Annika Langvad wins record sixth title on return to Cape Epic with Sofia Gomez Villafañe

Annika Langvad (Toyota-Specialized) has returned from retirement and having a child to take out her sixth edition of the Cape Epic, dominating the women's category of the seven stages in a pairing with Sofia Gomez Villafañe who snared a second title in 2025.

While Langvad secured her position as the most successful rider in the race's history – taking part in six editions and winning every one – Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM) raced to his third title, and first since 2019, with Filippo Colombo. 

The men's pairing entered the final stage with a battle on their hands, as the Willier-Vittoria duo of Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto tightened the gap on stage 6. However, a strong performance from the Scott-SRAM pairing to take second as Braidot and Avondetto faded to sixth left Schurter and Colombo with a 1:31 winning margin to the Wilies-Vittoria duo as Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje (Imbuko ChemChamp A) came third, 12:58 back. 

Three-time men's champion Matt Beers, teaming this year with Keegan Swenson (Outride-Toyota-Songo), finished 12th overall. The German duo of Georg Egger and Lukas Baum, who won the overall in 2022 and were second in 2023, finished fifth overall.

“That was hard racing all week and it carried on into the final day,” said Schurter in a race media release. "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 a very different type of racing to World Cup racing but winning here is always a career highlight. The team dynamic makes it so interesting and when you get the right partner it’s very satisfying.” 

Langvad and Villafañe went into the final day of racing with a significant margin after having topped the podium right through from the prologue to stage 6. Only on the final stage did they end their winning run but still came second. The Toyota-Specialized pair won with a 21:32 margin to Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM's Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda. Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen (TitanRacing SE Honeycomb), who finished fourth last year, were third at 38:07 back.

Looser won the GC in 2023, and was fifth last year with Skarda, finishing on the podium seven of eight times during the week, but it wasn't enough to displace the dominant performance for the Toyota-Specialized duo.

“This week has just been crazy,” said 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.

Prologue

Image 1 of 2

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,” said 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 may have been away from professional racing since 2019 but no one was underestimating what she could do in league with Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Toyota-Specialized). If there were, however, any doubt they were gone when the Toyota-Specialized pair went straight to the top step.

UCI Men - Prologue top 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 Women - Prologue top 3

• 1 - Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Toyota-Specialized)
• 2 - Margot Moschetti and Samara Sheppard (eFort x ChemChamp)
• 3 - Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda (Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM)

Stage 1

Image 1 of 2

The 92km stage with 2,750 metres of climbing delivered the first big test of the race, the distance opening up the gaps that started the serious GC sorting. Schurter and Colombo took to the front of the men's race from 70km along with prologue winners Braidot and Avondetto, though this time it was the order was reversed as the Scott-SRAM partnership surged in the final kilometres to take the win.

In the women's race Langvad and Villafañe were clearly intent on not wasting a second in their efforts to build their overall lead, taking off halfway through the stage to carve out a winning margin of nearly seven minutes on the second placed 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 Women - Stage 1 top 3

• 1 - Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Toyota-Specialized)
• 2 - Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda (Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM)
• 3 - Rosa van Doorn and Janina Wust (Buff Megamo)

UCI Men - Stage 1 top 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 Speed Company)

Stage 2

Image 1 of 2

A 66km time trial awaited on stage 2, and with Langvad and Villafañe starting last there were plenty of carrots ahead along the way to fuel their charge. That, Langvad said, may have spurred them to go a little faster than was wise at the beginning given the heat but they managed to moderate and deliver a sustainable effort and still capture another win.  

In the men's event a new pair rose to the top with the Buff Megamo pairing of Wout Alleman and Martin Stošek – a late switch for Hans Becking – this time outpacing the consistent Scott-SRAM due of Schurter and Colombo.

“Wout was pushing like crazy and I was just holding his wheel,” said 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 Men - Stage 2 top 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 Women - Stage 2 top 3

• 1 - Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Toyota-Specialized)
• 2 - Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez and Tessa Kortekaas (Cannondale ISB Sport)
• 3 - Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda (Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM)

Stage 3

Image 1 of 2

An extreme heat warning meant the stage in the Western Cape's Paarl region was cut from 90km to 78km but that certainly didn't make it an easy day ahead. In the men's race the early climbs delivered some attrition but it was mid-race that the key contenders were making their presence felt and among them were South Africa’s Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje (Imbuko ChemChamp A). They led into the final 25km, laden with single-track, but ultimately Braidot and Avondetto prevailed in the sprint, crossing the line just one second ahead of the ever consistent Schurter and Colombo while Joubert and Nortje were just behind in third.

Langvad and Villafañe once again prevailed in the women's race but it didn't run all their way.

“That was by far my worst day at this year’s Absa Cape Epic,” said 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), however, didn't walk away from her crash unscathed with the rider from New Zealand leaving the race with a broken hand.

