29 MARCH 2008
NEWSFLASH: STAGE 1 OF 2008 ABSA CAPE EPIC PRESENTED BY ADIDAS
Stage 1

Start/Finish: Knysna – George (Saasveld Campus Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University)
Distance: 123 km
Climbing: 3091m

Once again a traditional start had riders leave the beautiful coastal town of Knysna, up Simola Pass, a 3km climb with a 7% gradient. Riders then had to turn into lush, indigenous forests. This route was as beautiful as it was demanding, with sharp climbs, slippery corners and heart-in-the-stomach descents through Homtini, Jubilee Creek nature reserve, and a technical descent through Katara forest. Riders then got onto stretches of the 7 passes route, with some deviations on more rugged terrain, before they reached the first race village on the beautiful Saasveld Campus. Day 2 of the Absa Cape Epic saw another stage win for a South African with young Burry Stander claiming the yellow leader jersey stepping up to the pace of his partner Christoph Sauser, one of the world’s most prolific mountain bike riders of all times (Songo.Info).

STAGE 1 RESULTS:

MEN:

1. Songo.Info – Christoph Sauser (SUI) & Burry Stander (RSA) – 4:39:35
2. Bulls – Karl Platt (GER) & Stefan Sahm (GER) – 4:40:06
3. Etto Hoydahl (3) – Martin Bratland (NOR) & Kristian Torgersen (NOR) – 4:44:21
4. Etto Hoydahl (1) – Jo Nordskar (NOR) & Anders Hovdenes (NOR) – 4:44:43
5. Alb-Gold Mountainbike – Hannes Genze (GER) & Jochen Kaess (GER) – 4:45:38
6. Cannondale Vredestein – Roel Paulissen (BEL) & Jakob Fuglsang (DEN) – 4:49:15
7. Full-Dynamix Rsm – Fredrik Kessiakoff (SWE) & Massimo Debertolis (ITA) – 4:51:59
8. Dolphin – Bart Brentjens (NED) & Alban Lakata (AUT)– 4:55:54
9. Etto Hoydahl (2) – Rune Hoydahl (NOR) & Ola Kjoren (NOR) – 5:01:44
10. MTN Energade (2) – Mannie Heymans (NAM) & Melt Swanepoel (RSA) – 5:03:49

LADIES:

1. Rocky Mountain – Pia Sundstedt (FIN) & Alison Sydor (CAN) – 5:44:07
2. Dolphin-Trek MTB Racing – Fabienne Heinzmann (SUI) & Katrin Schwing (GER) – 5:54:20
3. Trek/VW WSD – Susan Haywood (USA) & Jennifer Smith (NZL) – 6:03:55
4. Absa Ladies – Erica Green (RSA) & Hanlie Booyens (RSA) – 6:09:24
5. Scott Contessa – Jane Seggie (RSA) & Ischen Stopforth (RSA) – 6:10:02

MASTERS:

1. Absa Masters – Doug Brown (RSA) & Barti Bucher (SUI) – 5:06:29
2. Adidas William Simpson – Shan Wilson (RSA) & Walter Platzgummer (ITA) – 5:08:07
3. Pragma Masters – M.C. Franken (RSA) & Peter Buggle (IRL) – 5:34:08
4. Gpsupload.Com – Douw Andrews (USA) & Rich Bartlett (USA) – 5:52:56
5. Oracla – Claudio Pellegrini (ITA) & Orazio Casaccio (ITA) – 5:56:35

MIXED:

1. Joybike Guided by VMT and Maloja – Ivonne Kraft (GER) & Nico Pfitzenmaier (GER) – 5:46:30
2. X.O Felt Swiss – Adrian Burri (SUI) & Franziska Roethlin (SUI) – 5:54:10
3. Novatec – CK MTB Dohnany – Janka Stevkova (SVK) & Tomas Legnavsky (SVK) – 5:56:50
4. Absa Mixed – Kobus Barnard (RSA) & Fienie Barnard (RSA) – 5:57:20
5. Cyclelab Toyota – Johan Labuschagne (RSA) & Yolandé de Villiers (RSA) – 6:03:20

OVERALL RESULTS:

MEN:

1. Songo.Info – Christoph Sauser (SUI) & Burry Stander (RSA) – 5:12:05
2. Bulls – Karl Platt (GER) & Stefan Sahm (GER) – 5:12:28
3. Etto Hoydahl (3) – Martin Bratland (NOR) & Kristian Torgersen (NOR) – 5:18:18
4. Etto Hoydahl (1) – Jo Nordskar (NOR) & Anders Hovdenes (NOR) – 5:19:09
5. Alb-Gold Mountainbike – Hannes Genze (GER) & Jochen Kaess (GER) – 5:19:22
6. Cannondale Vredestein – Roel Paulissen (BEL) & Jakob Fuglsang (DEN) – 5:21:17
7. Full-Dynamix Rsm – Fredrik Kessiakoff (SWE) & Massimo Debertolis (ITA) – 5:25:46
8. Dolphin – Bart Brentjens (NED) & Alban Lakata (AUT)– 5:28:41
9. Etto Hoydahl (2) – Rune Hoydahl (NOR) & Ola Kjoren (NOR) – 5:36:34
10. MTN Energade (2) – Mannie Heymans (NAM) & Melt Swanepoel (RSA) – 5:37:41