2 Hours Of Truth | Cape Epic Stage 4 Results & Recap

by | Mar 23, 2023 | Bike Race Reports, Bike, Bike Events & Racing, Sports

Stage 4 of the 2023 Absa Cape Epic was a time trial stage. 47 km covered with 875m of elevation gain on the trails of the Oak Valley and Paul Cluver wine estates. There are few mountain biking races as honest as a time trial. There’s no way to hide in the bunch, just you and your partner pushing each other towards the finish line with as much might as you can muster.

With the GC battle heating up in the men’s race and SCOTT-SRAM yet to win a stage, although wearing the leader’s jersey, this was an opportunity for the chasing teams to do some damage to their leading margin. No-one took that opportunity as seriously as Orbea x Leatt x Speed Company and the Toyota-NinetyOne-Specialized pairings, as will be told in the results below.

Cape Epic 2023 Stage 4 Results And Recap
Christopher Blevins pulling the Matt Beers train during stage 4 of the 2023 Absa Cape Epic. Photo by Dom Barnardt / Cape Epic

It was, in the words of DJ Khaled, “Another One” for Matt Beers and Chris Blevins who have 4 Stage wins out of 5 in this year’s Cape Epic. They pulled in two and a half minutes on the GC leaders (with 2nd placed Speed Company taking 2 off for themselves). With 3 huge days on the bike to go and just 5 minutes separating the top 3, it is very much anyone’s game.

Cape Epic 2023 Stage 4 Results And Recap
Happy birthday Kim Le Court! Her and Vera Looser were hammering the hardest of the women’s teams across the Cape Epic’s Stage 4 Time Trial! Photo by Sam Clark / Cape Epic

You’d be forgiven for saying otherwise of the women’s race as Amy Wakefield and Candice Lill lead by nearly 11 minutes, even after conceding close on 3 minutes to a flying (and sliding) Le Court and Looser, although still besting the 2nd place in GC Villafane and Nash. If you know the Cape Epic though, you know not to call it until the finish line has indeed been crossed for the final time because anything can happen out there!

Cape Epic 2023 Stage 4 Results And Recap
Trails abounded during stage 4 of the 2023 Absa Cape Epic and Phil Buys and Alex Miller lapped them up! Photo by Nick Muzik/Cape Epic

As for the Men’s African Jersey, it is still firmly in the clutches of Pyga EuroSteel and they are not showing many signs of slowing down, and they better not as Imbuko {type}DEV are doing their best to chomp at their heels. Their gap was diminished to just under 9 minutes as the hungry Marco Joubert and Pieter Du Toit bested Phil Buys and Alex Miller by 3 minutes in the time trial.

102km and 2450m awaits them on Stage 5 and I think we might just see some big moves happen! Catch the GC standings below and the detailed press release further down.

Overall and African Jersey Results After Stage 4 – 2023 ABSA Cape Epic

Stage 4 Results From Cape Epic 2023
Overall Men Top 10 After Stage 4 Cape Epic 2023
Stage 4 Results From Cape Epic 2023
Overall Women Top 10 After Stage 4 Cape Epic 2023
Stage 4 Results From Cape Epic 2023
African Jersey Men Top 5 After Stage 4 Cape Epic 2023
Stage 4 Results From Cape Epic 2023
African Jersey Men Top 5 After Stage 4 Cape Epic 2023
Stage 4 Results From Cape Epic 2023
Exxaro Men Top 5 After Stage 5 Cape Epic 2023

ABSA Cape Epic 2023 Stage 4 Recap

Press Release: Cape Epic

Matt Beers and Christopher Blevins (Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne) won the Stage 4 Time Trial of the Absa Cape Epic, their fourth stage victory in five days, while Vera Looser and Kim le Court (Efficient Infiniti Insure) won in the CM.com Women’s category. 

Cape Epic 2023 Stage 4 Results And Recap
Candice Lill and Amy Wakefield 2nd on the stage, still comfortably ahead on GC. Photo by Sam Clark / Cape Epic

The Stage 4 win for Beers and Blevins pushed them up to third in the Men’s general classification. They now sit five minutes behind race leaders Nino Schurter and Andri Frischknecht (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing).

Of more immediate concern for Schurter and Frischknecht, though, will be the overall progress made by Lukas Baum and Georg Egger (ORBEA x Leatt x Speed Company).

Cape Epic 2023 Stage 4 Results And Recap
Yellow Jersey wearers Nino Schurter and Andri Frischknecht during stage 4 of the 2023 Absa Cape Epic. Photo by Nick Muzik/Cape Epic

The defending Absa Cape Epic Champions had a superb day on the bike, finishing second on the 47km Time Trial stage. In doing so, they managed to eat away at the overall lead of Schurter and Frischknecht. With three tough stages to come, Baum and Egger are just a minute and 11 seconds off first place. 

As good as Baum and Egger were, the short, punchy stage played to the strengths of Blevins and the American was in no mood to mess around. He set the pace from the word go.

Cape Epic 2023 Stage 4 Results And Recap
Georg Egger and Lukas Baum, everyone’s favourite Germans, chuffed with the dent they made in the GC standings. 1 minute separates them from the lead. Photo by Nick Muzik/Cape Epic.

