Christoph Sauser and Burry Stander (36ONE-SONGO-SPECIALIZED) are one stage away from successfully defending their title as winners of the Absa Cape Epic.
Stander and Sauser finished second in the sixth stage that was won by South Africans Kevin Evans and David George. Their winning time was 3 hours, 38 minutes and 5 seconds for the 83km at Oak Valley, Elgin. Stander and Sauser’s time were 3:44.50 followed by Alban Lakata and Robert Mennen (3:47.01).
The South African and Swiss duo has an overall time of 29:11.39. They have a lead of 25.57 over Evans and George. Hannes Genze and Andreas Kugler are 28.47 behind.
“We didn't set the pace today we just followed. They (Evans and George) wanted to proof something and it is hard to beat a team with a mind-set like that. We just kept our own pace,” said Stander.
“I’m still feeling strong and looking forward to a cracker of a last day to Lourensford. I don't know if we will win the stage. Maybe we can help our other team of Max Knox and Kohei Yamamoto. It would be great to help them to win a stage.”
“We just rode our own pace. We didn't need to take any chances and the most important part is to get safe to the finish today and tomorrow,” said Sauser. “I think its only big mechanicals that can rob us of an overall victory now. We will be focused to finish safely. We will definitely try to help Max and Kohei to win at Lourensford.”
Knox and Yamamoto (SONGO-SPECIALIZED) is still in 10th place overall after they had some more bad luck with mechanical problems.
Sunday’s last stage is over 64km from Oak Valley to Lourensford Wine Estate in Somerset West.