Sarrou-Beers and Frei-Stigger win the Absa Cape Epic 2021

The last 68 kilometres of this edition have left us with a great finish between Wellington and Val de Vie in which Jordan Sarrou and Matt Beers in the men's race and Sina Frei and Laura Stigger in the women's race have been proclaimed winners of the Absa Cape Epic 2021.

Hans Becking and José Días win the final stage, Jordan Sarrou and Matt Beers win the Absa Cape Epic 2021

In the men's race, the leaders of NinetyOne-songo-Specialized, Jordan Sarrou and Matthew Beers, arrived at the last day with a lead of almost 14 minutes over Team Bulls 2, so some imagined that they could do a conservative stage 7, but it was not so and we saw them attack early on with the Buff Scott team of Hans Becking and José Días.

Becking-Días started the day off the overall podium by just over half a minute ahead of the Trek Pirelli pair, so the result of stage 7 would be decisive. That's why they didn't hesitate to lead the stage almost from the start and impose a hard pace that only the NinetyOne-songo-Specialized team could follow. Buff Scott's pace was having an effect, and by kilometre 18 they already had a lead of 01:20 over Trek Pirelli, which increased to 05:37 minutes at kilometre 33.

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Behind, the Bulls 2 pair of Martin Frey and Simon Stiebjahn seemed to be taking it easier and were chasing the lead of the race by about two minutes. A distance that allowed them to secure their second place in the general standings without taking any risks.

The Buff Scott MTB team of Dias and Becking did not stop pulling throughout the stage and that allowed them to gain a final advantage that left them alone at the finish line to win their third stage. 

The second Buff Scott pair formed by Enrique Morcillo and José María Sánchez once again achieved the best Spanish result with a 6th place in the stage, which also puts them in the Top 5 overall.

The Orbea Factory Team of Ibon Zugasti and Oliver Avilés crossed the finish line in 13th place, their best result in the race, which allowed them to consolidate their Top 20 and finish in 18th place in the general classification.

Results Stage 7 Absa Cape Epic 2021 - Men

1. Buff Scott MTB Hans BECKING (#6-1) José DIAS (#6-2) 02:49:28.3
2. NinetyOne-songo-Specialized - Jordan SARROU (#3-1) Matthew BEERS (#3-2) 02:49:32.3 +00:00:04.0
3. BULLS 2 Martin FREY (#5-1) Simon STIEBJAHN (#5-2) 02:51:53.6 +00:02:25.3
4. Trek-Pireli Samuele PORRO (#2-1) Fabian RABENSTEINER (#2-2) 02:59:51.4 +00:10:23.1
5. PYGA Euro Steel 2 Pieter DU TOIT (#17-1) Philip BUYS (#17-2) 02:59:51.5 +00:10:23.1

Absa Cape Epic 2021 overall ranking - Men

1. NinetyOne-songo-Specialized - Jordan SARROU (#3-1) Matthew BEERS (#3-2) 25:17:28.2
2. BULLS 2 (#5) Martin FREY (#5-1) Simon STIEBJAHN (#5-2) 22:34:34.2 25:26:27.8 +00:08:59.6
3. Buff Scott MTB Hans BECKING (#6-1) José DIAS (#6-2) 25:32:02.3 +00:14:34.1
4. Trek-Pireli Samuele PORRO (#2-1) Fabian RABENSTEINER (#2-2) 25:41:38.8 +00:24:10.5
5. Buff Scott MTB 2 Enrique MORCILLO VERGARA (#15-1) Jose Maria SANCHEZ RUIZ (#15-2) 26:14:01.2 +00:56:33.0

Sina Frei and Laura Stigger win the Absa Cape Epic 2021 with victories on all the stages

Switzerland's Sina Frei and Austria's Laura Stigger have won every stage of the Cape Epic and went into the final day with a lead of more than 30 minutes over the runners-up, something that might have suggested a quiet final day but which was not in Songo Specialized's plans.

As in the first stage, Sina Frei and Laura Stigger did not wait long to impose a high pace that left them alone at the head of the race, not even the Faces CST pair could follow them this time, and by kilometre 45 Frei-Stigger already had a lead of more than 4 minutes.

There were no surprises and one more day, Sina Frei and Laura Stigger arrived as stage winners. The dominance of Songo Specialized in this Absa Cape Epic has been indisputable after all the stages of this edition.

In second place came the Faces CST and third were the pair of Salusmed. The podium was repeated in the general classification.

Results Stage 7 Absa Cape Epic 2021 - Women

1. Songo-Specialized - Sina FREI (#54-1) Laura STIGGER (#54-2) 03:21:50.8
2. Faces CST Candice - LILL (#51-1) Mariske STRAUSS (#51-2)03:32:36.9 +00:10:46.1
3. Salusmed - Ariane LÜTHI (#50-1) Robyn DE GROOT (#50-2) 04:26:22.3 03:33:35.2 +00:11:44.4

Absa Cape Epic 2021 overall ranking - Women

1. Songo-Specialized - Sina FREI (#54-1) Laura STIGGER (#54-2) 30:39:52.8
2. Faces CST Candice - LILL (#51-1) Mariske STRAUSS (#51-2) 31:20:51.6 +00:40:58.8
3. Salusmed - Ariane LÜTHI (#50-1) Robyn DE GROOT (#50-2) 31:32:38.0 +00:52:45.1