Second stage victory for Alessandra Keller: after winning the prologue, the Swiss rider also claimed victory on the first stage of the Absa Cape Epic together with her teammate Candice Lill (RSA). The duo further extended their lead in the overall standings.
The stage covered 66 kilometres and around 1,800 metres of elevation gain from Abrielskloof to Montagu. Due to the heat, the start was brought forward to 6 a.m. Shortly after the start, the race developed into a highly intense contest. A very high pace was set on the early climbs, and after around 25 kilometres, Keller and Lill launched their decisive attack.
The “Thömus maxon – Sabi Sabi” team managed to open a gap to their rivals and maintained a strong pace all the way to the finish. In the end, they secured a lead of 1 minute 35 seconds over Rosa van Doorn (NED) and Vera Looser (NAM).
First time with separate women’s start
This stage was also significant as it featured a separate start with a slightly shorter course for elite women for the first time. The women’s field took the opportunity to push a high pace from the very beginning and underline the importance of this change.
The goal of making the women’s race more intense and attractive was fully achieved, as Alessandra Keller explained at the finish: “The start was crazy – we set off like in a World Cup race. Once we had the gap, we kept pushing our pace. We’re proud of how we raced together.”
With this strong performance, Keller and Lill send another clear statement at this prestigious stage race in South Africa and extend their overall lead to nearly three minutes over Kate Courtney and Greta Seiwald (USA/ITA).