Absa Cape Epic Stage 6: It’s Down to the Wire

With the top two men’s teams separated by just 13 seconds, the final stage of the 2026 Absa Cape Epic is set to be a nailbiter after a dramatic penultimate stage. Mike and Max discuss the stage and bring you the interviews on a day when the pros set the trails alight. Plus, we chat to one of the most experienced photographers at the race, Nick Muzik, who explains what it’s like to straddle a fast moving motorbike on a bumpy road while sending pictures via cellphone.

Transcript

SPEAKER_09 0:09

Well it's the penultimate day of the 2026 Abster Cape Epic and what a day it has been. We're going to tell you a story that we never thought this morning was actually going to happen, and it's been a dramatic day in many different ways, and we will explain why that is in the future because what it does is it sets up a finale like we've really seen at the Abster Cape Epic. An absolute nail bite is in store for us tomorrow. So let's kick off with a big story of the day, and that was in the men's elite race, where we saw a win by the buff uh BH team of Wal Allemann and Martin Stotzek, which was the second win, absolutely outstanding effort from them. They went off fairly early along with the Canyon team. They eventually got ahead of the Canyon team, one in three hours, 30 minutes, and 49 seconds. So very, very good result for them, and they were very delighted with the trails up there today. And it was a beautiful day here in Silenbosch because very differently to what we saw in the first half of this week when we saw the trails in Montague in those areas where it was rough and rocky and tough. Today it was about beautiful flowing trails. The conditions were good, it wasn't too hot, it was nice and cool, and the guys are absolutely flying along the trails today, weren't they? It was marvelous to see on television.

SPEAKER_08 1:13

Yeah, poetry in motion so fast, and just recognition to the work that's gone in on this trail network. So many you know people involved here. The race lines are there for the rest of the amateurs to follow as well. So couldn't get any better.

SPEAKER_09 1:38

But it was lovely watching Stefan Som, who's our e-biker behind the uh behind the riders and behind the lead bunch most of the time, following the the leaders today, and just watching them going through those trails towards the end was absolutely fantastic as they went through even down towards the finish. But the real story was in second place was the Tota specialised in Buca team of Matt Bears and Tristan O'Kea. Now, just to give you, if you haven't, if you had your your head in the stand and you haven't been watching this race for the first five days, they were the leaders after the first two stages. They lost that then to the William Vittoria team of Luca Brado and Simone Aventetto. But today, now yesterday they started out just under two minutes behind the Italians at the start of the stage today, and it was clear from the start that the Italian rider Luca Brado was struggling. And Matt Bears noticed it, but he also had to deal with Gusto Nukia, who by his own admittance is also struggling a bit today. And what they did in the end is they finished second in the stage today, but they took one minute and 37 seconds out of the William Vittoria team, which means now going into the final stage tomorrow, there is a 13-second gap between the William Vittoria team is still in yellow and the all-south African team for Intioto Special.

SPEAKER_08 2:44

It is going to be a thriller tomorrow. And remember, Willie Vittoria, Simona, and Luca were second here last year to Filippo Colombo and Nino Scherter of Scotch Ram Racing. So they are not wanting to come second. They've done everything right, they've done nothing wrong. But again, Matt Bias and Tristan Orkea have proved that they're in for the fight. But chatting to Tristan Orkea in his interview was amazing because he literally said in the early stage of the race today, I could see that Luca was battling and I was battling. And I had to say to myself, which of you two is gonna die out there today first? And he said it's not gonna be me. And and if we look at how the week has gone, Tristan has been phenomenal. He's been the writer of the of the event. Phenomenal. Unbelievable. And uh and um yeah, uh kudos. I mean, what a day. The the the crowd on the finish line. We've got the N-Es and we're listening to the broadcast, and we're trying to bring everyone home and we're trying to manage. We couldn't hear a thing. We could not hear a thing. The crowd went crazy.

