It's good to be back, says Sauser

Cape Epic blue blood Christoph Sauser powered to a 32nd stage win when the race got down to business in Elgin yesterday.

The German and partner Jaroslav Kulhavy showed their class after making an uncharacteristically sluggish start in Sunday's prologue, powering to victory 51.3 seconds ahead of Karl Platt and Urs Huber.

Last year, Sauser's dream of claiming the overall title for a fourth straight time was dashed when he won just one stage.

Despite a suspected flat tyre, Sauser and Kulhavy traded the lead with their rivals on yesterday's 113km first stage.

"Very quickly we caught them again, recovered a little bit and attacked them on the next climb," said Sauser.

"This was the first big test of my season. I felt super comfortable going over Groenlandberg. I didn't have to go to my limit. What you can't control is on the downhill. You can ride safe and still go wrong."

That's exactly what happened to Emil Lindgren on the descent, and the Swede suffered a broken right arm. The second broken bone of his professional career came as quite a blow for Lindgren and South African partner Brendon Davids, who had started the day in fourth place.

Groenlandberg, which is to the Epic what Mont Ventoux is to the Tour de France, rises 600m along a 9km rocky and sandy stretch before its sweeping descent.

Overall the leaders are a fraction under 46 seconds ahead of Platt and Huber, the team who held the initiative early in the stage. Jose Hermida and Rudi van Houts are one minute and 33 seconds adrift, while Kristian Hynel and Alban Lakata find themselves 4min 37sec behind the race leaders. The leading South Africans are Rourke Croeser and Travis Walker, 15min 54sec off the pace.

In the women's race, Ariane Kleinhans and Annika Langvad lead their category by more than 21 minutes over Jennie Stenerhag and South Africa's Robyn Lee de Groot.

Sauser was philosophical about holding the lead. "It is a relief to have the [yellow] jersey back but for one day you just borrow it. Tomorrow it starts new again."