Belgian rider Wout Alleman and Czech teammate Martin Stosek claimed victory on Stage 1 of the 2026 Absa Cape Epic in Montagu on Monday after a dramatic day of racing that saw South Africa’s Matt Beers and Tristan Nortje fight back from a major setback to finish on the podium.
The Buff-BH pairing secured the stage win in a time of 3:38:42 after a tightly contested sprint finish involving several leading teams. Italy’s Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto finished second, with Beers and Nortje crossing the line just seconds behind in third place.
The 90km stage, which included approximately 2,150 metres of climbing across rocky Klein Karoo terrain, delivered early drama when race leaders Beers and Nortje suffered a rear wheel puncture just before the halfway mark. The delay cost the Toyota Specialized Imbuko team nearly four minutes as they waited for support and replaced the damaged wheel.
Despite the setback, the South African duo mounted an impressive comeback, steadily reducing the gap and rejoining the leading group with roughly 15 kilometres remaining. Their recovery ensured they retained the overall race lead after the stage.
In the women’s elite race, Candice Lill and Alessandra Keller continued their strong start to the event, winning the 66km stage by 1 minute 35 seconds. The Thömus Maxon Sabi Sabi team finished ahead of Rosa Van Doorn and Vera Looser, with Kate Courtney and Greta Seiwald taking third.
Stage 2 of the race will take riders over 102km with 2,250 metres of climbing, while the women’s elite field will compete over an 80km route with 1,750 metres of elevation gain as the demanding eight-day mountain bike race continues through the Western Cape.
RESULTS
Elite Men Stage
1. BUFF-BH: Wout Alleman & Martin Stosek (3:38.43)
2. WILIER-VITTORIA: Luca BRAIDOT & Simone AVONDETTO (3:38.44 | +1)
3. TOYOTA SPECIALIZED IMBUKO: Matthew BEERS & Tristan NORTJE (3:38.46 | +2)
4. ORIGINE-WILIER: Mathis AZZARO & Juri ZANOTTI (3:38.46 | +3)
5. KLIMATIZA ORBEA: David VALERO SERRANO & Marc STUTZMANN (3:38.53 | +10)
Elite Men GC
1. TOYOTA SPECIALIZED IMBUKO: Matthew BEERS & Tristan NORTJE (4:23.23)
2. WILIER-VITTORIA: Luca BRAIDOT & Simone AVONDETTO (4:23.28 | +4)
3. KLIMATIZA ORBEA: David VALERO SERRANO & Marc STUTZMANN (4.23.43 | +20)
4.. ORIGINE-WILIER: Mathis AZZARO & Juri ZANOTTI (4:23.49 | +26)
5. TORPADO KENDA FSA: Fabian Rabensteiner & Casey South (4:25.01 | +1:38)
Elite Women Stage
1. THÖMUS MAXON SABI SABI: Candice LILL & Alessandra KELLER (3:01.52)
2. BUFF-BH | EFFICIENT INFINITI: Rosa VAN DOORN & Vera LOOSER (3:03.28 | +1:36)
3. SHE SENDS FOUNDATION: Kate COURTNEY & Greta SEIWALD (3:03.48 | +1:57)
4. SYMBTECH.NET: Margot MOSCHETTI & Claudia PERETTI (3:10.07 | +8:15)
5. CHEMCHAMP HONEYCOMB: Hayley PREEN & Haley SMITH (3:14.03 | +12:12)
Elite Women GC
1. THÖMUS MAXON SABI SABI: Candice LILL & Alessandra KELLER (3:53.16)
2. SHE SENDS FOUNDATION: Kate COURTNEY & Greta SEIWALD (3:56.10 | +2:53)
3. BUFF-BH | EFFICIENT INFINITI: Rosa VAN DOORN & Vera LOOSER (3:57.02 | +2:53)
3. SHE SENDS FOUNDATION: Kate COURTNEY & Greta SEIWALD (3:03.48 | +3:45)
4. SYMBTECH.NET: Margot MOSCHETTI & Claudia PERETTI (4:04.18 | +11:02)
5. CHEMCHAMP HONEYCOMB: Hayley PREEN & Haley SMITH (4:08.34 | +15:18)
SPECIAL JERSEYS GC
Toyota Mixed
1. TEAM 69: Jenny RISSVEDS & Simon ANDREASSEN (5:12.48)
Absa African Men
1. TOYOTA SPECIALIZED IMBUKO: Matthew BEERS & Tristan NORTJE (4:23.23)
Absa African Women
1. SANI2C EFFICIENT INFINITI: Samantha SANDERS & Bianca HAW (3:18.49l)
Open Women:
1. JOY RIDE: Jennifer BURTNER & Callah ROBINSON (7:32.09)
Open Men:
1. COLIBRI CYCLING: Eimantas GUDISKIS & Vladas JURKEVICIUS (4:58.49)
Great Grand Masters Women
1. TEAM GEANCO: Rhonda GEISZLER & Tamara TABEEK (1:27:02.2)
Great Grand Masters Men
1. OTB: Pieter MULLER & Corrie MULLER (6:35.43)
GIC Grand Masters Women
1. UAG EPIC: Martha KOEKEMOER & Jenny RÖNNGREN (7:07.36)
GIC Grand Masters Men
1. ORBEA FOX FACTORY: Ibon ZUGASTI & Ernesto MENDOZA (5:14.49)
NTT Data Masters Women
1. USWE SA: Mari DU TOIT & Janine MULLER (6:43.24)
NTT Data Masters Men
1. WILIER-CHAOYANG: Uwe HOCHENWARTER & Karl MARKT (4:55.36)
Exxaro Women’s Jersey
1. EXXARO MANGANESE LADIES 1: Tsholofelo NKOSI & Bontle PHEPISO (8:15.13)
Exxaro Men’s Jersey
1. FAIRTREE DP WORLD CANNONDALE 2: Ethan MICHAELS & Damon TERBLANCHE (5:31.51)
