It's taking up a challenge. Challenges in life these days are much different, you
know, with the job and family and this kind of stuff. The real challenge,
just surviving like we did 5,000 years ago, fighting like warriors just to make
it through. Just to survive. And if you succeed then after eight days at the
finish line you see 50 year-old men crying like babies just because that's a
lifetime experience to succeed in something like this.
Yeah it's my fifth attempt, and last year was was the most successful
one, with our win. Not just the racing, the whole
atmosphere around it, it's quite cool, but also tough so I'm looking
forward to it, but I'm also a bit afraid of it.
[Nino Schurter, Matthias Stirnemann - these are your defending champions.]
[This is Scott-SRAM]
Looking forward to a nice ice bath, cold shower and a bit of food.
[You've been here before, today, a little of a different situation and just how you play today?]
[They are your defending champions — Scott-SRAM, Nino Schurter, Mattias Stirnemann]
[And there are, it's a go at the ABSA Cape Epic.]
We're still a bit worried, Nino and Matthias are not in yet and so for sure something
is wrong without a doubt for Matthias.
He's uh, going to the hospital right now.
He exploded.
Yah, unfortunately Matthias didn't feel so good already yesterday after the
prologue and now we found actually out that he's seriously sick he has an infection.
When they tested his blood, the results were quite bad.
I knew it had to come to him to a point where we cannot maintain winning, winning, winning.
Now we kind of went down hard, but that's a good thing to, to start
from a low again, and be excited if we have success again.
So we need the [Scott-SRAM] "Young Guns" to step up.
We did quite well for the circumstances, we finished fifth. I felt my knee a bit
today, but I think we'll be alright tomorrow.
[Ladies and Gentlemen. The gun has gone, our riders are on their way, the start of Stage Three, day four.]
[122 Kilometers. Robertson to Worcester.]
We were nice in the front, both feeling quite good I think.
And then after 20 kilometres we got a flat tire and the group were still
together so we lost quite a bit of time.
That's when Andri told me he had some problems with his knee. I think it's the
right decision - with the whole season ahead.
We went from bad to worse, Urs crashed with 50 kilometers to go and broke his handlebar.
So we switched bikes and I rode into the finish. Now we have no more team in the
race, just the [Scott-SRAM] "Old Dudes."
That's what the Cape Epic is all about. You can have a smooth ride, or you can really have
bad luck like we did today. You never know. The untamed! Untamed!
If everything goes down, you have to show your teeth and fight against it.
It is up to the [Scott-SRAM] "Old Dudes" now.