province riders will test themselves with a distance of around 800km and 15 000m climbing. What is guaranteed each year is a challenging traverse of the area's iconic fynbos valleys, majestic mountains, deep ravines, indigenous forests, spectacular coastlines and flourishing vineyards. The terrain is as varied as it is harsh - dusty and demanding gravel...

The 2017 Absa Cape Epic started exactly as they 2016 edition ended, with Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini (Cannondale Factor Racing XC) powering onto the Meerendal Wine Estate fields to take the win. Last year the pair claimed the final stage of the Cape Epic; this year they put their considerable cross-country talents to good use to out-race a star-studded field to claim the 26km Prologue at a blazing hot Meerendal. 2016 Olympic cross-country champion Nino Schurter and teammate Matthias...

Jaroslav Kulhavy and Christoph Sauser were first over the line in a thrilling sprint finish to claim their first stage win of the 2017 event, with Nino Schurter and Matthias Stirnemann just behind in second. Overall leaders Manual Fumic and Henrique Avancini were in the sprint but finished third on the day and hold a decent two minute-plus lead over Sauser and Kulhavy in the race for the Absa Cape Epic title.

Jaroslav Kulhavy from had a crash near the end of the stage, relinquishing their chances of stage win. Meanwhile Sabine Spitz went over her bars just before the Haarkappers ascent after water point 2, opening up a nasty gash above her left eye. Spitz went on to finish the stage.