By David Cowie
Australian neo-professional Allan Davis won the 1st stage of the Giro del Capo, celebrating his first victory as a professional. Davis was followed over the line by Germany's Enrico Poitschke of Team Wiesenhof Liepzig and South African sprint specialist Malcolm Lange, riding for HSBC.
The stage measured of 90 kms, starting and ending in Durbanville. At 8km, an early break of three riders managed a to gain a maximum advantage of three minutes, but were subsequently caught on the ascent of the Category 3 Vissershok KOM prime, with the young riders from Mapei-Quick Step driving the chase.
Davis was suprised with the win, only flying in on late Monday afternoon after an 11 hour flight from Italy.
"We were jet-lagged and hanging in over the first half of the course. It felt like I was pedalling square, so I was surprised to get the win.
"During the final sprint - explains the 21 year old Davis - I exploited the ground characteristic; the road was slightly uphill and that helped me in comparison with the pure sprinters. My team mates have been great.
"The race was hard because of the strong headwind and a temperature of 35 degrees. I dedicate my first success as a pro to my daughter Brooklyn and my girlfriend Andrea who arrived in Italy on Monday from Australia."
Tomorrow the stage will be in Stellencosch, with a 14.6 km circuit to be repeated nine times for a total distance of 131.4 kms.
1 Allan Davis (Aus) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 2.20.05 2 Enrico Poitschke (Ger) Wiesenhof Leipzig 3 Malcolm Lange (RSA) HSBC 4 Bjorn Glasner (Ger) Cologne 5 Enrico Nikolai (Ger) Wiesenhof Leipzig 6 Dirk Schumann (Ger) Nurnburger 7 Dirk Muller (Ger) Cologne 8 Ian Mcleod (RSA) HSBC 9 Andre Schulze (Ger) Wiesenhof Leipzig 10 Zbigniew Piatek (Pol) MROZ-Polish 11 Darren Lill (RSA) Microsoft 12 Jacques Fullard (RSA) Minolta 13 Kazimierz Stafiej (Pol) MROZ-Polish 14 Eugen Wacker (Ger) MROZ-Polish 15 Owen Hannie (RSA) Microsoft 16 Simon Kessler (RSA) Microsoft 17 Frantisek Trkal (Cze) Wurstenrot ZVVZ 18 Ross Grant (RSA) EDS 19 Michal Precechtel (Cze) Wurstenrot ZVVZ 20 Jaco Odendaal (RSA) Minolta 21 Tiaan Kannemeyer (RSA) Minolta 22 Johan Van Der Berg (RSA) Microsoft 23 Neil MacDonald (RSA) HSBC 24 David George (RSA) Astrolabe / Omega 25 Chris Mountjoy (RSA) V-Ster-Kinekor 26 David Fictoor (Ned) Stofwolk-Acterhoek 2000 27 Hendri Du Plessis (RSA) Trek / Fritz Pienaar Cycles 28 Jaco Ferreira (RSA) EDS 29 Remigius Lupejkis (Ltu) MROZ-Polish 30 Nicholas White (RSA) HSBC 31 Jeff Howes (RSA) V-Ster-Kinekor 32 Ryan Cox (RSA) Cologne 33 Artour Babitsev (Rus) Nurnburger 34 Daniel Spence (RSA) HSBC 35 Mauritz Brummer (RSA) V-Ster-Kinekor 36 Jacques