Cape Epic Stage 5 - Wellington

Today's 75 km stage with 1800 m of climbing was the shortest stage of the Cape Epic.  Mike Hogan would have taken 11th in the stage once again and remains in 10th in the General Category.

And you thought guys with this little of hair couldn't get helmet hair...

Team Burry Stander - Songo won the stage again, although this time all the lead riders stayed on course.  Kulhavy and Sauser extended their General Category lead by 3 minutes today over the Team Bulls, who came in 3rd behind the Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing Team.  

Cape Epic Stage 1 - Citrusdal

After a grueling 96 km in the sun, with almost as much walking the bike as riding it, Mike Hogan finished the stage alone today in just just over 6 hours.  Thomas Dooley went over his handlebars during a descent at about 55 km, breaking his collarbone. Thomas was taken by helicopter off course, and Mike finished the stage. 

Thomas will be going into surgery tonight in Cape Town.  

Team Multivan Merida won the stage today, after being in t he saddle for 4.5 hours.  Jose Hermida and Rudi Van Houts will wear the yellow jerseys in tomorrow's Stage 3 to Tulbaugh.

Thomas is not the only one who will be nursing a broken collarbone.  Robert Mennen went down after crashing into a duiker (a type of African deer).  

Cape Epic Prologue- Meerendal

Let the suffering begin!  

Thomas and Mike finished the prologue in 1 hour, 12 minutes, and 17 seconds, which places them in 9th for the Master's category.

Great day for team Kappius, looking forward to Stage 1 in Citrusdal tomorrow.

Don't forget you can look at live results and rider tracking here.

Good Luck to Team Kappius in the Epic!

The adventure begins tomorrow morning at a 7:39 AM start time for Mike Hogan and Thomas Dooley.    They will be racing the prologue tomorrow, the shortest stage of the race, only 22 km, starts in Meerendal Wine Estate with the Stairway to Heaven Climb, and will end in the estate as well.

With rider registration this morning, Thomas and Mike received their bibs and rider briefing, as well as possibly the largest duffel bag I have ever seen, to transport all of their gear to the different racing venues throughout the next 8 days.  This evening, Thomas and Mike messed with their bikes a lot making sure everything was perfect. 

Good Luck Thomas and Mike!

Songo.info Short Track Race at Kayamadi, Stellenbosch

Hello Team Kappius!!

My name is Anna Hogan, daughter of Mike Hogan, and I will be handling the Kappuis Blog for the rest of the Cape Epic as I came over with Thomas Dooley and Mike Hogan as support, photographer, and blogger.  We arrived in Capetown yesterday morning, and drove up to Stellenbosch to watch a short track race.

Songo.info put on a short track race in the Township of Kayamandi in South Africa yesterday to promote the opening of the pumptrack there in the township.  This race marked the first to go through a township.  Racers included Christoph Sauser, Jarlslov Khulavy, and Kohei Yamamoto, all of whom will be racing in the upcoming ABSA Cape Epic.  Racers from the Songo team participated as well.

Tons of other Cape Epic racers came to watch as well as race.  But the amount of support and energy that came from the children of the township was possibly the most exciting part.  After Sauser's victory, he was MOBBED by children wanting autographs, or just to touch his bike.  

Team Kappius Heads to South Africa

Mike Hogan and Thomas Dooley set out to Cape Town, South Africa yesterday to compete in the 2013 Absa Cape Epic, a.k.a. the most epic race int the world.  Thomas and Mike will be representing The United States in the masters championship, with tough competitors like Udo Bolts and Carsten Bresser.