After a flat tire in yesterday’s race, the dominant Scott-SRAM MTB-RACING duo is back on top. Nino Schurter (SUI) and Lars Forster (SUI) annihilated the course in a time of 01:38:41 to eat nearly 90 seconds into Cannondale Factory Racing’s overnight lead. They now sit poised some 1:13 behind Henrique Avancini (BRA) and Manuel Fumic (GER), potentially setting up one of the closest ever Absa Cape Epic finishes. Fumic/Avancini couldn’t ride as aggressively as they perhaps would’ve liked, after Fumic crashed three kilometres in, breaking his suspension lockout system in the process. This meant they had to play a game of limiting losses rather than cement their lead, as was their initial strategy. Annika Langvad (DEN) and Anna van der Breggen (NED) continue to rush toward Absa Cape Epic victory and such is their control of the Women’s category that even when things go wrong they seem to be only temporarily derailed with no damage to their title prospects. On Thursday Annika Langvad and Anna van der Breggen had their biggest drama so far at the 2019 Absa Cape Epic when Langvad had a fall due to a “lack of concentration”, but luck certainly seems to be with the pair of world champions as she remounted quickly and the pair easily rode to their fifth win in five stages. It was no surprise they added one-minute 44-seconds to their lead over the second-placed team of Candice Lill (RSA) and Adelheid Morath (GER). Ariane Lüthi (SUI) and Maja Wloszczowska (POL) ended third, two minutes further back.

2019 Stage 4 Results

Men
1. Scott-SRAM MTB-Racing 4-1 Nino Schurter (SUI) 4-2 Lars Forster (SUI) 01:38.41,5
2. Cannondale Factory Racing 3-1 Manuel Fumic (GER) 3-2 Henrique Avancini (BRA) 01:40.09,6 +1.28,1
3. 7C CBZ WILIER 25-1 Louis Meija (COL) 25-2 Johnny Cattaneo (ITA) 01:41.04,2 +2.22,7

Women:
1. Investec-songo-Specialized 50-1 Annika Langvad (DEN) 50-2 Anna van der Breggen (NED) 02:02.01,4
2. Summit Fin 54-1 Candice Lill (RSA) 54-2 Adelheid Morath (GER) 02:03.45,7 +1.44,3
3. Kross-Spur Racing 53-1 Ariane Lüthi (SUI) 53-2 Maja Wloszczowska (POL) 02:05.46,7 +3.45,3