Hans Becking and Teus Ruijter have completed five of the eight stages of the Cape Epic and are in an excellent position, currently sitting in sixth place in the general classification. The ‘DoubleDutch’ duo started Sunday with a solid nineteenth place in the prologue at Meerendal Wine Estate, behind winners Matthew Beers and Tristan Nortje. In the first stage, despite bad luck, the duo surprisingly finished eleventh in Montagu after 90 kilometers. Becking’s teammates Wout Alleman and Martin Stosek won the stage.
The following day featured a ride through the rugged landscape of the Klein Karoo around Montagu. The duo handled this even better, securing an impressive ninth place behind winners Luca Schwarzbauer and Sam Gaze. In the 140-kilometer stage from Montagu to Greyton, Ruijter and Becking impressed once again by staying with the race leaders for a long time. Marc Pritzen and Felix Stehli won the stage, and Ruijter and Becking finished seventh.
In the fourth stage around Greyton, the men managed to improve their position again today. Once again, they stayed close to the front and had to let the leaders go with the finish in sight. They finished fifth behind winners Luca Schwarzbauer and Sam Gaze and moved up one place in the general classification, where they now sit sixth behind the Italian leaders Luca Braidot and Simone Avandetto.
photo: Nick Muzik