SPEAKER_09 3:49

Yeah, and uh what's what's quite phenomenal about it is that we, you know, look um uh Justin O'Keefe is only 24 years of age. I mean he's you know, he's what is that seven years younger than Matt Beers, um, who was fantastic today, not only because he was encouraging Justin Ukaya to keep going as even though he was clearly struggling, but at times he was even putting just pushing Justin UK up some of the hills just to keep him going, keeping in front of all the time. So when they got the gap and they saw that there was a there was a chance for them to take back some time today, it was just a flat box. And I know that the crowd along the way, even we talked about the finish, but the crowd out on the track, as Matt Beer said to us, was also phenomenal supporting. They knew that it was an all-south African team that was going to was it was attacking and trying to get back that time. So it it was it was just a sensational day.

SPEAKER_08 4:33

And I think it's important to put it into perspective, Mike, because we say that uh they're battling, but remember this is the top level of cross-country marathon in the world. These are the best, most informed riders in the world across country across across country marathon. So uh it's it's about small millimeters of games and and it's about experience, it's about not giving up. But remember, there's so many players, there's so many things happening out there. I mean, the team, uh the second team from the uh the Toyota specialised and buco team today, Marco Jabert and and Travis Stedman were phenomenal today. Sam Gaze and Luca went off the front. I mean, they went off from the get-go, the guys didn't even have time to cleat in and the sprint was on already. That first 14ks was 600 metres of climbing. I mean, it's ridiculous. And and yet day after day after day they show up.

SPEAKER_09 5:24

And Canyon finished third today. I mean, it was a fantastic performance from them because once they got caught by Matt Bears and Tristan Nukia on their own mission, it looked like they were going to fall back a lot, but they only finished uh you know 20 odd seconds behind, a couple of seconds behind the the South African team. So it was a great performance there from Canyon as well, and uh they moved into that well, they they're now back into third place on the podium, so they're also looking on the GC. Uh Tiotaspech, Dazimbuka, as you mentioned, Marco Jabert and Trevor Stadman um in in fourth place um on the stage today, and uh behind them it was William Vittoria, as we talked about in fifth place.

SPEAKER_08 5:56

The first time they've been off the podium. Yes, in seven stages, yeah. So they've been on the podium every single day. They've got one win, they've got seconds, they've got thirds, but now all of a sudden, they were off the podium, and today on such an important stage psychologically, because tomorrow you have to go in confident. It's a short stage. We know tomorrow is the 58Ks. Yeah, um tomorrow, yeah. It's gonna be a good one. If you are anywhere near the Western Cape and you're a mountain bike fan or a fan of South African sport or a fan of just watching people bleed through the eyeballs, get to Kutzenberg tomorrow morning, people. The men are expected around, I think, 10 o'clock just after 10, the women just after 11. So later start. Get in, get in. It's an eight o'clock start. There's no reason not to be here.

SPEAKER_09 6:37

One of the interesting things though about today was there's been you know, I wouldn't say controversy, but there's been some discussion about this online. Marco Jabert, who's in the same team as Matt Bears and Chiston or Kia, got involved in the racing by literally getting ahead of the yellow jersey at times along the single track. And I wouldn't say holding them up because Luca Brado was struggling, but there was some discussion that he was disrupting the chase. And we I know you spoke to Carl Platt about this, a farm time five time one of this event. And how does he feel about that? Is it is is that just racing? Or is it or does it or is that something that we should look at and say, maybe not not ideal?

SPEAKER_08 7:10

You know, I think it's racing. I think that is that is why we see teams with four four four four members. We now have obviously with the Toyota Special Miguel team, they've got six uh six members in. Remember, these guys are all at the top of their game. Um, and when you race across country, you see how the guys are elbows out into the single track. When you watch the road riders, you know there's eight or nine in a team, you know you've got your domestiques, you know you've got your sprinters, you know you've got your climbers, you know you've got your GC winners. This is cycling, this is how teams are made up. They have a job to do, and I think if you take it in that aspect, someone looking on might think that, but this is racing. There's prize money up for grabs, there's status up for grabs. This is the biggest mountain bike stage race in the world. You have to be on your A game. If you are not the predator, you're the prey.

SPEAKER_09 7:55

Yeah, I think it's probably fair, probably fair answer. Well, let's listen to Walt Alleman uh who talked uh about what was a fun day on the trails for the uh team from Buff BH.

SPEAKER_10 8:04

That looked like a lot of fun today.

