Keller and Lill win the first stage as well

Second stage victory for Alessandra Keller: Following the prologue, the Swiss mountain biker and her teammate Candice Lill (RSA) also won the first stage of the Absa Cape Epic. With this win, the duo extends their lead in the overall standings.

The route covered 66 kilometers and approximately 1,800 meters of elevation gain from Abrikooskloof to Montagu and started thirty minutes earlier than planned due to the heat. An extremely intense race developed shortly after the start. A very fast pace was set right from the gun on the steep climbs. After about 25 kilometers, Keller and Lill launched their decisive attack. Team Thömus maxon – Sabi Sabi managed to open a gap and consistently maintained the pace all the way to the finish. In the end, their lead was 1:35 minutes over Rosa van Doorn (NED) and Vera Looser (NAM).

First-ever separate women’s start

This stage was also particularly significant because, for the first time, a separate start—with a shorter course—was introduced for the elite women. The women’s field took the opportunity to set a fast pace and underscore the importance of this change.

The goal of making the women’s races more intense—and thus more exciting—was fully achieved, as Alessandra Keller explained at the finish line: «The start was crazy—we took off like we were in an XCO race. Once we had a gap, we maintained our pace. We’re proud of how we rode together.»

With this strong performance, Keller and Lill made a second statement at the prestigious stage race in South Africa and extended their lead in the overall standings to just under 3 minutes ahead of Kate Courtney and Greta Seiwald (USA/ITA).

Stage 1 Results
General Classification
Re-Live Stage 1