Celliers (Nam) Grinaker/LTA Namibia 37 Jac Louis Van Wyk (RSA) Velo Cycling Club 38 Pierre-Henri Olivier (RSA) Sub 3 39 Alex Galvin (RSA) V-Ster-Kinekor 40 Michael Rogers (Aus) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 41 Wesley Cole (RSA) City Cyclelab/CSC 42 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 43 Heiko Szonn (Ger) Cologne 44 Jacque Le Roux (RSA) EDS 45 Paul Minnaar (RSA) SACF Development 46 Louren Calitz (RSA) Sub 3 47 Timo Scholz (Ger) Wiesenhof Leipzig 48 Bill Moore (RSA) Trek / Fritz Pienaar Cycles 49 Stuart Anderson (RSA) Ryder/BOE 50 Reinhardt Du Plessis (RSA) V-Ster-Kinekor 51 Louis Van Der Berg (RSA) EDS 52 Craig Butland (RSA) City Cyclelab/CSC 53 Clinton Gerber (RSA) Espress Bar Panda 54 Douglas Ryder (RSA) Microsoft 55 Martin Muller (Ger) Wiesenhof Leipzig 56 Alwyn Scheepers (RSA) EDS 57 Pavel Zerzan (Cze) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 58 Piotr Chmielewski (Pol) MROZ-Polish 59 Waylon Woolcock (RSA) Astrolabe / Omega 60 Juergen Pauritsch (Aut) Nurnburger 61 Adrian Maaske (RSA) Astrolabe / Omega 62 Mannie Heymans (Nam) Grinaker/LTA Namibia 63 Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 64 James Perry (RSA) Ryder/BOE 65 Marco Van Dommelen (RSA) Minolta 66 Michael Ellis (RSA) Sub 3 67 Lubomir Kejval (Cze) Wurstenrot ZVVZ 68 Petr Bencik (Cze) Wurstenrot ZVVZ 69 Jeroen Straathof (Ned) Stofwolk-Acterhoek 2000 0.18 70 Graeme Cronje (RSA) Espress Bar Panda 0.19 71 Jan Van Rooyen (RSA) Velo Cycling Club 0.19 72 Dirk Ronellenfitsch (Ger) Cologne 0.35 73 Lubor Tesar (Cze) Nurnburger 0.38 74 Barry Austin (RSA) Minolta 0.50 75 Rupert Rheeder (RSA) Astrolabe / Omega 1.04 76 Deon Klopper (RSA) Velo Cycling Club 3.05 77 Welcome Stokwe (RSA) SACF Development 3.08 78 Alex Pavlov (RSA) Velo Cycling Club 3.18 79 Hendrik Steytler (RSA) Ryder/BOE 3.18 80 Peter Lambert (RSA) Astrolabe / Omega 3.35 81 Alexander Lamberts (RSA) Trek / Fritz Pienaar Cycles 3.43 82 Geddan Ruddock (RSA) Ryder/BOE 4.11 83 Claude Roestoff (RSA) SACF Development 4.17 84 Wayne Durandt (RSA) Espress Bar Panda 4.27 85 Isak Hanekom (RSA) Ryder/BOE 4.27 86 Heiko Diehl (Nam) Grinaker/LTA Namibia 4.27 87 Konrad Siebrits (RSA) SACF Development 4.27 88 Erik Hoffman (Nam) Grinaker/LTA Namibia 4.27 89 Ronny Lauke (Ger) Nurnburger 4.27 90 Michal Hrazdira (Cze) Wurstenrot ZVVZ 4.27 91 Moolman Welgemoed (RSA) Sub 3 5.54 92 Craig Whittaker (RSA) Sub 3 7.05 93 Philip Schoeman (RSA) City Cyclelab/CSC 12.19 94 Brian Loff (RSA) SACF Development 12.35 95 Vasco De Kinkelder (Ned) Stofwolk-Acterhoek 2000 12.35 96 Kevin Cooper (RSA) Espress Bar Panda 12.35 97 Leonardo Van Onselen (RSA) City Cyclelab/CSC 12.35 98 Jaco De Witt (RSA) Trek / Fritz