SPEAKER_03 8:06

Yeah, it was really fun. The trails I think we would hear and we knew them quite well, and uh the fight in the front on this course is just amazing, like all the people here, and they are just screaming for you. And yeah, we found uh on the last line there was just so many people, and we found an extra idea there, so uh yeah, happy to take to it.

SPEAKER_10 8:25

Is it about the is it about the GC for you guys today or about the stage wood? What's more important?

SPEAKER_04 8:30

Yeah, for GC we are uh quite far off again. I don't know how the standings are now, but uh we just wanted to show that after all the bad that we that we are also there and that the ship was there.

SPEAKER_10 8:41

And then uh you talked a bit about the crowd there and then the trails themselves look super fun compared to what we did earlier in the week.

SPEAKER_04 8:48

Yeah, it's completely different. Uh I like more these these these trails here and these plays and everything.

SPEAKER_09 8:53

The five is just so good, and uh we were enjoying a lot of so there we go, uh the winner of the stage today, and then uh with the also probably the the main protagonist of the day-to-day, particularly from a South African perspective, uh we turned it to Matt Bias and uh Tristan Ukia, and this is what they had to say.

SPEAKER_06 9:11

Yeah, I mean we could see that uh I think Luca was suffering in the beginning, but uh I think everyone was pretty lucky at that first time, but uh yeah, Tristan was also hurting, but yeah, I know he's a tough kid if he wouldn't give up and yeah, I just kept what I could motivate him and we try to pace him, and yeah, he I knew he would come around at some point. It just took a little longer than I thought, so it got me a bit worried.

SPEAKER_07 9:39

Tristan, you gotta stop doing that again.

SPEAKER_05 9:42

Yeah. Yeah, I got a I got the upgrade. Yeah, I gotta get the leading and then sold myself because I needed between me and Luke with something, so yeah, I just told myself the one between I just gonna give up the first. I just gotta leave it first. I just told myself I got the one that's the one that I'm gonna give up first. Yeah, I can give up the leading and support here.

SPEAKER_06 10:27

Uh when you have everyone's hearing going, you have like that up on everywhere, it's like you can't not just go through gas and uh give us that extra little boost to be in here for sure.

SPEAKER_07 10:38

One more dance tomorrow at the last stage of the 236 episode 13 seconds, it's gonna be a drag race.

SPEAKER_06 10:45

Yeah, I mean this is what people want to see.

SPEAKER_09 10:56

Yeah, there was Matt Bears and Tristanukia, and uh it weirdly enough for them, we all of us in terms of the media and the supporters, we were quite emotional about what had happened today. We were probably more excited than Matt Bears and Chistunukia because I guess they also know that anything can happen tomorrow, so there's that there's no there's no sense of getting overly excited about their performance today, even though they were probably quite delighted, but they they were kind of subdued in the way that that they did the interview today because they know there's still a job to be done tomorrow.

SPEAKER_08 11:22

And I think you know the problem with South Africans is that we love winning. Yes, and we love it when our rugby team wins, we love it when our chess team wins, we love it when a South African wins a beer drinking competition. So so we are we are so loyal and we are so supportive that we build things up, don't we? We build things up to expectation, and then when we win, it's like, oh well, we'll take that for granted. But when we lose, we're like what just happened.

SPEAKER_09 11:51

So the pressure's on, and a better as Matt said, you know, it's one of those things where it's great for the fans tomorrow, but not great for them because the pressure's on and they want to make sure that they they deliver tomorrow, and and still that they still have to chase, they still have to put 13-14 seconds into William. So the pressure is on them rather than William. If William just follows the wheels, they're gonna win. Yeah, and where else do you get a story like this, Mark? You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_08 12:11

If you're watching a rugby match, you know you've got 80 minutes, you've got two halves, you can manage it. Yeah, here every single day terrain is different, yeah, racing is different, expectation is different. So it's it's just the storytelling is is phenomenal, and not just among the elite athletes, the amateurs as well. There are so many incredible stories coming out of the UPSCAP Epic again this year, and and well done to everybody. I mean, incredible.

