Legends Karl Platt, Christoph Sauser join forces

Karl Platt and Christoph Sauser will team up on the 2022 Absa Cape Epic within the Masters part, beginning on Sunday, 20 March.

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The pair have been fierce rivals since 2006 and are – with 5 victories every – thus far the 2 most profitable riders within the males’s professional class.

Platt and Sauser will race as workforce songo.data NinetyOne Epic Legends and can race for the blue NTT Masters jersey as a substitute of the general yellow jersey.

Since their first head-to-head battle on the 2006 Cape Epic, they’ve been the fiercest of rivals and there was little love misplaced within the early years.

Platt gained the Cape Epic in 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2016; whereas Sauser’s victories got here in 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015.

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To many it would look like an unlikely partnership, however it’s reasonably a testomony to mountain biking and the group of the game.

“We’ve got at all times been nice rivals however with a variety of respect for one another,” stated Platt.

“I feel it says quite a bit concerning the sport that the 2 largest rivals can race collectively.”

The blue NTT Masters jersey symbolises loyalty, knowledge, confidence, intelligence and is related to interior power and stability, all traits that each Platt and Sauser possess in abundance.

Given their mixed expertise and contributions to the occasion, it might be becoming to see two of the best mountain bikers add an additional chief jersey to their mantle.

The story of how their personalities and racing kinds will gel is but to be written.

“The aggressive fireplace is burning, however I need to truthfully say that after I see the professionals racing and how briskly they begin, I’m actually joyful to not must get up three hours earlier than the beginning and undergo the entire breakfast-and-prep-and-warm-up routine.

“Now I simply get up late and roll to the beginning,” defined Platt.

The group component of mountain biking is an space of specific curiosity to Sauser.

“The Absa Cape Epic was once in my head for just about all of my winter coaching because it was the kick off to season. Now it’s completely totally different for me as I race in help of our charity, songo.data, to lift consciousness, funds and to encourage the longer term generations.

“Being a part of the Specialised workforce can be extremely necessary to me because it permits me to go on my expertise to the children arising by the ranks,” he stated.

“I’m actually wanting ahead to using with Karl.

“There’s nothing higher than racing by the paths within the Western Cape and doing it within the NTT Masters class will probably be quite a bit higher than consuming mud like within the elite class,” stated Sauser, in closing.