Pienaar Cycles 17.04 99 Gary Merkel (RSA) Trek / Fritz Pienaar Cycles 17.04 100 Hansie Joubert (RSA) Velo Cycling Club 17.04 101 Dan Craven (Nam) Grinaker/LTA Namibia 23.42 102 Lorenzo Cupido (Ned) Stofwolk-Acterhoek 2000 33.40 General classification after stage 1 1 Allan Davis (Aus) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 2.19.55 2 Enrico Poitschke (Ger) Wiesenhof Leipzig 0.04 3 Malcolm Lange (RSA) HSBC 0.06 4 Adrian Maaske (RSA) Astrolabe / Omega 0.07 5 Ross Grant (RSA) EDS 0.09 6 Bjorn Glasner (Ger) Cologne 0.10 7 Enrico Nikolai (Ger) Wiesenhof Leipzig 8 Dirk Schumann (Ger) Nurnburger 9 Dirk Muller (Ger) Cologne 10 Ian Mcleod (RSA) HSBC 11 Andre Schulze (Ger) Wiesenhof Leipzig 12 Zbigniew Piatek (Pol) MROZ-Polish 13 Darren Lill (RSA) Microsoft 14 Jacques Fullard (RSA) Minolta 15 Kazimierz Stafiej (Pol) MROZ-Polish 16 Eugen Wacker (Ger) MROZ-Polish 17 Owen Hannie (RSA) Microsoft 18 Simon Kessler (RSA) Microsoft 19 Frantisek Trkal (Cze) Wurstenrot ZVVZ 20 Michal Precechtel (Cze) Wurstenrot ZVVZ 21 Jaco Odendaal (RSA) Minolta 22 Tiaan Kannemeyer (RSA) Minolta 23 Johan Van Der Berg (RSA) Microsoft 24 Neil MacDonald (RSA) HSBC 25 David George (RSA) Astrolabe / Omega 26 Chris Mountjoy (RSA) V-Ster-Kinekor 27 David Fictoor (Ned) Stofwolk-Acterhoek 2000 28 Hendri Du Plessis (RSA) Trek / Fritz Pienaar Cycles 29 Jaco Ferreira (RSA) EDS 30 Remigius Lupejkis (Ltu) MROZ-Polish 31 Nicholas White (RSA) HSBC 32 Jeff Howes (RSA) V-Ster-Kinekor 33 Ryan Cox (RSA) Cologne 34 Artour Babitsev (Rus) Nurnburger 35 Daniel Spence (RSA) HSBC 36 Mauritz Brummer (RSA) V-Ster-Kinekor 37 Jacques Celliers (Nam) Grinaker/LTA Namibia 38 Jac Louis Van Wyk (RSA) Velo Cycling Club 39 Pierre-Henri Olivier (RSA) Sub 3 40 Alex Galvin (RSA) V-Ster-Kinekor 41 Michael Rogers (Aus) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 42 Wesley Cole (RSA) City Cyclelab/CSC 43 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 44 Heiko Szonn (Ger) Cologne 45 Jacque Le Roux (RSA) EDS 46 Paul Minnaar (RSA) SACF Development 47 Louren Calitz (RSA) Sub 3 48 Timo Scholz (Ger) Wiesenhof Leipzig 49 Bill Moore (RSA) Trek / Fritz Pienaar Cycles 50 Stuart Anderson (RSA) Ryder/BOE 51 Reinhardt Du Plessis (RSA) V-Ster-Kinekor 52 Louis Van Der Berg (RSA) EDS 53 Craig Butland (RSA) City Cyclelab/CSC 54 Clinton Gerber (RSA) Espress Bar Panda 55 Douglas Ryder (RSA) Microsoft 56 Martin Muller (Ger) Wiesenhof Leipzig 57 Alwyn Scheepers (RSA) EDS 58 Pavel Zerzan (Cze) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 59 Piotr Chmielewski (Pol) MROZ-Polish 60 Waylon Woolcock (RSA) Astrolabe / Omega 61 Juergen Pauritsch (Aut) Nurnburger 62 Mannie Heymans (Nam) Grinaker/LTA Namibia 63 Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 64 James Perry (RSA) Ryder/BOE 65 Marco Van Dommelen (RSA) Minolta 66 Michael Ellis (RSA) Sub 3 67 Lubomir Kejval (Cze) Wurstenrot ZVVZ 68 Petr Bencik (Cze) Wurstenrot ZVVZ 69 Jan Van Rooyen (RSA) Velo Cycling Club 0.27 70 Jeroen Straathof (Ned) Stofwolk-Acterhoek 2000 0.28 71 Graeme Cronje (RSA) Espress Bar Panda 0.29 72 Dirk Ronellenfitsch (Ger) Cologne 0.45 73 Lubor Tesar (Cze) Nurnburger 0.48 74 Barry Austin (RSA) Minolta 1.00 75 Rupert Rheeder (RSA) Astrolabe / Omega 1.14 76 Deon Klopper (RSA) Velo Cycling Club 3.15 77 Welcome Stokwe (RSA) SACF Development 3.18 78 Alex Pavlov (RSA) Velo Cycling Club 3.28 79 Hendrik Steytler (RSA) Ryder/BOE 80 Peter Lambert (RSA) Astrolabe / Omega 3.45 81 Alexander Lamberts (RSA) Trek / Fritz Pienaar Cycles 3.53 82 Geddan Ruddock (RSA) Ryder/BOE 4.21 83 Claude Roestoff (RSA) SACF Development 4.27 84 Wayne Durandt (RSA) Espress Bar Panda 4.37 85 Isak Hanekom (RSA) Ryder/BOE 86 Heiko Diehl (Nam) Grinaker/LTA Namibia 87 Konrad Siebrits (RSA) SACF Development 88 Erik Hoffman (Nam) Grinaker/LTA Namibia 89 Ronny Lauke (Ger) Nurnburger 90 Michal Hrazdira (Cze) Wurstenrot ZVVZ 91 Moolman Welgemoed (RSA) Sub 3 6.04 92 Craig Whittaker (RSA) Sub 3 7.15 93 Philip Schoeman (RSA) City Cyclelab/CSC 12.29 94 Brian Loff (RSA) SACF Development 12.45 95 Vasco De Kinkelder (Ned) Stofwolk-Acterhoek 2000 96 Kevin Cooper (RSA) Espress Bar Panda 97 Leonardo Van Onselen (RSA) City Cyclelab/CSC 98 Jaco De Witt (RSA) Trek / Fritz Pienaar Cycles 17.14 99 Gary Merkel (RSA) Trek / Fritz Pienaar Cycles 100 Hansie Joubert (RSA) Velo Cycling Club 101 Dan Craven (Nam) Grinaker/LTA Namibia 23.52 102 Lorenzo Cupido (Ned) Stofwolk-Acterhoek 2000 33.50 Points classification 1 Allan Davis (Aus) Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 10 pts 2 Enrico Poitschke (Ger) Wiesenhof Leipzig 6 3 Malcolm Lange (RSA) HSBC 4 4 Adrian Maaske (RSA) Astrolabe / Omega 3 5 Jan Van Rooyen (RSA) Velo Cycling Club 2 6 Ross Grant (RSA) EDS 1 Mountains classification 1 Adrian Maaske (RSA) Astrolabe / Omega 8 pts 2 Kosie Loubser (RSA) Espress Bar Panda 6 3 Jan Van Rooyen (RSA) Velo Cycling Club 5 4 Alwyn Scheepers (RSA) EDS 4 5 David George (RSA) Astrolabe / Omega 2 6 Daniel Spence (RSA) HSBC 1 Teams classification 1 Cologne 7.00.15 2 EDS 3 HSBC 4 Microsoft 5 Minolta 6 Mapei-Quick Step Espoirs 7 MROZ-Polish 8 Nurnberger 9 Astrolabe / Omega 10 V-Ster-Kinekor 11 Sub 3 12 Wiesenhof Leipzig 13 Wurstenrot ZVVZ 14 Ryder/BOE 3.18 15 Velo Cycling Club 3.24 16 Trek / Fritz Pienaar Cycles 3.43 17 Grinaker/LTA Namibia 4.27 18 Espress Bar Panda 4.46 19 SACF Development 7.25 20 City Cyclelab/CSC 12.19 21 Stofwolk-Acterhoek 2000 12.53