SPEAKER_09 12:32

Well, let's just go through the uh the GC just for the record. Willie Vittoria, as we said, just 13 seconds ahead of uh Beers and Nokia Canyon in third place, they are 455 down. Climatizer Orbea, who, you know, they kind of had up and down days. They haven't been as consistent as the resident team tough day today uh for David Valera and uh Stutzman. They are 10 minutes and three seconds back, and then Buff BH, who if hadn't had all the troubles that early in the week, they're lying in fifth place, which is remarkable considering the troubles that they've had, but they are now fifth place uh 13 minutes back and uh probably in in in real terms probably closer to the top than they should if it wasn't for those mechanicals. But absolutely it's a top five.

SPEAKER_08 13:09

Yeah, it's been incredible, and again, as you say, just under 14 seconds between first and second, and then literally four and a half to five minutes between third, fourth, and fifth. And you know, it is a short stage tomorrow, but if Al Daleman and Martin Stossek go out like they did today, with the confidence that they got from today after their second win, then uh is there an opportunity for some other team to take a stage win? Maybe perhaps? Yeah. Who's been sitting in the shadows?

SPEAKER_09 13:33

Everybody wants to win the finals based. Absolutely. Grand finale, absolutely, so it will be a flat out race. Right, so we're gonna take a short break and we'll be back with our guest for today. Welcome back, and as we said before the break, we've invited a guest, as we have done throughout this week, to our penultimate uh 2026 Absur Cape Epic podcast. And uh today we have uh Nick Mazik, who's the head photographer here at the Absic Cape Epic. Nick, how many epics have you been involved with as as a photographer?

SPEAKER_00 14:07

How's it, Mike? Um I've done 17. Max, how are you doing? Um there are some people who have done uh done some more. Doug Laru's done 20, I'm not sure who else, but there's some Hunley Stain who's done all of them.

SPEAKER_08 14:21

174 stages now. Because she finished today.

SPEAKER_09 14:26

One of the most fascinating things about this this event from a photographer from a photographer point of view is I think to some extent people will say that the photographers are kind of have what made the event uh momentous. You know, that the images that you brought together over the years famous. It has. Even better than Momentous. But uh do you do you would you agree with that that that the photography has kind of defined the race?

SPEAKER_00 14:51

Yeah, there's definitely been a place for it. As um things have changed, you know, video is very prominent at the moment, but the the images the images gone and last forever. All the all the new books and everything, the banners and things that get printed all need all need little images. And um there's a whole host of iconic images that have been made over the years that uh yeah that'll live with the race forever.

SPEAKER_09 15:16

And is it is it the kind of event as a photographer that you it it seems to lend itself to taking great photographs?

SPEAKER_00 15:24

Yeah, definitely. It's um it's it's a beautiful sport of cycling, there's there's lots of action, there's I mean amazing scenery. Um a lot of what we can do is you know, we put the cyclists in the amazing scenery, and um yeah, it's uh it's there's lots of emotion, there's lots of drama, there's weather that plays a role, and with a camera we can capture that all.

SPEAKER_09 15:48

Now the challenges of of it are that a lot of you are hanging on the on the back of a bike for most of the stage over rough terrain, just the kind of terrain that the cyclists are riding on, but you're on the back of a motorbike hanging onto your cameras, there's dust, there's potholes, there's all sorts of things. Just describe what it's like to be on the back of a motorbike at the Cape Epic. For for those of you who've always been intrigued by what that experience is like.

SPEAKER_00 16:11

Oh Mike, it's treacherous, huh? Um, I mean we we we're hanging on and um we've got to get past the riders, um, we've got to get ahead. Uh the the trails are often African, hard, rocky, and um you do have your you do have your offs every now and again. Um there's there's a lot of pressure, you're trying to get past the bunch, you're trying to get ahead so you can get your shots, and every now and again you you you have a little slip-up. But um it's it's demanding. Um at the same time we've got to be sending images back to for social media from the camera to the phone. So while the bike's going and chasing ahead, you sitting on the back with your phone and trying to navigate the bumps. Um yeah, the guys are the guys are skilled pilons.

SPEAKER_09 17:04

Gnarly. Gnarly. I mean you have to trust your your rider up front, don't you? Because they are they are absolutely vital in making sure that you're safe.

