Dan Nicholl reports in from stage two of the Absa Cape Epic, a 100 kilometre circuit starting and ending in the very small and extremely sleepy town of Villiersdorp.

Marius Hurter is quite a lot bigger than me. He was a heavyset prop in the 1995 World Cup squad; I was a modestly successful and decidedly unimposing fullback in a series of comparatively undistinguished sides. Which would, I suppose, make him marginal favourite were the two of us ever to come to blows; thankfully, despite some pointed comments over the microphone as he slogged through my vantage point at the Absa Cape Epic today, we?re on pretty good terms; and at the moment, given what the race is taking out of the big man, I honestly don?t think he?d have the energy to give a good thumping.

Hurter is one of the celebrities in this year?s race, following in the footsteps of big Robbie Kempson, who defied logic, expectation, and several fundamental laws of physics to finish last year?s Epic; Robbie K arrives on his motorbike tomorrow to spur on his former rugby team-mates, and they?ll be glad of the support. Day two might have been decidedly easier than day one, but they?re still a drained lot, and with five days still to go, there?s an awful lot of riding in store.

The celebrity sportsmen will draw from their own professional experiences to get them through; in turn, the rest of the Epic peleton will draw inspiration from seeing Hurter, Mark Fish, Breyton Paulse and the like battle manfully with another unforgiving route. They?ll also draw inspiration from a very different source, though ? a man I met for the first time on Monday night, and a man who epitomises the spirit of a quite extraordinary race.

Malan van Rensburg should be off playing with his grandchildren, doing a little light gardening, and relishing the simple fact that he?s alive. Instead, the 63-year-old is riding his fourth Absa Cape Epic, and his doing so after taking six months off riding to deal with lymphoma ? a challenge he saw off with three chemo sessions, and a further 15 bursts of radiation. After all that, the Epic?s a comparative breeze, I suppose, but he?s still a 63-year-old man, and a 63-year-old man sitting (with his team-mate) inside the top 200 teams in a 600-strong race. Hell, at 63 I?ll be happy to still be playing golf.

Malan clearly isn?t, though, and is going strong after two days; not quite as strong as the songo.info boys, though, who racked up a second stage win to go with their prologue victory, and establish the makings of a hold on this year?s race. It was a tough day for the pros, with a broken collarbone, broken hand and shattered front wheel accounting for three of the top teams on a colourful day around Villiersdorp, but Burry Stander and Christoph Sauser roared through stage two to see of the Bulls, and reaffirm their favourite status.

All of which ups the ante on day three, with the rest of the professional teams needing to make a move on the way into Greyton to shake up the leaders a little; it wouldn?t hurt the race, but Stander and Sauser are unlikely to be swayed by sentiment. Which means the entertainment will again rest with Fish ? who broke Tiaan Strauss?s single stage record on Monday, by stopping at eight different wine farms for refreshment along the way ? Paulse, Braam van Straaten, Mike Bayly, and the aforementioned Hurter, who?ll have Kempson cheering him on. Another Springbok prop forward finishing the Absa Cape Epic? On this race, anything?s possible.