Cape Epic: Prologue Highlights & Results
It was a day for the World Cup XCO specialists as Epic newbies Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto take the win.
In challenging hot, dry, and dusty conditions, Braidot and Avondetto blitzed the 26km prologue route with a time of 59:45. Two-time champion Nino Schurter (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing), racing alongside fellow Swiss rider Filipo Colombo, finished second with a time of 1:00:05. South African duo Marc Pritzen and Wessel Botha (Honeycomb 226ers) completed the podium in third place, clocking in at 1:00:49. A fun twist to the day saw an all-Italian team in first, an all-Swiss team in second, and an all-South African team in third, almost like hitting three consecutive double-letter scores in Scrabble.
In the Aramex UCI Women’s Category, it was a triumphant return to the Absa Cape Epic for five-time winner Annika Langvad (Toyota | Specialized). After a break from professional racing since 2019, Langvad, racing with 2022 champion Sofia Gomez Villafane, returned to the event with high expectations. With a perfectly timed performance alongside Villafane, Langvad claimed the Prologue victory by just three seconds over Margot Moschetti and Samara Sheppard (e-FORT x ChemChamp). Namibia’s Vera Looser and US rider Alexis Skarda (Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM) finished in third place.
Results
Men
1st. Wilier-Vittoria – Luca Braidot / Simone Avondetto: 59:45
2nd. Scott-SRAM MTB Racing – Nino Schurter / Filippo Colombo: 1:00:05 / +20
3rd. Honeycomb 226ers – Marc Pritzen / Wessel Botha: 1:00:49 / +1:04
4th. Imbuko ChemChamp A – Marco Joubert / Tristan Nortje: 1:00:55 / +1:10
5th. MitoQ NZ Cycling Project – Craig Oliver / Ben Oliver: 1:01:00 / +1:15
Women
1st. Toyota Specialized – Annika Langvad / Sofia Gomez Villafane: 1:12:33
2nd. e-FORT x ChemChamp – Margot Moschetti / Samara Sheppard: 1:12:36 / +3
3rd. Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM – Vera Looser / Alexis Skarda: 1:13:49 / +1:16
4th. Cannondale ISB Sport – Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez / Tessa Kortekaas: 1:15:45 / +3:12
5th. TitanRacing SE Honeycomb – Bianca Haw / Hayley Preen: 1:15:50 / +3:17
Full results here and race highlights below: