It was hot up front, literally and figuratively. General Classification leaders Eric Kleinhans and Johnny Kritzinger (Memory Foundation-New Heights) kept control on the climbs and acknowledged that the repetitive attacks by TREAD might have been a mistake. The Squirt boys, Lieb Loots and Cornelius Muller stayed third on Friday's stage and on the GC, with Loots continuing to offer his impressive age, 53, as an unconvincing excuse for not having done even better. He's tired… and so is everyone else.

Fienie Barnard and Esther Lategan (Landmark), who have the Women's category sewn up, were out for an impressive 6:10.17 on Friday and looked cool and unrushed at the finish in spite of the heat and humidity.

Specialized – Songo, the international pros Christoph Sauser and Bobby Behan, had ‘technicals’ again on Friday when the Swiss multi-world-champion had a flat – at the same time, his manager, Behan was feeling the long anticipated energy decline associated with his hectic travel schedule in the weeks before the start of the race. He was, nevertheless delighted with his performance under those trying circumstances. For most of the riders being in the same event as someone like Sauser is seen as a special privilege. The Specialized guys are both very approachable and this has been a highlight of a race that has been as memorable for it's across the board personal interaction as for the hardships and scenic beauty.

The Mixed category has continued to seesaw and has been full of interest. On Friday, Peter Stopforth took a bit of a tumble and he and his famously competitive wife Ischen lost more time and the GC lead to Petrus Malherbe and Janneke Leask of Schwinn (5:00.56). The Stopforths, of team Marsillio Projects are now almost 10 minutes off. The Schwinn phenomenon was fourth overall today. They had 11 minutes on that Sludge express-steam-train of Linus van Onselen and Brian Strauss. Veterans Gus Klohn and Marc Wiederkehr (Infradev Dunkeld Cycles) were closer on Friday to the Sludge Masters and comfortably ahead of Toyota's impressive challengers in vets John Thomson and Duncan Bowman.

At the picturesque Eagle Falls, where all the riders waded through the metre-deep water, the top teams were bunched and in the (prayed for) absence of wind it was starting to become uncomfortably hot and humid, so that although most of the participants seemed much happier than on Thursday – in spite of the accumulated effects of what is now being seen as South Africa's toughest mountain bike stage race.

Some of the more miserable ‘victims’ of Thursday's hard slog through the Kamanassie were full of smiles on Friday. The motto of the Uniondale High School – race village for the stage – was ‘Dade nie woorde nie’ and the middle and back markers lived up to that today, clearly resolved to stay sensible and pace themselves and their tired legs over the moderately uphill second half of the route.

Two Mixed teams worthy of special mention and both with Stellenbosch connections are Masters Paul Morris and Fran Ferreira (Zero Rush) famous single-track wizards, and Riaan Boshoff and the exquisite Hannele Steyn Kotze who is making a very impressive and very welcome comeback. Both teams have been right up at the sharp end of the action.

The bail-out rate, which encompasses some pretty tough enduro riders has been high with more than 45 team riders abandoning by Friday but with still 150 left before Saturday's genuinely shorter, (87km) up the spectacular Montagu Pass and back to Oudtshoorn. Short as it is there is still some room for dramatic changes in the racing and greater happiness further back in the field.







For more information and detailed results, visit http://www.capepioneer.co.za/

Photo credits: KARIN SCHERMBRUCKER / SLINGSHOT MEDIA

Source: Cape Pioneer Trek