“I felt amazing,” he said. “I don’t know why, but today was just one of those days when I felt great. The wind made it tricky, but I had a lot of fun out there. I hope the legs I had today stick around for the next three days because that’s where this race will be won. We’re happy with these stage wins, but we definitely want that yellow jersey.”

Beers added that Blevins was the engine and the conductor on Stage 4. “We went out really hard but I realised very quickly that I wasn’t feeling so great. Chris was amazing though. He just pushed on and got me through it. That’s where teamwork is essential at the Absa Cape Epic.”

Cape Epic 2023 Stage 4 Results And Recap
Sofia Gomez Villafane and Katerina Nash during stage 4 time trial of the 2023 Absa Cape Epic. Photo by Sam Clark / Cape Epic

Overall leaders in the Men’s race Schurter and Frischknecht were happy with their efforts, too. “Our goal was always to go out at a good pace and not work too hard on the stage,” said Schurter. “We are still in the lead and I think we didn’t leave as much out there today as some of the other riders. We have three days of good racing to come and we’re ready for it.”

In the CM.com Women’s category on Stage 4, Le Court and Looser were determined from start to finish. 

Starting ahead of Sofia Gomez Villafane and Katerina Nash (NinetyOne-Songo-Specialized) and e-FORT.net | SeattleCoffeeCo in the Time Trial format, the Mauritius-Namibia team looked comfortable throughout.

Cape Epic 2023 Stage 4 Results And Recap
A happy team can be a dangerous team! Kim Le Court and Vera Looser are here to play ball! Photo by Nick Muzik/Cape Epic.

The nature of the format is such that teams on the route have no idea what their nearest rivals are up to. Le Court and Looser raced almost flawlessly on the 47km stage, despite Looser’s slight stumble on loose gravel.

“That was an amazing way to celebrate Kim’s birthday,” said Looser. “It was hard out there, two hours of full gas riding, but we hung on. We were riding along and we heard we had a one-minute lead and couldn’t believe it. Kim was in front and saying ‘come Vera, come on, come on, let’s go!’ I was saying ‘wait, wait my legs are killing me’. But we pushed on and it was a great feeling to pull it off. It’s been a very special day.”

Le Court said it was a dream to win on her birthday. “We raced at another Epic Series event and we won a stage there on Vera’s birthday, so now it was my turn! It’s been long days prior to today, so we are thrilled and slightly surprised with the stage victory.”

Wakefield and Lill were last to leave the start chute and managed to overtake Villafane and Nash, who had started two minutes ahead of them. While Wakefield and Lill didn’t set the course alight, they were still able to build on their overall lead with a smooth ride.

Once again, Villafane and Nash appeared to struggle as the stage wore on. They sit second overall in the CM.com Women’s category, more than 10 minutes behind Wakefield and Lill.

Tune in to Stage 5 of the Absa Cape Epic live broadcast from 08:30 on Friday 24 March on the Absa Cape Epic Facebook page or the Epic Series YouTube channel.

2023 Absa Cape Epic Stage 4 Results:

Men’s category:

1.    Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne – Matthew Beers, Christopher Blevins – 01:45:09.5

2.    Orbea X Leatt X Speed Company Racing: Georg Egger, Lukas Baum – 01:45:32.1 (+00:00:22.6)

3.    SCOTT-SRAM MTB-Racing: Nino Schurter, Andri Frischknecht – 01:47:33.5 (+00:02:23.9)

Cape Epic 2023 Stage 4 Results And Recap
The Mens Podiun (L-R) ORBEA x Leatt x Speed Company, Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne and Scott SRAM MTB Racing. Photo by Nick Muzik/Cape Epic.

CM.com Women’s category:

1.     Efficient Infiniti Insure: Kim le Court, Vera Looser – 02:09:32.1

2.     e-FORT. net | SeattleCoffeeCo.: Amy Wakefield, Candice Lill – 02:12:24.7 (+00:02:52.6)

3.     NinetyOne-songo-Specialized: Sofia Gomez Villafane, Katerina Nash – 02:14:45.5 (+00:05:13.4)

Cape Epic 2023 Stage 4 Results And Recap
The Womens Podiun (L-R) e-FORT.net : SeattleCoffeeCo, Efficient Infiniti Insure and NinetyOne-Songo-Specialized.Photo by Sam Clark / Cape Epic.

2023 Absa Cape Epic General Classification After Stage 4:

Men’s category:

1.     SCOTT-SRAM MTB-Racing: Nino Schurter, Andri Frischknecht – 15:20:31.2

2.     Orbea X Leatt X Speed Company Racing: Georg Egger, Lukas Baum – 15:21:42.7 (+00:01:11.5)

3.     Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne – Matthew Beers, Christopher Blevins – 15:25:47.5 (+00:05:16.3)

CM.com Women’s category:

1.     e-FORT. net | SeattleCoffeeCo.: Amy Wakefield, Candice Lill – 18:58:09.3

2.     NinetyOne-songo-Specialized: Sofia Gomez Villafane, Katerina Nash – 19:08:51.6 (+00:10:42.2)

3.     Efficient Infiniti Insure: Kim le Court, Vera Looser – 19:14:39.2 (+00:16:29.9)

View the full Stage 4 results here.

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