Ferrand-Prévot has, in Robyn de Groot, the perfect partner to face a race like the Cape Epic that requires a lot of strength but also a lot of experience.
The couple's partnership was born thanks to their coach, Barry Austin. "My coach, Barry, is South African and he is also Robyn's coach," explained Ferrand-Prévot. “For my winter training, he offered me to run the Tankwa Trek, which I did. It felt so good to spend time in South Africa, for my preparation before the XCO World Cup season, that we discussed at the end of the Tankwa Trek and thought it would be great to add the Absa Cape Epic to my schedule. . "
“After the Olympics, I wanted to prepare for the 2022 season in a slightly different way,” added the three-time XCO world champion. “So, I had a big block of technical training, from November to January, and now it's time for me to get back to racing. Racing in South Africa is the perfect solution for this. The weather conditions are ideal, the country and the trails are just great and it's new to me. I love to discover new things! If this approach works well, why not come back again for years to come? "
For De Groot, the opportunity to race with Ferrand-Prévot came at a strange time. “The past year has been tough and, as many may or may not know, I needed to take some time to get a new perspective,” confessed Robyn De Groot. "Pauline's request came during such an interesting time in my career, while I was taking a break and without the Absa Cape Epic in my plans for 2022".
“Pauline's request really came out of nowhere,” smiled De Groot. “But, once I heard what Pauline's goals would be for her Absa Cape Epic campaign, I told her I would be honored to join her. I also saw it as an opportunity to race my latest Absa Cape Epic, as I enter a transition phase in my career ”.
We remind you that the Cape Epic will be held in South Africa from 20-27 March.
