SPECIALIZED FOUNDATION
2019
280-2
ALAN
HATHERLY
SAM
GAZE
Age: 23
Epics completed: 0 Age: 23
Epics completed: 0
BEST RESULT
2018 U23 XCO
world champion BEST RESULT
2017 U23 XCO
world champion
O
nce again, the Specialized Factory Works team
fi elds a world-beating duo. Gaze’s dramatic
victory at the UCI World Cup in Stellenbosch last
year made him one of only two riders in the world, apart
from Nino Schurter, to win a World Cup in the past two
years – and one of only four in the past six years! Hatherly
took the U23 XCO world champ title last year, making this
the most exciting team to line up at the 2019 race, chiefl y
because they’re such an unknown quality and have the
potential to go straight to the top step of the podium.
They’ll have the expert guidance of Christoph Sauser.
If all goes smoothly, there will be days when not even
Kulhavý can stop these two (although they’re eff ectively
on the same trade team). Watt for watt, they’re the
strongest duo in the race. But there’s more to racing
the Absa Cape Epic than power output, and one cannot
forget their newbie status. Sauser will be watching the
young Hatherly closely and Gaze even more closely,
especially after the Kiwi’s crash-prone 2018 season. Plus,
he’ll hope to teach the unteachable – how to measure
your eff orts perfectly to go the full distance, all the way
from the start ramp to the podium.
5 MINUTES WITH SAM & ALAN
Sam, you’ve spent a lot
of time training here and
watching Epic. South
Africa was where you
made the world sit up and
realise you could become
one of the greats of the
sport. You will have many
fans excited to see you
and Alan face off against
Nino and the other elder
statesmen of the sport.
How do you feel the
steep profi le of this year’s
route will aff ect your
chances of stage wins
or a podium? Will the
fan pressure add to your
appetite to attack the
favourites, and even your
more fancied Specialized
teammates? South Africa
is a special place for me. I
have made a lot of good
memories here, but it has
always been in the back of
my mind that I still need
to tick off the Cape Epic.
Of course, I’d love to say
that Alan and I will want
to target some stages, but
we won’t know until the
day and the race situation.
Our main objective is
to support Jaroslav and
Howard, and that takes
priority. With this being
the fi rst Epic for both of
us, being back-up gives us
the opportunity to be part
of a winning team, but
without the pressure of
crossing the line fi rst. One
day, of course, I would
love to win the race. I
don’t have the experience
I need for that yet, but it’s
something I am looking
to get to grips with this
year. Alan and I also share
the privilege of racing
under the colours of the
Specialized Foundation,
so it’s always nice to be
racing for something
other than just our own
ambitions.
Alan, you’re the pride of
Saff a mountain biking
coming off your world
champ win late last year.
It’s your fi rst Epic and
your partner is already a
big name, having scalped
Nino in Stellenbosch
last year. You guys won’t
be expected to win on
debut, but you both know
you could. What’s your
game plan? Our main
priority for the Cape Epic
this year is to stay in the
mix at the head of the
race as much as possible,
providing reliable back-
up for Howard and Jaro
throughout the race.
Being close by to them
in critical moments is
important for the team to
defend their title. Maybe if
there’s an opportunity on
the shorter stages, Sam
and I might have a go at
getting a stage win or
two, but that would be a
big bonus for us.
Alan, what are your goals
for 2019, post Epic? I’ll
be putting all my focus
into the XCO World Cup
season and as a fi rst year
elite, I want to really have
some solid results and
gain valuable experience
upfront gearing towards
the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Did you know Burry and
what would you say to him
or ask him if you could?
I knew of Burry very well.
I was, and still am, a
massive fan of who he
was and what he did for
our sport and our country.
Unfortunately, I was a little
too young to have been
able to keep up with him
and get to know him a
little better, so I wouldn’t
know where to start with
what to say.
“With this being the first Epic for both
of us, being back-up gives us the
opportunity to be part of a winning
team, but without the pressure.” – Sam
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