SPEAKER_00 17:13

Yeah. Um, no, there's some great riders here. Um I'm currently riding with uh Rian Fonik, who's an ex-DACAR rider. And um to his credit, um my safety is his number one priority. Uh well to and and the safety of the riders. He's he's he's extremely good, he's extremely fast, but he's extremely when it comes to the riders and myself, he's extremely cautious, which is I I need that, I need that trust in the in the bike rider. But I mean the depth of all the bike riders are is extremely high, and um uh yeah, we we put our hands and our foot and our faith in them.

SPEAKER_08 17:51

And Nick, you're chasing all the time. I I I remember watching that movie where they were it was storm chasers where they would chase tornadoes and hurricanes, right? And you would be but now you're getting chased by riders, and I mean you're chasing for the shot. You know, in in the old days in the early 90s, coming into the 2000s, you were still shooting on film, but and now we're on digital. Um and and everything has changed with the magnitude of the race because of its popularity. There are so many content creators as well.

SPEAKER_00 18:20

Yeah, there's a huge, I mean, there's a huge media team. Um and not everyone's out at the front of the race kind of um documenting it, and I mean the media team, the video guys and the photography guys out there and do you know are supplying imagery and content to to the rest of the people, but um yeah, there's there's for there's foreign teams and foreign media people and um but k content is king. And but there's a lot of content going out. I mean in the media centre there's I mean there's uh you can't even keep up with it. Um and I was actually just chatting with Doug Laru now and just saying how how impressive and what a high standard all the content is. Um there's so much incredible work getting put out, and and it feels like this year that everybody sitting in the media room, everybody's at the top of their game. Um and um it's just a really professional outfit, and you know, if you're into mountain biking, um there's plenty for you to indulge yourself in.

SPEAKER_08 19:21

Is there one particular photo that you've taken over the years, your 17 Apsica Bepex, which sticks in your mind? I mean, you know, i when you take that shot, you know it's a banger, right? Is there one particular one that sits with you uh that that you were just like stars aligned magic?

SPEAKER_00 19:39

No, there isn't.

SPEAKER_08 19:41

So you're not that good then?

SPEAKER_00 19:43

There um no, I would say I would say they're a there they're they're a bunch. I mean every year you you you kind of you'd like to select that one image. And um and it can range from a beautiful scenic to an emotional portrait or a wet, muddy something or other. But um no, I mean we're fortunate enough to to to be able to shoot amazing images um year in and year out. Um and there have been a lot of amazing, amazing moments um all the way through from the pictures of Karl Platt to Nino Scherter to you know there's a whole host of you know pro riders that are legends in our sport that um okay, actually maybe one one image. Here we go, here we go. One image and it was from a long time ago. I think we had it was an image of I think we had there was nine world champions on the finish line.

SPEAKER_08 20:45

I know this big one.

SPEAKER_00 20:46

It was 2011, 2012, I think. And don't ask me to list all the people, but we had in I mean tw yeah, I think it was 2012. We had nine I think it was nine world champions under the finish arch, including Barry Stunder, Bart Brenchens there, Bart Branchens, Thomas Freshnek. That's right. Um there was a yeah, there was a whole host. I think there was a lot of things.

SPEAKER_08 21:11

Um I remember that photo. Yeah. So next question, here we go. Technology. Being a photographer or a photographer is not just about taking the photo, it's about taking it and getting it to the right people, doing all the post-production that's needed to getting it into the right size, into the right. Tell us a bit about that, because technology has certainly changed over this 22 years of the Appscape Epic, and and gadgets have become a thing, right? I mean, everyone's got their favorite little gadget to get the edge over somebody else, you know.

