The Absa Cape Epic has extended its congratulations to cross country world champions Nino Schurter and Annika Langvad.
On Saturday Denmark’s Langvad outclassed the opposition to add the championship to her three Absa Cape Epic wins and three marathon world championship titles.
A day later Schurter, a three times Absa Cape Epic finisher with two stage wins to his name, defended his men’s championship on the rugged course in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. It was Schurter’s fifth cross country world championship.
Second in the men’s race was the Czech Republic’s Jaroslav Kulhavy, a two-times Absa Cape Epic winner. Reigning Olympic gold medallist Kulhavy, who has been battling with a wrist injury this year, led early on in the race but Sauser eventually pulled away. France’s Julien Absalon finished third.
Langvad dominated the woman’s race, pulling away after the first lap and never being challenged.
Germany’s Sabine Spitz, the multiple world champion and Olympic gold medallist who finished second in this year’s Absa Cape Epic, was lying third on the last lap and on schedule for a bronze medal when her tyre punctured. Similar bad luck struck Maja Wloszczowska of Poland, who was lying second on the last lap when her rear tyre came off the rim.
The USA’s Lea Davison and Canadian Emily Batty passed them both to take the silver and bronze medals respectively.
“Well done to Annika, Nino and everybody else who did so well at the weekend,” said Absa Cape Epic Marketing and Communications Manager Sarah Haigh. “It was great seeing so many friends of the Cape Epic among the leading riders and we look forward to welcoming them back in South Africa soon,” she added.
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