Annika Langvad (Toyota-Specialised) has returned from retirement and having a kid to take out her 6th version of the Cape Epic, dominating the ladies’s class of the seven phases in a pairing with Sofia Gomez Villafañe who snared a 2d identify in 2025.
Whilst Langvad secured her place as probably the most a hit rider within the race’s historical past – participating in six editions and successful each one – Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM) raced to his 3rd identify, and primary since 2019, with Filippo Colombo.
The lads’s pairing entered the overall degree with a struggle on their fingers, because the Willier-Vittoria duo of Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto tightened the space on degree 6. Alternatively, a powerful efficiency from the Scott-SRAM pairing to take 2d as Braidot and Avondetto light to 6th left Schurter and Colombo with a 1:31 successful margin to the Wilies-Vittoria duo as Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje (Imbuko ChemChamp A) got here 3rd, 12:58 again.
3-time males’s champion Matt Beers, teaming this yr with Keegan Swenson (Outride-Toyota-Songo), completed twelfth total. The German duo of Georg Egger and Lukas Baum, who gained the total in 2022 and had been 2d in 2023, completed 5th total.
“That was hard racing all week and it carried on into the final day,” mentioned Schurter in a race media liberate. “This is a very sweet victory. Going into the Grand Finale we found we were able to pace ourselves well and it all worked out for us on the day.
“It’s an excessively other form of racing to International Cup racing however successful this is at all times a occupation spotlight. The crew dynamic makes it so fascinating and while you get the precise spouse it’s very pleasant.”
Langvad and Villafañe went into the overall day of racing with a vital margin after having crowned the rostrum throughout from the prologue to degree 6. Handiest at the ultimate degree did they finish their successful run however nonetheless got here 2d. The Toyota-Specialised pair gained with a 21:32 margin to Environment friendly Infiniti SCB SRAM’s Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda. Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen (TitanRacing SE Honeycomb), who completed fourth closing yr, had been 3rd at 38:07 again.
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Looser gained the GC in 2023, and was once 5th closing yr with Skarda, completing at the podium seven of 8 occasions throughout the week, however it wasn’t sufficient to displace the dominant efficiency for the Toyota-Specialised duo.
“This week has just been crazy,” mentioned Langvad. “Our week did not really go to plan and after crashing earlier in the race, I have been in a lot of pain.
“Sofia has just been the most amazing partner, but I have not been having fun out there. Winning is amazing, though. I gave birth seven months ago. I didn’t ride my bike for years. People think I am some superhuman cyclist. But this week has been very hard. I am tired now. I just want to lie down.”
A total of 1,500 cyclists on two-person teams, representing 63 nations, took part in the 2025 Cape Epic on the rugged trails of the Western Cape in South Africa. In the elite categories, there were 25 UCI women’s teams and 50 UCI men’s teams.
Read on to see how the race developed through each stage of the 591km race with 16,350 metres of elevation gain.
Swipe to scroll horizontallyMen’s GCTeamResults1Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM)23:12:392Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria)00:01:313Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje (Imbuko ChemChamp A) 00:12:584Samuele Porro and Marc Stutzmann (Klimatiza Orbea)00:23:135Georg Egger and Lukas Baum (Orbea Leatt Speed Company)00:41:55Row 6 – Cell 0 Row 6 – Cell 1 Row 6 – Cell 2 Women’s GCTeamResults1Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Toyota-Specialized)05:03:102Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda (Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM)00:21:323Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen (TitanRacing SE Honeycomb)00:38:074Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez and Tessa Kortekaas (Cannondale ISB Sport)00:40:065Katazina Sosna-Pinele and Claudia Peretti (Torpado Kenda FSA WMN)01:01:19Prologue
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Julian Siemons and Greg Van Avermaet completed twenty seventh total within the Prologue of the 2025 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Motorcycle degree race(Symbol credit score: Nick Muzik/Cape Epic)
Sofia Gomez Villafañe and Annika Langvad throughout the Prologue(Symbol credit score: Nick Muzik/Cape Epic)
Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto (Willier-Vittoria) made their rivals stand up and take notice in the prologue, with the first timers winning the hot and dusty 26km prologue to and from Meerendal Wine Estate.
“We believed we could have a good race today when we looked at the distance and the profile,” mentioned Avondetto. “We are super happy with the victory and it’s nice to come here and surprise everyone.
