International mountain bike elite starts at The Cape Epic 2006

With some of the world’s best mountain bikers at the start, the Absa Cape Epic is one of the most prestigious mountain bike stage races on the planet. Due to the power density of the top teams, the 2006 race promises to become one of the tightest Epic battles ever with good chances for the South African top team to achieve eminence.

Specialized riders Christoph Sauser (SUI), two times overall World Cup Champion Cross Country and Bronze Medallist at the Olympic Games in Sydney, and Silvio Bundi (SUI), 8^th at the UCI World Championships Cross Country 2005, are the hot favourites to win the third Cape Epic. To climb the top of the podium, however, they must not only defeat their fellow country men Sandro Spaeth and Thomas Zahnd who placed fourth at last year’s Epic and came in second at the European adidas Bike TransAlp Challenge 2005.

All African Champion Mannie Heymans who won the inaugural Epic with Karl Platt (GER) will team up with Kevin Evans this year (both team Raleigh adidas), the highest placed South African rider at The Cape Epic 2005. They will form the strongest African team ever in Cape Epic history and start with the goal to win the third edition of the Magical and Untamed African Mountain Bike Race.

Having won all three major mountain bike stage races in 2004 (the Epic, TransAlp and TransRockies) Germany’s Karl Platt and his Rocky Mountain team partner, Marathon Worlds Bronze Medallist and dual TransAlp Champion Carsten Bresser (GER), are also ranked among the favourites to win The Cape Epic 2006.

Marathon specialists Silvio Wieltschnig (AUT) and Andi Strobel (GER) of team adidas Fiat Rotwild, TransRockies Champions 2003 and second at The Cape Epic 2004 also fancy with a place on the podium. Their team mates, TransRockies Champion Sabine Grona (GER) and World Games Marathon Champion Kerstin Brachtendorf (GER), are hot candidates to win the Women category, despite being Cape Epic virgins. To gain the red leader jersey they must beat the American Go Fast Girls Team with Christina Begy, TransRockies and 24 Hour Solo World Champion and Barbara Kriesle, a TransRockies Champion herself.

In the Mixed category, the battle is on between Anke Erlank, SA Mountain Biker of the Year, SA Road Champion, X-Terra World Champion and last year’s Epic Mixed Champion, who has team up with South African Fourie Kotze (adidas Willie Engelbrecht) and the German-Australian couple Anna Baylis-Scheiderbauer and Jörg Scheiderbauer (Ghost International) multiple TransAlp champions who aim to win all three major stage races this year.

The reigning Cape Epic Master Champions Dough Brown (RSA) and Fred Coleske (RSA) will also face tough international competition but are confident to defend their title.