<p>After three years of bad luck Burry Stander and Christoph Sauser (36ONE-SONGO-SPECIALIZED) finally won the Absa Cape Epic.</p><p>
</p><p>
Stander and Sauser's overall time in this eight day mountain bike stage race were 28 hours, 44 minutes and 44 seconds for the 707km from Tokai in Cape Town to the Lourensford wine estate in Somerset West.</p><p>
</p><p>
In 2008 Stander had to withdrew because of injury, in 2009 a bad mechanical problem brought an end to their challenge and last year illness hampered their progress.</p><p>
</p><p>
The South African Swiss combination on Sunday finished the last stage over 68km from Oak Valley in Elgin to Lourensford in fifth place.</p><p>
</p><p>
The Germans dominated the rest of the winner's podium. Hannes Genze and Jochen Kaess (Multivan Merida) finished 7 minutes and 8 seconds behind Stander and Sauser, while the defending champions, Karl Platt and Stefan Sahm (Bulls, +21.09), settled for third place.</p><p>
</p><p>
This was Sauser's second overall victory in the Cape Epic. His other victory came in 2006 along with his countryman Silvio Bundi. Stander made history though. He became the first South African ever to win one of the country's biggest sporting events and the world's foremost</p><p>
mountain bike stage race.</p><p>
</p><p>
"It feels pretty damn good," Stander said seconds after crossing the finish line. "This didn't happen in eight days. It took us four years. Winning the Epic with Christoph is an awesome experience. It felt like the whole country was behind us. I got so many messages of support and it felt like South Africa embraced Christoph as one of their own as well. It is because of this support that we came back every year. "The victory is so much sweeter because we had to work so hard for it. Winning the u23 World title in Australia was my biggest, but I wasn't</p><p>
close to home. To win the Epic is the biggest victory for South Africans. The support was just unbelievable. It felt like the public was pushing us to the finish line."</p><p>
For Sauser this win means a lot.</p><p>
</p><p>
"There is no comparing the two victories. The Epic is now so much harder, more competitive and the preparation much more intense than when I won with Bundi," said Sauser.</p><p>
Waiting at the finish line for Sauser and Stander was the kids from the Songo.info project, the charity for which they race in the Epic.</p><p>
</p><p>
"We aren't riding just for ourselves. There is a bigger cause involved. This morning about 20 kids from the project raced in the Vigne a Vigne fun ride. They would have been so disappointed if we didn't win the Epic."</p>
More...
</p><p>
Stander and Sauser's overall time in this eight day mountain bike stage race were 28 hours, 44 minutes and 44 seconds for the 707km from Tokai in Cape Town to the Lourensford wine estate in Somerset West.</p><p>
</p><p>
In 2008 Stander had to withdrew because of injury, in 2009 a bad mechanical problem brought an end to their challenge and last year illness hampered their progress.</p><p>
</p><p>
The South African Swiss combination on Sunday finished the last stage over 68km from Oak Valley in Elgin to Lourensford in fifth place.</p><p>
</p><p>
The Germans dominated the rest of the winner's podium. Hannes Genze and Jochen Kaess (Multivan Merida) finished 7 minutes and 8 seconds behind Stander and Sauser, while the defending champions, Karl Platt and Stefan Sahm (Bulls, +21.09), settled for third place.</p><p>
</p><p>
This was Sauser's second overall victory in the Cape Epic. His other victory came in 2006 along with his countryman Silvio Bundi. Stander made history though. He became the first South African ever to win one of the country's biggest sporting events and the world's foremost</p><p>
mountain bike stage race.</p><p>
</p><p>
"It feels pretty damn good," Stander said seconds after crossing the finish line. "This didn't happen in eight days. It took us four years. Winning the Epic with Christoph is an awesome experience. It felt like the whole country was behind us. I got so many messages of support and it felt like South Africa embraced Christoph as one of their own as well. It is because of this support that we came back every year. "The victory is so much sweeter because we had to work so hard for it. Winning the u23 World title in Australia was my biggest, but I wasn't</p><p>
close to home. To win the Epic is the biggest victory for South Africans. The support was just unbelievable. It felt like the public was pushing us to the finish line."</p><p>
For Sauser this win means a lot.</p><p>
</p><p>
"There is no comparing the two victories. The Epic is now so much harder, more competitive and the preparation much more intense than when I won with Bundi," said Sauser.</p><p>
Waiting at the finish line for Sauser and Stander was the kids from the Songo.info project, the charity for which they race in the Epic.</p><p>
</p><p>
"We aren't riding just for ourselves. There is a bigger cause involved. This morning about 20 kids from the project raced in the Vigne a Vigne fun ride. They would have been so disappointed if we didn't win the Epic."</p>
More...