“It’s a great feeling to win and an even better one to start in the Yellow Zebra Striped Jersey tomorrow. Today was a stage that suited us. We like the short stages. I think tomorrow will be a lot harder, but we are in a good place right now.”
Annika Langvad will have been clear of skilled racing since 2019 however no person was once underestimating what she may just do in league with Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Toyota-Specialised). If there have been, then again, any doubt they had been long past when the Toyota-Specialised pair went instantly to the highest step.
UCI Males – Prologue best 3
1 – Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria)2 – Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM) 3 – Marc Pritzen and Wessel Botha (Honeycomb 226ers)
UCI Girls – Prologue best 3
1 – Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Toyota-Specialised)2 – Margot Moschetti and Samara Sheppard (eFort x ChemChamp)3 – Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda (Environment friendly Infiniti SCB SRAM)Level 1
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The lead riders throughout Level 1 of the 2025 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Motorcycle degree race held at Meerendal Wine Property(Symbol credit score: Nick Muzik/Cape Epic)
Georg Egger leads the bunch throughout Level 1 with teammate Lucas Baum(Symbol credit score: Nick Muzik/Cape Epic)
The 92km degree with 2,750 metres of mountaineering delivered the primary large check of the race, the space opening up the gaps that began the intense GC sorting. Schurter and Colombo took to the entrance of the lads’s race from 70km along side prologue winners Braidot and Avondetto, although this time it was once the order was once reversed because the Scott-SRAM partnership surged within the ultimate kilometres to take the win.
Within the girls’s race Langvad and Villafañe had been obviously intent on now not losing a 2d of their efforts to construct their total lead, starting up midway during the degree to carve out a successful margin of just about seven mins on the second one positioned duo of Looser and Skarda.
“The Absa Cape Epic always likes to test on Stage 1 and today was no different,” said Villafañe. “The climbs were exposed to the elements, I had a crash, everything seemed to happen at once, but we still had a good day out there and we have built up a nice lead on the second-place team in the general classification. We are in a very good space heading into Stage 2.”
UCI Girls – Level 1 best 3
1 – Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Toyota-Specialised)2 – Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda (Environment friendly Infiniti SCB SRAM)3 – Rosa van Doorn and Janina Wust (Buff Megamo)
UCI Males – Level 1 best 3
1 – Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM)2 – Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria)3 – Lukas Baum and Georg Egger (Orbea Leatt Pace Corporate)Level 2
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Riders on degree 2 of the 2025 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Motorcycle degree race(Symbol credit score: Sam Clark/Cape Epic)
UCI males’s leaders Schurter and Colombo throughout Level 2(Symbol credit score: Sam Clark/Cape Epic)
A 66km time trial awaited on degree 2, and with Langvad and Villafañe beginning closing there have been various carrots forward alongside learn how to gasoline their rate. That, Langvad mentioned, will have spurred them to move somewhat quicker than was once sensible initially given the warmth however they controlled to reasonable and ship a sustainable effort and nonetheless seize every other win.
Within the males’s match a brand new pair rose to the highest with the Buff Megamo pairing of Wout Alleman and Martin Stošek – a overdue transfer for Hans Becking – this time outpacing the constant Scott-SRAM due of Schurter and Colombo.
“Wout was pushing like crazy and I was just holding his wheel,” mentioned Stošek. “He was so fast and I felt like I was slowing him down. I have had two bad days at the (Absa) Cape Epic and I really wanted to ride well for my partner, so I just hung in there – so now I am so happy to win this stage – that’s why we are here, to win stages … It’s been seven hours of suffering for me this year and maybe two moments of fun. But now we have a stage win!”
