DELIGHTED: Annika Langvad, left, and teammate Ariane Kleinhans cross the line first at yesterday’s stage 4 of the Absa Cape Epic. Picture: CHRIS RICCO/BACKPAGEPIX
DELIGHTED: Annika Langvad, left, and teammate Ariane Kleinhans cross the line first at yesterday’s stage 4 of the Absa Cape Epic. Picture: CHRIS RICCO/BACKPAGEPIX

TO SHOUTS of "bravo" from their Italian fans, Samuele Porro and Damiano Ferraro carried their bikes over the finish line in celebration of their first stage win of their debut Absa Cape Epic on Thursday.

The Italian stallions (Trek-Selle San Marco), won Stage 4, a 75km route with lots climbing and single track, which put them on the third step of the podium in the overall race.

The Bulls, however, have taken the race by the scruff of the neck and now have a 9min 44sec lead over their nearest rivals, Centurion Vaude by Meerendal 2.

Porro said they had started the stage easy and decided not to push too hard. "About 25km before the end, we decided to push harder. We managed to get a gap and we just went. We came to the Epic just to get experience and now we are on the podium. It’s unbelievable."

The Bulls 2 team, of the German pairing of Simon Stiebjahn and Tim Boehme, who are racing in support of Germany’s Karl Platt and his Swiss teammate Urs Huber, rolled over the line in second place — 1min 11sec behind Porro and Ferraro.

Dutch riders Rudi van Houts and Hans Becking (Team CST Superior) finished third in a time of 3hr 8min 1sec.

Team Topeak Ergon, one of the pre-race favourites, withdrew yesterday after Kristian Hynek crashed towards the end of Wednesday’s stage, injuring his elbow.

It seems nothing but bad luck can now stop The Bulls, and Platt’s record-equalling fifth title. With three stages left, the Bulls will no doubt ride defensively to be in the yellow jersey at the finish at Meerendal on Sunday.

Platt said that everything had gone according to plan, but it was yet another tough stage of the race.

"The Epic is never easy especially today with lots of climbs — we were going up and down all day."

Everything also went according to plan for Waylon Woolcock and Darren Lill (USN Purefit) in their battle for the Absa African special jersey. They were the first South African team home — almost two minutes ahead of their rivals Gawie Combrinck and Nico Bell (NAD Pro MTB) — and extended their lead.

"We rode steady today," said Woolcok. "The stage didn’t really suit us, but we were able to extend our advantage in the Absa African Jersey a little bit more. That was the plan today, and to not overextend ourselves … so, all in all, everything went according to plan."

Only five seconds separated Spur-Specialized from Sport for Good in the women’s race with the stage winners — the Spur-Specialized pairing of Ariane Kleinhans and Annika Langvad — now leading by almost 13min overall.

Spur-Specialized and Sport for Good’s Sabine Spitz and Yana Belomoina rode within touching distance of each other for the stage, which took riders through the Welvanpas trails.

Spitz and Belomoina remain in third place overall, behind Topeak Ergon’s Sally Bigham and Adel Morath, who came home third, five minutes behind the leading pair

Friday is a transition stage that will see the riders cover 93km from Wellington to Stellenbosch’s Boschendal Wine Estate. With 2,500m of climbing, it is billed as this year’s toughest stage.