UCI Women - Stage 3 top 3

• 1 - Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Toyota-Specialized)
• 2 - Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda (Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM)
• 3 - Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen (TitanRacing SE Honeycomb)

UCI Men - Stage 3 top 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)

Stage 4

Image 1 of 2

It was a repeat of the women's podium on the 80km stage 4 with 1950m of climbing, as even despite the falls of stage 3 Langvad and Villafañe still managed to ride away anytime their lead was threatened. They beat Looser and Skarda to the line by 50 seconds, extending their GC lead over the Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM duo to nearly 15 minutes.

In the men's race Braidot and Avondetto also once again beat Schurter and Colombo to the line by just one second, keeping the overall tight with just three stages left. There was just 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 Men - Stage 4 top 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 Women - Stage 4 top 3

• 1 - Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Toyota-Specialized)
• 2 - Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda (Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM)
• 3 - Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen (TitanRacing SE Honeycomb)

Stage 5

Image 1 of 2

The queen stage had arrived with 2850m of climbing over 98km in the day of racing that started at Fairview, Paarl and ended at Lourensford Wine Estate but not before riders had made their way over a series of brutal ascents, the final one – The Nek– topping out with around 15km of racing to go.

Overall rivals Scott-SRAM and Wilier-Vittoria emerged at the front on the top of that crucial climb, with Schurter and Colombo then getting away on the descent to add a solid 1:10 to their overall lead, though at still under two minutes Bradiot and Avondetto weren't done yet. 

In the women's race it was a closer battle but Langvad and Villafañe still reigned supreme to take their sixth win in a row as they crossed the line twelve seconds ahead of Calderon Martinez and Kortekaas. “That was insane,” said 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 Women - Stage 5 top 3

• 1 - Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Toyota-Specialized)
• 2 - Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez and Tessa Kortekaas (Cannondale ISB Sport)
• 3 - Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen (TitanRacing SE Honeycomb)

UCI Men - Stage 5 top 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)

Stage 6

Image 1 of 2

The 87km stage with 2,550m of climbing broke Langvad and Villafañe's winning streak. Calderon Martinez and Kortekaas delivered an emphatic victory, with the Cannondale ISB Sport duo pushing the pace from the start and pulling away from the rest of the field halfway through. That gave them a lead of 6:40 on Toyota-Specialized by the time they crossed the line.

In the men's race it was around 25km to go when the top three teams emerged at the front, and then at 12km to go – with a keen eye on the GC – Wilier Vittoria attacked to try and narrow Scott-SRAM's lead on the penultimate stage. The plan worked, in that Braidot and Avondetto dropped Schurter and Colombo. However, Joubert and Nortje held firm and the South African Imbuko ChemChamp duo then won out in the final dash to the line, finally securing that stage victory they had 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-placed Wilier-Vittoria got 1:20 on Scott-SRAM, narrowing the GC gap to 32 seconds ahead of the final stage.

UCI Men - Stage 6 top 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 Women - Stage 6 top 3

• 1 - Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez and Tessa Kortekaas (Cannondale ISB Sport)
• 2 - Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Toyota-Specialized)
• 3 - Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda (Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM)

Stage 7

Image 1 of 3

There was a final stage win to chase as well as an open general classification battle in the men's category in the last weather shortened 40km day with 1050m of climbing. Braidot and Avondetto had worked hard to pull back the overall gap to Schurter and Colombo down to 32 seconds, but perhaps a little too hard. The Wilier-Vittoria duo battled, taking sixth while the ever consistent Schurter and Colombo came second to on the stage and kept their overall win secure. Matthew Bers and Keegan Swenson (Outride-Toyota-Songo) were the step below on the stage, making their first podium appearance of this year's event while the top step belonged to Georg Egger and Lukas Baum.

In the women's stage, the GC was all but decided, with Villafañe and Langvad holding a buffer of over 20 minutes. They could afford to ease off a little, still celebrating winning the ultimate prize by a huge margin as they crossed the line in sixth. Taking the stage honours for a second day running, Calderon Martinez and Kortekaas continued their late charge. “Winning today and yesterday makes up for all the bad stuff earlier in the week,” said Cannondale ISB Sport's Kortekaas. “We raced hard from the start today and felt really good, so we are super happy with the last two days.” 

UCI Women - Stage 7 top 3

• 1 - Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez and Tessa Kortekaas (Cannondale ISB Sport)
• 2 - Katazina Sosna-Pinele and Claudia Peretti (Torpado Kenda FSA WMN)
• 3 - Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda (Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM)

UCI Men - Stage 7 top 3

• 1 - Georg Egger and Lukas Baum (Orbea Leatt Speed Company)
• 2 - Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM)
• 3 - Matt Beers and Keegan Swenson  (Outride-Toyota-Songo)