UCI Males – Level 2 best 3
1 – Wout Alleman and Martin Stošek (Buff Megamo 1)2 – Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM)3 – Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria)
UCI Girls – Level 2 best 3
1 – Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Toyota-Specialised)2 – Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez and Tessa Kortekaas (Cannondale ISB Game)3 – Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda (Environment friendly Infiniti SCB SRAM)Level 3
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Riders throughout Level 3 of the 2025 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Motorcycle degree race held at Fairview, Paarl, Cape The town, South Africa(Symbol credit score: Sam Clark/Cape Epic)
South Africans Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje trip on degree 3 en course to 3rd at the day for UCI males(Symbol credit score: Sam Clark/Cape Epic)
An excessive warmth caution supposed the degree within the Western Cape’s Paarl area was once minimize from 90km to 78km however that without a doubt did not make it a very easy day forward. Within the males’s race the early climbs delivered some attrition however it was once mid-race that the important thing contenders had been making their presence felt and amongst them had been South Africa’s Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje (Imbuko ChemChamp A). They led into the overall 25km, encumbered with single-track, however in the end Braidot and Avondetto prevailed within the dash, crossing the road only one 2d forward of the ever constant Schurter and Colombo whilst Joubert and Nortje had been simply at the back of in 3rd.
Langvad and Villafañe as soon as once more prevailed within the girls’s race however it did not run all their manner.
“That was by far my worst day at this year’s Absa Cape Epic,” mentioned Langvad. “I just felt so sketchy the entire ride. Today was the first day where I felt I had been away from mountain biking. I was lucky to walk away from two crashes without any major damage. It was insanely hot out there today and we really just wanted to ride conservatively. We didn’t want to push too hard. It was all about maintaining a lead today.”
Samara Sheppard (e-FORT x ChemChamp), then again, did not stroll clear of her crash unscathed with the rider from New Zealand leaving the race with a damaged hand.
UCI Girls – Level 3 best 3
1 – Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Toyota-Specialised)2 – Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda (Environment friendly Infiniti SCB SRAM)3 – Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen (TitanRacing SE Honeycomb)
UCI Males – Level 3 best 3
1 – Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria)2 – Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM)3 – Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje (Imbuko ChemChamp A)Level 4
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The main bunch throughout Level 4(Symbol credit score: Nick Muzik/Cape Epic)
Tristan Nortje leads UCI males’s race on degree 4(Symbol credit score: Nick Muzik/Cape Epic)
It was once a repeat of the ladies’s podium at the 80km degree 4 with 1950m of mountaineering, as even regardless of the falls of degree 3 Langvad and Villafañe nonetheless controlled to trip away anytime their lead was once threatened. They beat Looser and Skarda to the road through 50 seconds, extending their GC lead over the Environment friendly Infiniti SCB SRAM duo to almost quarter-hour.
Within the males’s race Braidot and Avondetto additionally as soon as once more beat Schurter and Colombo to the road through only one 2d, maintaining the total tight with simply 3 phases left. There was once simply 42 seconds between Scott-SRAM and Wilier-Vittoria.
“It was very tactical. Everyone was sticking together,” said Schurter. “It came down to a sprint and the Wilier-Vittoria boys just had the edge. We are still in the Yellow Jersey and that’s the place to be!”
UCI Males – Level 4 best 3
1 – Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria)2 – Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM)3 – Wout Alleman and Martin Stošek (Buff Megamo 1)
UCI Girls – Level 4 best 3
1 – Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Toyota-Specialised)2 – Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda (Environment friendly Infiniti SCB SRAM)3 – Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen (TitanRacing SE Honeycomb)Level 5
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Annika Langvad throughout Level 5 (Symbol credit score: Sam Clark/Cape Epic)
Filippo Colombo and Nino Schurter throughout Level 5(Symbol credit score: Nick Muzik/Cape Epic)
The queen degree had arrived with 2850m of mountaineering over 98km within the day of racing that began at Fairview, Paarl and ended at Lourensford Wine Property however now not earlier than riders had made their far more than a chain of brutal ascents, the overall one – The Nek– topping out with round 15km of racing to move.
Total competitors Scott-SRAM and Wilier-Vittoria emerged on the entrance at the best of that a very powerful climb, with Schurter and Colombo then getting away at the descent so as to add a forged 1:10 to their total lead, although at nonetheless below two mins Bradiot and Avondetto were not achieved but.
Within the girls’s race it was once a better struggle however Langvad and Villafañe nonetheless reigned ideal to take their 6th win in a row as they crossed the road twelve seconds forward of Calderon Martinez and Kortekaas. “That was insane,” mentioned Langvad. “That was everything you would expect on a Queen Stage and more. Going up the Nek was terrible. The mud was sticking to the wheels and I could barely turn my pedals over. At one stage I didn’t think I would get to the top.”
