Absa Cape Epic: Matt Beers and Jordan Sarrou remain in the lead after Stage 2

• SA's Matt Beers and French partner Jordan Sarrou remain in the lead at the Absa Cape Epic.
• This comes after the duo took home the win on Stage 2 of the race.
• Sina Frei and Laura Stigger remain the frontrunners in the Elite Women's Race after Stage 2.

South African rider Matt Beers and French partner Jordan Sarrou (NinetyOne-songo-Specialized) claimed Stage 2 of the Absa Cape Epic on Tuesday, winning their second stage of the 2021 event in the process.  

The pair comfortably won the 98km stage that took riders from Ceres to Saronsberg, Tulbagh in a time of 3:56:02. The stage victory means they remain in the overall yellow leader jerseys going into tomorrow’s 91km stage that features many of Tulbagh’s most famed trails, including the notorious Bone Trail.  

NinetyOne-songo-Specialized’s stage win means they now hold a 2:13 lead over Martin Stošek and Andreas Seewald (Canyon Northwave MTB) in the race general classification.  

Canyon Northwave MTB finished second on Stage 2, roughly 30 seconds behind the winners while Urs Huber and Simon Schneller, in the BULLS colours, came in third; they sit third in the overall standings, too.

Stage 2: Women's Elite results

The NinetyOne-songo-Specialized team of Sina Frei and Laura Stigger made it three wins from three so far at the 2021 Absa Cape Epic, winning Stage 2 today ahead of Robyn de Groot and Ariane Lüthi (Salusmed). Candice Lill and Mariske Strauss (Faces CST) claimed third spot on the day.

Frei and Stigger now hold a seven-and-a-half minute advantage over nearest rivals, De Groot and Lüthi; while that may sound like an age, the trails of the Absa Cape Epic have reclaimed far more than a few minutes from many teams, in the past. 

Stage 3 of the Absa Cape Epic is a 91km, 2100m assault on the mountains surrounding Tulbagh. Conditions promise to be the most testing of the event so far, with temperatures in the mid-30s expected. 

Men's leaders, Matt Beers and Jordan Sarrou of NinetyOne-songo-Specialized during stage 2 of the 2021 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race. (Photo: Nick Muzik/Absa Cape Epic)

Stage 2 Elite Men's Results: 

1) NinetyOne-songo-Specialized, Jordan SARROU, Matthew BEERS 03:56:02.4

2) Canyon Northwave MTB, Andreas SEEWALD, Martin STOŠEK 03:56:28.5 | +00:00:26.1

3) BULLS, Urs HUBER, Simon SCHNELLER 03:57:48.9 | +00:01:46.5

General classification after Stage 2: 

1) NinetyOne-songo-Specialized, Jordan SARROU, Matthew BEERS 08:37:07.9 | 24.4 km/h ave.

2) Canyon Northwave MTB, Andreas SEEWALD, Martin STOŠEK 08:39:21.8 | +00:02:13.9 | 24.4 km/h ave.

3) BULLS 2, Martin FREY, Simon STIEBJAHN 08:41:12.4 | +00:04:04.5 | 24.2 km/h ave.

Ladies podium during stage 2 of the 2021 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race from Eselfontein in Ceres to Saronsberg in Tulbagh. (Photo: Simon Pocock/Absa Cape Epic)

Stage 2 Elite Women's Results: 

1) NinetyOne-songo-Specialized, Sina FREI, Laura STIGGER | 04:49:12.7 

2) Salusmed, Ariane LÜTHI, Robyn DE GROOT 04:50:14.9 | +00:01:02.1

3) Faces CST, Candice LILL, Mariske STRAUSS 04:53:47.7 | +00:04:35.0  

General classification after Stage 2: 

1) NinetyOne-songo-Specialized, Sina FREI, Laura STIGGER 10:18:14.0 | 19.9 km/h ave.

2) Salusmed, Ariane LÜTHI, Robyn DE GROOT 10:25:46.1 | +00:07:32.0 | 19.8 km/h ave.

3) Faces CST, Candice LILL, Mariske STRAUSS 10:36:24.9 | +00:18:10.9 | 19.6 km/h ave.

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