It’s after Stage Two, and Braam Gericke says he’s looking like I lizard. “One of those koggelmanders stretched out in a swimming pool, beer in hand,” he says. Tired, a bit of pain in the muscles, but all fine and happy to be into the business stage of this year’s Cape Epic. It is the second Epic Braam is riding in partnership with Jacques Wentzel.

“You can do all the training, have the best bike and honed talent – but it’s your buddy that counts,” says Braam. “When you get up in the morning after a hard stage and the whole body is creaking, you know you are part of a team, which inspires you to get going. On the route you are talking to each other all the time, handing out advice, motivating and cracking a joke now and again.”

Stage Two was shortened from 102km to 65km due to hot conditions and high temperatures. The riders rode from Hermanus ending in Caledon. The route comprised total climbing of 1 500m, including the quadriceps-crunching 4km Shaw’s Pass which saw an elevation of 220m.

“Yes the route was shorter, but once again very hot and quite a few riders dropped out,” says Braam. “But the spirit among the groups is fantastic and we’d team-up with a few teams and help each other out. That is the spirit of the Cape Epic.”