Even though the day was slightly less demanding, it remained important for riders to keep their focus and not lose control in the corners and reach the top of the short, sharp climbs.

It was not the first time a time trial had been hosted at the Oak Valley Estate (the last time was in 2019) and the locals made the most of their local knowledge of sections like Rietvlei Magic, Witklippies and Vissie’s Magic.

Amateurs

Australian Mitchell Docker and his American teammate Ian Boswell (Digger and the Doughboy) took the top spot on the podium again with a win in the fourth stage. Their time was 2:02.30. These two former road professionals are in a commanding position to win the first-ever white Amateur jerseys.

Australian brothers Hayden and Oliver (James Brothers) came in second (+1.29) following their win on the previous stage. Less than 30 seconds behind them were Signal Racing’s Oliver Munnik and Rogan Smart from South Africa.

Docker and Boswell's overall lead over Munnik and Smart is now 15 minutes. The James Brothers are in third place just over 28 minutes back.

Refilwe Mogorosi and Omphile Mataung (Exxaro Academy Ladies) continue to dominate women’s racing for the amateurs by winning yet another stage. Their time of 3:14.31 cemented their overall lead over Buhle Beauty Nontobeko Ngobese and Ricci-Lee Brookstone (ABSA SheUntamed 2023) and Nicola Biani and Kerry-Lee Pienaar (SheUntamed Bellas) who are second and third respectively – on the stage and overall. 

NTT Masters

Cape Epic-legend Karl Platt (Ger) and his Spanish teammate Tomas Misser (Legends BULLS:MONDRAKER) continued their fightback for overall honours by winning the fourth stage in 1:57.32. They beat South Africans Craig Uria and Michael Posthumus (Restonic) by more than 10 minutes on the day after Posthumus suffered a big mechanical. The Czech combination of Pavel Gonda and Jan Fisnar (Czech Rockets Outfindo) was third (+12.02).

The South Africans’ overnight lead has now been halved to 12.59 over Platt and Misser with three days to go. Gonda and Fisnar are in third place overall, more than an hour behind.

With an overall lead of more than two hours, former Absa Cape Epic champions Sweden’s Jennie Stenerhag and Switzerland’s Esther Süss (cm.com ladies) have proved unstoppable thus far in the NTT Women’s Masters category. 

Their winning time in the fourth stage was 2:34.49. In second place were South Africans Tessa Keers and Nicola Walker (CM.com) and Carina Mohr and Nina Hartleb (Scott Sport Germany) were third.

This is also the order of the overall standings. 

Grand Masters

With three days to go in the Grand Masters category defending champions Dutchman Bart Brentjens and Brazil’s Abraao Azevedo (KMC Mtb Racing) have reduced the competition to the battle between second and third place. Their winning time over the 46km was 2:10.34. 

Italians Loris Tomat and Michele Gallina (FVG) finished second (+3.24) followed by another veteran of the Absa Cape Epic, Barti Bucher and his Swiss teammate Oliver Imfeld (Bixs Stoll Meerendal) in third (+7.57).

While Brentjens and Azevedo have a lead of more than an hour the gap between the following two teams is a mere 30 seconds. Tomat and Gallina are currently second.

Great Grand Masters

Five winning days in a row for Frenchmen Rene Vallee and Alain Broglia (Forestiere Rosti 2) in the Great Grand Masters’ category. Their time for the fourth stage win was 2:34.56. 

Bart Meganck (Bel) and Cyrille Chossegross (Fr, 63CC/APHM) were second on the stage followed by South Africans Graham Monteith and Robin Olbrich (Emergency Diesel).

Overall, the Frenchmen have an one-hour lead over Monteith and Olbrich. Currently in third place overall is Dutch pair Johan and Christiaan van Splunter (Silvis x Vos).

Toyota Mixed

The racing was fiercely competitive in the Toyota Mixed category when teams battled each other and the clock in the time trial. South Africans Riaan Weideman and Samantha Sanders (Toyota Gazoo Racing) won another stage, but by only 41 seconds over Spanish legend Ibon Zugasti and his Belgium teammate Alice Pirard (Orbea Factory) in 2:21.49. Just over a  minute behind the winners were the South African and Dutch combination of Christoff van Heerden and Robin Bolten (Acepak Robotics). 

The gap between the first two teams on the overall leaderboard is just more than five minutes. Sanders and Weideman are still leading. The Luxembourg duo Marc Fautsch and Fabienne Schaus (Toproad Roeserbann) are third overall. 

SPECIAL JERSEYS 

Absa African Jersey 

It was a good day in the office for the African teams in the Absa Cape Epic. South Africa’s Marco Joubert and Pieter du Toit (Imbuko TypeDev) were the first African team in the TT in a time of 1 hour, 49 minutes and 57 seconds. Philip Buys (SA) and his Namibian teammate Alexander Milner (PYGA Euro Steel) finished in second (+3) and Arno du Toit and Keagan Bontekoning (Insect Science Pro) were in third place on the stage and are also in this position overall. Even though it was a pretty strong performance by Joubert and Du Toit, the leaders, Buys and Milner, are still in a solid position for the final three days.

In the women’s competition Mauritian Kim Le Court and Vera Looser from Namibia won the stage in 2:09.32 wearing the Absa African jerseys even though these jerseys still belong to South Africans Candice Lill and Amy Wakefield (e-Fort.net|SeattleCoffee Co) who are the overall leaders in the CM.com women’s race and the prestigious orange jerseys take preference. In third place is another South African combination Tiffany Keep and Hayley Preen (Valley Electrical).

Exxaro Jersey

Zola Ngxakeni and Ntlantla Nonkasa (Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne 3) won their fourth consecutive stage in a time of 2:09.10 and kept firm control of the Exxaro Jersey. Masixole Zondani and Kabelo Alphues Maduna (Exxaro/GIANT) finished second and William Sello Majapholo and Obvious Khorommbi (Exxaro/RMB) were third.

William Sello Majapholo and Obvious Khorommbi (Exxaro/RMB) are still in second place overall. Kusaselihle Ngidi and Ongeziwe Tyapa (Fairtree Imperial 2) kept their third place as well. 

The wearers of the Exxaro Women’s Jerseys are Refilwe Mogorosi and Omphile Mataung (Exxaro Academy Ladies).

Stage 5

Oak Valley Estate to Louersford Wine Estate, 102km (2450m climbing)

The Emerald Queen

The Queen Stage of the 2023 Absa Cape Epic pits teams against the race’s most famed climb, Groenlandberg. Though the imposing peak, which lurks ominously over the Oak Valley Estate race village, is far from the only challenge. The 102-kilometre-long Queen Stage heads east rather than west, towards Lourensford Wine Estate, when it departs Oak Valley Estate. Even getting to the foot of the climb requires hard work, ascending through Paul Cluver Wine Estate and up Tierkop before the climb truly begins. The Green Mountain itself is a long, steady, climb; suited for the pure climbers rather than the powerful punchers; who will have thrived on much of the route to that point. After descending from the highest point of the 2023 race, the route winds its way towards the Eikenhof Dam, up Willie’s Trail and sections of the famous A-to-Z singletracks towards the Gantouw Pass. The compulsory portage leads into Knorhoek and across the Vergelegen Game Park where the day’s final climbs help tick the accumulated climbing up to the 2 450-metre mark. Once in Lourensford Wine Estate, the River Trail leads riders straight down to the finish; mercifully without a final sting in the tail, for once.