The Cape Epic, one of the most important stage races in the MTB panorama, will take place from 19 to 26 March. In 2022, Toyota-Specialized-Ninety One's Matt Beers and Chris Blevins won the Prologue before Canyon Northwave MTB snatched the yellow leader jerseys off their shoulders already on the next stage. Andreas Seewald and Martin Stošek continued to hold the lead until the final stage, when Georg Egger and Lukas Baum became the first athletes to overturn the result during the Absa Cape Epic Grand Finale.
LEATT ORBEA SPEED COMPANY
GEORG EGGER – LUKAS BAUM
In 2023, Baum and Egger, return with not one, but two title sponsors to do well.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE RACE?
All the details at this link.
Toyota-Specialized-Ninety One
MATT BEERS – CHRISTOPHER BLEVINS
Matt Beers and Chris Blevins were very solid during the 2022 Cape Epic: always present in the top positions even if they didn't have the brilliance to oust the 2 team leaders. But this year could be different. They have a lot of experience and are highly motivated to add another Absa Cape Epic title to Specialized.
SCOTT SRAM MTB RACING
NINO SCHURTER – ANDRI FRISCHKNECHT
The main threat to the top three from 2022 is the SCOTT SRAM MTB Racing team. Nino Schurter he is already a two-time Absa Cape Epic winner and his partner in 2023, Andri Frischknecht, is the 2018 Swiss Epic champion. With Filippo Colombo joining the team in the off-season, there was speculation that SCOTT SRAM could make a trade last minute, if Columbus had shown himself in better shape than Frischknecht.
BH COLOMA TEAM
DAVID VALERO – PABLO RODRIGUEZ GUEDE
While not newcomers to the race, Spanish team BH Coloma are among the pre-event favorites for the first time this year. David Valero has only one Absa Cape Epic finish to his name while his partner Pablo Rodríguez Guede claims the Newbie title, but with Valero taking the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and putting on display during the season 2022 UCI World Cup, the pair will certainly pose a threat to the overall race.
WILIER PIRELLI FACTORY
FABIAN RABENSTEINER – WOUT ALLEMANN
Italy is also a protagonist at the Cape Epic thanks to the Wilier Pirelli Factory Team of Fabian Rabensteiner and Wout Alleman. The Italian is the reigning XCM European and National Champion, while the Belgian is himself a former National Champion. Together they won the stage 6 of last year's race, reaching seventh place overall. The Italian squad won the SPAR Swiss Epic in 2019 and 2022.
Q36.5 WILIER PIRELLI
VINCENZO NIBALI – SAMUELE PORRO
They could be the outsiders: 2 experienced athletes who will certainly be able to achieve good results if their physical fitness assists them. Vicenzo Nibali will race the Cape Epic, scheduled from Sunday 19 to Sunday 26 March, with Samuele Porro. That decision has come after the crash of Ivan Santaromita at the Andalucia Bike Race: Santaromita suffered a fractured radius and therefore 'the Jaws' will race the very tough South African stage race together with Samuele Porro, an expert of the Cape Epic, given that this year will be his sixth participation. Porro climbed the Cape Epic podium 2 times: 3rd both in 2016 and 2019. On both occasions, paired with Damiano Ferraro.
SINGER RACING TEAM
SIMON STIEBJAHN – MARTIN FREY
Team Singer Racing, meanwhile, is brimming with experience. Simon Stiebjahn and Martin Frey have eleven Cape Epics under their belts and achieved a second place in 2021. In 2022 they won the 4Islands MTB Croatia, one of the events of the Epic Legend series.
TEAM BULL HEROES
URS HUBER – SIMON SCHNELLER
Stiebjahn and Frey's former teammates, Team Bulls Heroes, are also among the teams to watch. Urs Huber scored one overall victory, in 2016, among his eleven race finishes and six stage wins. In Simon Schneller he has another proven Absa Cape Epic activist at his side. Although the pair will need a touch of luck if they are to significantly improve on their 2022 fifth place finish.
HUGE BUFF
HANS BECKING – JOSE DIAS
For the third time in as many editions, Hans Becking and José Dias will team up for BUFF Megamo. The Dutch/Portuguese combination took home a 3rd place in 2021 and a 4th place in 2022, with 3 stage wins. In 2023 the BUFF Megamo combination could be the wild card among the big favourites.
Further down the list of potential race winners, podium pretenders, and top-five contenders are the Bulls Mavericks, Pure HUMANPWR, SCOTT – Cala Bandida, KMC, Bernina Sport/SCOTT, and Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne 2. South African teams; Imbuko {type}DEV, PYGA Euro Steel, Valley Electrical Titan Racing and Insect Science will also be teams to watch. Notably Absa's reigning African title holders Marco Joubert and Pieter du Toit, as well as Philip Buys and his Namibian teammate Alex Miller.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE RACE?
All the details at this link.