SPEAKER_00 21:42

Yeah, and I think I mean, so I mean, when I when I first started, there was no there was no delivery of images during the event. You would come back and then put the images on your computer and connect to the internet, and the images would then go out. But now we're delivering images from the from the bike. Um So it's not exactly live, but they almost go out live. We send them and then the social media people get them out live. And then once we're back in the media center after the day, there's um we're filing for for the Cape Epic, we're filing for news, we're filing for the pro teams. So all the pro teams get access to images of themselves that they can use for for social media and and get their stories out. And then there's a bunch of requests from various different uh media organizations and sponsors, and so we we're delivering images all day and all afternoon. Um and that obviously comes, you know, it's just lots of Wi-Fi, and um and I mean and now I mean now obviously the the cameras sync to the phone, so we send the pictures straight to the from the camera to the phone, which makes life much easier. Prior to that I used to have a cable from my camera to the phone on the back of the bike, and I'd dump the images like that, and then uh wait for signal and um and now we've obviously got this signal everywhere really. Um and uh I mean some people just use their phone, like phones are that good these days. Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 23:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_09 23:19

The equipment itself, I mean we were chatting about this the other day in the media centre when I noticed how much dust is on the cameras, but I can imagine if it's a wet day or a really dusty day, how do you keep your equipment intact, or do you just kind of accept that you're gonna have to replace some stuff at the end of the epic?

SPEAKER_00 23:34

Yeah, I mean the gear's expensive and you do end up having to replace it's not every epic, but you do have to replace gear, but the the gear is super tough. Um, I mean, if you think you go through a phone every two years, those cameras have got computer chips inside them, plus they've got moving parts, and they do not break. I mean, I've never had a camera fail on me during the race, which is quite incredible. Um, you know, when it's super wet and dusty, you you don't change lenses because as soon as you take a lens off, you get dust inside and that wrecks everything. Um but we generally carry two cameras with us with one with a telephoto lens, one with a wide lens or standard lens on it, so we don't have to change. Um and in the rain, we normally, if it's raining properly, we normally just go with one body and and one lens. Um, because you you you gotta try and preserve your gear. Um but it's cleaning every afternoon, evening, and um, but they are I mean, touch wood, they are bomb-proof. They're it's they're really incredible pieces of equipment.

SPEAKER_09 24:37

I I've noticed, I mean, you guys up really early in the morning and often when I leave here, you're still here. What how long is the average day for you at on the on a on a Cape Epic?

SPEAKER_00 24:47

Probably it's 12 to 14 hours. Um sometimes longer. Um, you know, some of the video guys, some of the video guys work longer because they they've got a lot of editing to do and they've got various different edits to get out for various different programs. Um but it's a long day. Um But we love it. I mean that's it's we kind of it's we like family and it's part of a community and we see each other not only at the epic at other events too, but it's a really it's a really unique um working kind of experience and and and we all love it and we all enjoy seeing each other and being each other and working with each other, so it's it's it's not hard.

SPEAKER_08 25:29

Do you celebrate do you celebrate the small victories just like an athletes would celebrate a wood on the finish line when someone gets that extra special shot or that extra special moment or someone missed it but someone else got it? And I mean are you talking about those things and are you celebrating that with each other?

SPEAKER_00 25:43

Yeah, definitely. We all want to know what what each what we missed and what other guys picked up, and um we all I guess we're all creatives and we always we all enjoy seeing the beauty of a great image or or film clip. And and um yeah, we all have a good laugh and a good good bit of banter about who got what and who didn't and who fell off the bike and um yeah, I mean we've had kind of we've had internal competitions before and um and it's all obviously subjective, but uh yeah, it's uh it's a good vibe.

SPEAKER_09 26:17

Nick Mazik, thanks very much for your time and uh good luck for the the last day, the penultimate day. It's gonna be dramatic. Good to see you. Well thanks for having me. Thanks, guys. Right, so thanks very much to Nick Mazik. Um, as you'll see, all these photographs on many of the different channels on the Absicap Epic, and uh they do a fantastic job. Let's move on to the women's race, and uh today was a kind of a sad day because we lost one of the chief protagonists in this race. It was won by Candace Little Alessandra Keller um in two hours, just under three hours of riding for them today, um, over the over the 60 kilometres with 1,850 metres of climbing. But the big story was the fact that Greta Seavolt uh had to pull out from literally as she crossed the start line.

