Heading into the heart of the deluge, the 2023 ABSA Cape Epic Queen Stage lived up to all expectations, exacerbated by torrential rain and two colossal climbs up Tierkop and Groenlandberg in the first 35 kilometres.
While on paper team e-FORT.net | SeattleCoffeeCo managed to hold onto the orange jersey, losing only 2 minutes and 36 seconds to Efficient Infiniti Insure, the day’s racing was far harder than expected.
Candice Lill shares what went down during Stage 5: “Today (Friday) was very tough and very long. The Queen Stage lived up to its name and then some more. We had two huge climbs in the beginning, like ginormous climbs! Ams was hurting from early on, and we knew we had to manage that effort and get ourselves safely to the top of Tierkop and Groenlandberg. By the time we got to the first point where we could get a time split, we were about 1 minute 40 seconds behind [Efficient Infiniti Insure] and I just knew that if we could manage Ams, keep her in it, keep her motivated, eating and drinking, we would not lose too much time. And we managed to do exactly that.
“We were 2 minutes 30 seconds down at the end to Vera [Looser] and Kim [Le Court]. Despite the very rough day which is bound to happen at some point in this race, we’re still in orange with a 14 minute buffer on GC. We keep fighting and we keep going… the remaining two days are going to be spicy!”
While, her partner Amy Wakefield shares: “On paper it was a day that would have really suited us, but alas, my body absolutely shut down and I suffered through every metre. I would not have made it through, especially with a relatively small time gap, without the support of my ‘Super Woman’ riding partner, Candice!
“Tomorrow is another day and I have full faith in our team and my battered body to give everything it has. Let’s do this!”
Results: Absa Cape Epic Stage 5
1st: Efficient Infiniti Insure – Kim Le Court (MUS) & Vera Looser (NAM) – 5:23:46
2nd: e-FORT.net | SeattleCoffeeCo – Amy Wakefield (ZAR) and Candice Lill (ZAR) – +2:36
3rd: Cannondale Vas Arabay – Greete Steinburg (EST) & Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez (COL) – +19:00
The UCI Women’s GC After Stage 5:
1st: e-FORT.net | SeattleCoffeeCo – Amy Wakefield (ZAR) and Candice Lill (ZAR) – 24:24:32
2nd: Efficient Infiniti Insure – Kim Le Court (MUS) & Vera Looser (NAM) – +13:53
3rd: NinetyOne-Songo-Specialized – Sofia Gomez Villafane (ARG) & Katerina Nash (CZE) – +28:15
Photo 1 Caption: Amy Wakefield and Candice Lill manage to hold on to the orange jersey and their lead on the overall general classification Cape Epic standings after Stage 5. Photo: Sam Clark / Supplied
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