Maintaining the lead

After a strong performance in yesterday's prologue, the MERIDA FACTORY RACING team of José Antonio Hermida and Joaquim 'Purito' Rodríguez put another strong performance in, really cementing their control over the Master category in these early stages of the 2019 ABSA Cape Epic. 'I struggled quite a bit in yesterday's prologue, and really relied on Purito helping me over the line. But today, my legs felt much stronger, and we could open the thing up a bit', commented José Antonio Hermida. 

The team rode a well calculated yet aggressive race and left the rest of the Masters category behind them from around 6k into the stage. Over the remaining 100+km they managed to overtake some of the elite team, bringing them over the line in 29th position overall and with an almost 11min gap to the 2nd Masters team. Their ONE-TWENTY bikes doing a fantastic job in keeping their bodies fresh and relaxed while also offering plenty of stability and comfort when the trails get tough. Another impressive performance for our trail machine.   

With two days of racing under their belt, it is clear what the tactic in their highly competitive Masters category is going to be. 'We need to ride a solid race, from beginning to end, avoid crashes and mechanics and choose the timing of our attacks well. This is a long race, and anything can happen at any time, but we are both feeling strong and loving our time here at the Cape Epic', José concludes his race report. 

For details on the results, please click here. 

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