Andreas Seewald and Martin Stosek win stage 3 of the Absa Cape Epic 2021 and get closer to the overall leaders

For the fourth day of this edition, the race had a pure Cape Epic stage with the Fanties Pass, which is probably the hardest climb of this year. Canyon Northwave duo Andreas Seewald and Martin Stosek were the fastest riders of the day and took a victory that gives them the wings to attack the overall in the coming days. In the women's race, Sina Frei and Laura Stigger continue to be unstoppable and took their fourth victory in a row.

Andreas Seewald and Martin Stosek win stage 3 of Cape Epic 2021 and get closer to the leaders

With 91 km and 2100 metres of elevation gain, the group of favourites stayed together for more than half of the stage and only a chain breakage in the Buff Scott pair of José Días and Hans Becking slowed down the lead group. At kilometre 59 in the group were the Canyon Northwave of Seewald and Stosek, the leaders Sarrou-Beers of Specialized, the Trek-Pirelli pair, the two pairs of the Bulls team and the Spaniards Enrique Morcillo and José María Sánchez of Buff Scott.

Morcillo and Sánchez were proving that without mechanical problems they had the pace to ride with the favourites, but it remained to be seen if they would be able to fight for the podium.

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As expected, the climb of Fanties Pass, with gradients of 20% and the last 2 kilometres at 14%, took its toll. The group broke up and it was during the long technical descent that the Canyon Northwave pair attacked, opening a gap of 44 seconds on the Sarrou-Beers pair.

At the front were Canyon Northwave's Andreas Seewald and Martin Stosek with Samuele Porro and Fabian Rabensteiner of Trek Pirelli. The former were fighting to reduce the overall gap to the leaders, the latter were looking for a stage win.

In the second group, Jordan Sarrou and Matthew Beers were leading a chasing group in which they were accompanied by the two pairs of BULLS and that at kilometre 81.5 had managed to reduce the gap to 26".

In the end the Canyon Northwave pair won the stage in an intense sprint with Trek Pirelli. Andreas Seewald and Martin Stosek took the day's victory and managed to reduce the overall gap to Jordan Sarrou and Matt Beers by 30", who finally finished in 5th place.

Once again, the best Spanish riders at the finish line were Enrique Morcillo and José María Sánchez, who this time came in 6th place after showing a great performance throughout the day. The Orbea Factory pair of Ibon Zugasti and Oliver Avilés finished 19th.

Results Stage 3 Absa Cape Epic 2021 - Men

1. Canyon Northwave MTB  Andreas SEEWALD (#4-1) Martin STOŠEK (#4-2) 03:41:47.8
2. Trek Pirelli - Samuele Porro (#2-1) Fabian Rabensteiner (#2-2) 03:41:50.4 +00:00:02.5
3. BULLS Urs HUBER (#1-1) Simon SCHNELLER (#1-2) 03:42:07.7 +00:00:19.8
4. BULLS 2 (#5) Martin FREY (#5-1) Simon STIEBJAHN (#5-2) 03:42:10.1 +00:00:22.2
5. NinetyOne-songo-Specialized - Jordan SARROU (#3-1) Matthew BEERS (#3-2) 03:42:18.5 +00:00:30.6

Absa Cape Epic 2021 overall ranking after stage 3 - Men

1. NinetyOne-songo-Specialized - Jordan SARROU (#3-1) Matthew BEERS (#3-2) 12:19:26.4
2. Canyon Northwave MTB  Andreas SEEWALD (#4-1) Martin STOŠEK (#4-2) 12:21:09.7 +00:01:43.3
3. BULLS Urs HUBER (#1-1) Simon SCHNELLER (#1-2) 12:23:20.1 +00:03:53.7
4. BULLS 2 (#5) Martin FREY (#5-1) Simon STIEBJAHN (#5-2) 12:25:01.4 +00:05:34.9
5. Trek Pirelli - Samuele Porro (#2-1) Fabian Rabensteiner (#2-2) 12:29:04.4 +00:09:38.0

Sina Frei and Laura Stigger remain unstoppable in Cape Epic 2021

The Songo Specialized women's pair continues unstoppable in a Cape Epic 2021 that so far has not known more winners than them.

As on stage 2, Frei and Stigger started conservatively and rode in a group for much of the day, but on the big climb of Fanties Pass they set a pace that again no one could follow. The pair of Switzerland's Ariane Luthi and South Africa's Robyn de Groot, from the Salusmed team, were the only ones who tried to close a gap that remained at around 3 minutes until the finish line.

Sina Frei and Laura Stigger won their fourth stage out of four and continue to widen the gap in the general standings, which already amounts to a cushion of more than 11 minutes.

Results Stage 3 Absa Cape Epic 2021 - Women

1. Songo-Specialized - Sina FREI (#54-1) Laura STIGGER (#54-2) 04:34:33.3
2. Salusmed - Ariane LÜTHI (#50-1) Robyn DE GROOT (#50-2) 04:38:17.0 +00:03:43.6
3. Faces CST Candice - LILL (#51-1) Mariske STRAUSS (#51-2) 04:40:41.7 +00:06:08.3 

Absa Cape Epic 2021 overall ranking after stage 3 - Women

1. Songo-Specialized - Sina FREI (#54-1) Laura STIGGER (#54-2) 14:52:47.4
2. Salusmed - Ariane LÜTHI (#50-1) Robyn DE GROOT (#50-2) 15:04:03.1 +00:11:15.6
3. Faces CST Candice - LILL (#51-1) Mariske STRAUSS (#51-2) 15:17:06.7 +00:24:19.2

Full results and standings.