SPEAKER_08 27:05

Yeah, so interesting news. We weren't aware of it until we saw her come back to the to the women's start at water point one. Um apparently a fever. Uh and obviously racing with the current uh UCI Cross Country Marathon World Champ Kate Courtney. So devastated. Obviously, the she sends uh foundation who they're riding for. Um they have lots of eyeballs on them, and they they're going there and they they're setting the bar and they're showcasing what needs to happen and and and and obviously a massive fan base. And again, we talk about stories. You know, not every story is a loss, not every story is a success story, and and Kate across the finish line today, you know, knowing that she had to ride on her own, coming across the finish line on her own, celebrating the jersey. But all of the women know that this could happen to them. We tell it to Candice. Remember, Candice Lil, uh South Africa's sweetheart of mountain biking, has come second here five times. She's experienced the loss of a partner, she's experienced bad days, many of them. And uh this is mountain bike. And again, health is the most important. Yeah, you know, Greta has had an incredible six days. Um, she really has shot into the spotlight and onto the radar of athletes and and and media around the world. But health is health, yeah.

SPEAKER_09 28:17

And she's also got a next season to look for to be aware of, so you don't want to she doesn't want to put herself into too much uh physical difficulty. Yeah, and we wish her fever.

SPEAKER_08 28:25

And we hope she heals up as quick as possible, and and again, she's gonna be on the start line again soon. So, you know, it physically it wasn't a big crash. Russa, on the other hand, from the other day, you know, she's she got a crash, she's gonna take a bit of rehab to get her leg better with that big cut. But again, both of them in form, both of them healthy, and they'll be on the start line again.

SPEAKER_09 28:42

Yeah. So that was the big news, and that meant that uh it was then a bit of a fight then for second and third. And uh Margo Moschetti and Claudia Peretti, who were second place today, they were two minutes and forty-seven seconds behind, and then Haley Preen and Haley Smith, the South African and the Canadian 30109, they were in third place, but they moved up into second place on the uh on the on the GC, which was a fantastic performance uh form for Haley, who last year was in in fourth and now moving up into that runners-up spot. So looking good for uh two South Africans in the top uh two positions there, but uh as I say, they're inheriting it from a little bit of uh bad luck.

SPEAKER_08 29:17

Interesting for SimTech.net there uh both Margot and Claudia, their first podium of the 2026 APSACAP Epic. And and like you said, I think uh um we look at the Africa Africa Leaders Jersey last year with Hayley Peen and Bianca, they were actually third on the GC overall and and and came into that later on, you know. Um a great ride though, again, um, from Tessa Corticas and and and her partner, and and nice to see them up there. And remember they've ridden into it, haven't they? They have Monica Kortica. I mean they've been amazing, Monica and Tessa, and and and and they've had a start off that one tough first five days. I was just about to say, but maybe the experience coming through, and remember they won the grand finale last year ahead of Annika and Sophia. So who knows? Tomorrow could be another day.

SPEAKER_09 29:59

Yeah, so the GC stands uh like this. It is the team of Candace Little, Alessander Keller, um, who are 48 minutes ahead of the team of Heli Pine and Hallie Smith. So it's a long way, um, but it'll be a celebration of their performance, and then in third place, uh about 12 minutes back from that, the Topada FSA Kender team of Katezina, Sosna Pinele, and Giorgio Machetti. Um, so that's the that's the top three, and uh as I say, I think tomorrow, and even Candace Lill suggested this. She said, you know, you only know you've won this race when you cross the finishing line. It's a big lead, it's it's it's very unlikely that that anything will happen anything will stop her from winning that. But of any of all the riders in this woman's field, Candace Lil, with her history of the Abbs of Cape Epic, she certainly deserves to win tomorrow.

SPEAKER_08 30:42

100% right, and what a celebration it's gotta be uh for for her, for Darren, her husband, and and and the man behind the scenes that just does so much work uh for her and her journey. Um and and then of course uh we look at the leader in the Abbas African jersey, Bianca Hall, riding with Sam Sardis. They're in six on the GC at the moment, and then we also see that Fortress Toyota um have moved up into eight. So they are the second place team on the Epps African jersey. So and that of course happens when you lose two top teams from the elite women's field. You know, Buff BH, Efficient Infinity gone now, and and uh obviously uh the She Sens Foundation gone. And and yes, that lets the others move up, but it also creates trouble at the top end of the racing because now there's a lot more going on and there's a lot uh fewer people to depend on to get you to the finish line.

