Lill & Wilcock gain Red Jersey at Cape Epic

The depth of this year’s competition was tougher as global acclaim of the Winelands race grows, but also because it’s an Olympic year and cyclists from around the globe saw it as an opportunity to get some early season conditioning in before the August games.

Held back in previous years by unscheduled illness and mechanical failure, Lill and Wilcock attribute a part of this year’s triumph to the fact that they had a dedicated support staff, which allowed them space to focus purely on the 700km between them and the African jersey.

Partnership extended

Their win has also secured them a further year of association with Epic newcomer and official Sports Nutrition Partner, USN, which means they have the financial security to focus on their race schedule for the coming year and plan well ahead for next year’s race.

When asked about supplementing for the world’s cleanest race, USN’s CEO, Albé Geldenhuys, was thrilled with the team’s results and hopes that the brand’s backing allows the athletes the support they need to plan their ideal path in the coming year.

The riders have a direct line to Albe himself for all nutritional advice – and he says that the partnership has elevated the brand to entrench it further in the global cycling fraternity, highlighting their USN Epic Pro product built specifically for the race.

Lill and Wilcock are both quick to point out that athletes in SA struggle to clinch solid partnerships, a fact that puts them at a disadvantage when going head to head with international athletes trained and supported from a young age. The USN partnership sets them up for success for forthcoming races, including the SA champs in two weeks’ time and, following that, Sani2C, Wines to Whales and the much anticipated European Trans Alps.