UCI Girls – Level 5 best 3
1 – Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Toyota-Specialised)2 – Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez and Tessa Kortekaas (Cannondale ISB Game)3 – Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen (TitanRacing SE Honeycomb)
UCI Males – Level 5 best 3
1 – Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM)2 – Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria)3 – Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje (Imbuko ChemChamp A)Level 6
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Cannondale ISB Game duo of Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez and Tessa Kortekaas win degree 6 for UCI Elite girls(Symbol credit score: Sam Clark/Cape Epic)
Tristain Nortje and Marco Joubert win Level 6 for UCI elite males
The 87km degree with 2,550m of mountaineering broke Langvad and Villafañe’s successful streak. Calderon Martinez and Kortekaas delivered an emphatic victory, with the Cannondale ISB Game duo pushing the tempo from the beginning and pulling clear of the remainder of the sector midway thru. That gave them a lead of 6:40 on Toyota-Specialised by the point they crossed the road.
Within the males’s race it was once round 25km to move when the highest 3 groups emerged on the entrance, after which at 12km to move – with a willing eye at the GC – Wilier Vittoria attacked to check out and slender Scott-SRAM’s lead at the penultimate degree. The plan labored, in that Braidot and Avondetto dropped Schurter and Colombo. Alternatively, Joubert and Nortje held company and the South African Imbuko ChemChamp duo then gained out within the ultimate sprint to the road, in spite of everything securing that degree victory they’d been striving for all week.
“We just never gave up. And today it came,” said Nortje. “That stage was so intense though. It was wild. There was mud, rain, trails, everything. I felt good. I felt bad. At one stage I didn’t think I would even finish the stage. I have never suffered so much on a bike. It was so sketchy out there and so stressful trying to keep it all together, but we did it!”
The second one-placed Wilier-Vittoria were given 1:20 on Scott-SRAM, narrowing the GC hole to 32 seconds forward of the overall degree.
UCI Males – Level 6 best 3
1 – Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje (Imbuko ChemChamp A) 2 – Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria)3 – Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM)
UCI Girls – Level 6 best 3
1 – Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez and Tessa Kortekaas (Cannondale ISB Game)2 – Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Toyota-Specialised)3 – Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda (Environment friendly Infiniti SCB SRAM)Level 7
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Schurter and Colombo have a good time males’s GC win after Level 7(Symbol credit score: Sam Clark/Cape Epic)
Girls’s GC podium after Level 7 of 2025 Absa Cape Epic(Symbol credit score: Sam Clark/Cape Epic)
Riders throughout Level 7 of 2025 Absa Cape Epic(Symbol credit score: Sam Clark/Cape Epic)
There was once a last degree win to chase in addition to an open common classification struggle within the males’s class within the closing climate shortened 40km day with 1050m of mountaineering. Braidot and Avondetto had labored laborious to tug again the total hole to Schurter and Colombo all the way down to 32 seconds, however most likely somewhat too laborious. The Wilier-Vittoria duo battled, taking 6th whilst the ever constant Schurter and Colombo got here 2d to at the degree and stored their total win protected. Matthew Bers and Keegan Swenson (Outride-Toyota-Songo) had been the step beneath at the degree, making their first podium look of this yr’s match whilst the highest step belonged to Georg Egger and Lukas Baum.
Within the girls’s degree, the GC was once all however determined, with Villafañe and Langvad maintaining a buffer of over 20 mins. They may have enough money to ease off somewhat, nonetheless celebrating successful without equal prize through an enormous margin as they crossed the road in 6th. Taking the degree honours for a 2d day operating, Calderon Martinez and Kortekaas persevered their overdue rate. “Winning today and yesterday makes up for all the bad stuff earlier in the week,” mentioned Cannondale ISB Game’s Kortekaas. “We raced hard from the start today and felt really good, so we are super happy with the last two days.”
UCI Girls – Level 7 best 3
1 – Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez and Tessa Kortekaas (Cannondale ISB Game)2 – Katazina Sosna-Pinele and Claudia Peretti (Torpado Kenda FSA WMN)3 – Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda (Environment friendly Infiniti SCB SRAM)
UCI Males – Level 7 best 3
1 – Georg Egger and Lukas Baum (Orbea Leatt Pace Corporate)2 – Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM)3 – Matt Beers and Keegan Swenson (Outride-Toyota-Songo)