SPEAKER_09 31:30

Yeah, absolutely. Well, there it is, and uh yeah, so don't forget tomorrow we can watch that live, and of course you are in Celimbosh, come down and support uh what should be a South African win in the women's elite competition. Now we're gonna move on to our insert of the week, Mr. Karl Platt, who as you've already mentioned this week, he has his pick as team of the day on uh stage number six.

SPEAKER_01 31:48

Day six, APSA Cape Epic. We're almost there, but we are not, and uh you need to keep your fighting spirit. And today we saw a big roller coaster of uh of a ride. A lot of guys uh had to pay for yesterday, and uh today we saw also the first weakness of uh the Villiers voice. Uh it's uh it seemed to be that uh everything is under control, but you have a bad day in the Cape Epic, and their bad day was today. I mean, only losing close to two minutes, it's uh still okay. And uh specialized Pierce and uh Tristan they found their legs again, but they also suffered in the beginning. Tristan had a lot of problems in the beginning, but then uh he said in the interview it was about Luca Braido or him, who is uh giving up first, and Tristan never gave up and uh made it. And they now they can really literally smell the yellow jersey. So for tomorrow it's going to be the big showdown. I'm excited to watch this. Uh the singer boys they found their legs and uh a bit unlucky, and uh yeah, uh the booth guys, it was also a roller coaster for them, and uh it seems to be like uh the pressure is gone for the overall, and now they can move and uh act uh completely free and they want their stage. Let's see, maybe they can make it tomorrow.

SPEAKER_09 33:26

So on to the last and final stage of this very dramatic Absor Cape Epic, stage number seven tomorrow, 58 kilometers, 2150 meters, and uh it's the same for the women and the men tomorrow. Well, the women's elite, but don't forget, I mean, we've had a couple of questions. Do all the women ride the shorter distance? No, they don't. It's only the women's elite competition that is over the shorter distance, but tomorrow it's the same as the men.

SPEAKER_08 33:49

Yeah, grand finale day in Salambosch with weather like this. I mean, it doesn't get better than that. You can see our collars are up because the sun is just blasting down on our necks. But uh 58 kilometers, 2150 meters of climbing. Um, a lot of it is loaded towards the front end. So I think what you're gonna find is a big effort at the sharp end. Uh, the men start at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning, the women start at 10 minutes past eight. Uh, we're expecting the leading men to be on the finish line just after 10 o'clock, uh, and the leading women around 11 o'clock. So that's what it's gonna look like. Obviously, celebrations not only for the elite athletes and the jerseys and and and the category winners, but also for every single amateur that crosses the line and earns that medal. A couple of legends as well, Epic Legends tomorrow. I think um at the beginning of the event, we had close on I think 55 or 56 possibilities to get that Epic Legends medal, which means you've done an Absicape Epic and two of the other races in the Epic series. So good luck to all the Legends who are going for that Legends medal tomorrow. But um, please, like I cannot explain to you the excitement and the noise that was here today. So please uh get you early. We are starting an hour late. It gives you lots of time to grab a coffee and a breakfast. We've got caterers on site, we've got merchandise on site, we've got music and entertainment on site, and we've got the best mountain bike athletes in the cross-country marathon discipline in the world right here at Kutzenberg in Saint Watch. Come and join us, please.

SPEAKER_09 35:09

And if you can't join us, of course, you can go into YouTube and you can watch the live coverage on YouTube from our fantastic team that is out there filming this amazing event. So on Super Sport as well, if you watch it.

SPEAKER_08 35:20

So, those of you that have joined us from around the world and have uh been with us over the last couple of days, we will have a podcast tomorrow afternoon as well. Just a quick closing on what has been an incredible uh 2026 Absa Cape Epic. So join us for that. But um, we cannot wait for tomorrow. We'll see you.

SPEAKER_09 35:35

Last thing quickly before you go, entries for 2027 open on Monday at four o'clock if you're uh if you're a member of the ABS Cape Epic community, five o'clock for the general entry. So become a member, you can do it now, and then you can get your entry in for 2027 if you've enjoyed what you've seen this year. Anyway, from us it's goodbye.