News Summary:
On October 1, 2026, Absa and Cape Epic extended their partnership through 2032. This five-year extension, beginning in 2028, will see the collaboration celebrate 25 years in 2030, having started in 2006, and underscores the event's evolution into a pinnacle of mountain biking. Also on October 1, 2026, organizers released detailed plans for the 2027 Absa Cape Epic route, which spans over 700 kilometers from Lourensford Wine Estate to Imbuko Wines in Wellington, connecting three host regions and featuring over 17,000 meters of climbing. Previously, during the 2026 Absa Cape Epic, on March 20, South Africans Matt Beers and Tristan Nortje of Toyota Specialized Imbuko reduced the overall lead to 13 seconds on the penultimate stage, finishing second and gaining 1 minute 37 seconds on general classification leaders Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto. On the same day, Stage 5, the 'Queen Stage,' saw men's overall leaders Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria) secure their first stage victory despite having led the race for three days, navigating wet and muddy conditions. Earlier in the 2026 race, on March 17, Marc Pritzen and Felix Stehli clinched an unexpected win on Stage 3 following a decisive late attack on a fast, muddy course.
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