Emil Lindgren and Fabian Giger of the Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team finished the eight-day Absa Cape Epic stage race on a high note, riding to a second-place finish in the final stage of the March 21-28 event in South Africa. The duo rode their Giant XtC Advanced SL team bikes to 11th overall in the marathon event, which saw more than 500 two-person teams race 722 grueling kilometers across South Africa’s Western Cape.

Lindgren and Giger, from Sweden and Switzerland respectively, had two podium finishes at Cape Epic, known to the thousands of off-road racers who attempt to finish it each year as the “Magical and Untamed African MTB Race.” The two finished third in the opening stage, a 117km ride from Diemerfonstein to Ceres, and second in the final Stage 8, a 65km journey through South Africa’s wine country. The final stage finished in front of a large crowd at the Lourensford Wine Estate.

Stage 8, the shortest of the race, featured steep climbs and challenging terrain. The Rabobank-Giant duo had their best performance of the week, finishing second despite suffering mechanical challenges. Lindgren broke his chain and had to repair it.

“I felt amazing, and so did Fabian,” Lindgren said “This is the best stage to get a place on the podium.”

The seventh edition of Cape Epic featured World Cup winners, World Champions and most of the world’s top off-road racers. For the Swedish Lindgren and Swiss Giger, the event offered intense training for the World Cup Series, which kicks off April 24 in Great Britain.

“This was awesome preparation for the upcoming season,” Giger told Cyclingnews.com. “We had eight days of suffering and now need to go home to recover, but we’ll definitely be back.”