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Last year’s second-placed finishers Alban Lakata of Austria and his Czech teammate Kristian Hynek (Topeak Ergon Racing) will probably start as most people’s tip for a win.
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the Austrian powerhouse won the Marathon World Championships in 2015 and has finished sixth, fifth, fourth, third and second in previous Cape Epics. He is desperate to add a win at the world’s premier mountain bike stage race to his palmares.
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Platt has teamed up again with Swiss strongman Urs Huber, and the former’s canny racing strategy combined with the latter’s power makes for a compelling combination.
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Sauser retired as a professional rider at the end of last season after a record fifth Cape Epic win and Team Bulls’s Karl Platt of Germany, a four-time winner, will be going all out to draw level.
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An unsung pairing, but one with an excellent pedigree, is the German combination of Markus Kaufmann and Jochen Kaess (Centurion Vaude by Meerendal).
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In 2014 they showed that they have the firepower to win the event before succumbing to a broken frame. Kaufmann has been struggling with injuries recently but if he arrives at the start in good shape on March 13 they will be serious contenders.