CAPE EPIC, BRAIDOT & AVONDETTO TAKE 2ND IN THE QUEEN STAGE FOR WILIER-VITTORIA

98 km and 2,850 meters of climbing—from Paarl to Lourensford Wine Estate, Stage 5 was the queen stage of the 2025 Cape Epic. And it delivered on every level. Simone Avondetto and Luca Braidot fought hard all the way to the line, ultimately finishing second, 1’10” behind the Swiss powerhouse duo of Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo.

The stage began with a cautious, tactical pace before exploding on the final climb. The overall leaders proved just a bit stronger on the day, but the Wilier-Vittoria MTB Factory Team duo are still firmly in the race. With two stages to go, they sit second overall, 1’52” off the yellow jersey.

“That stage felt endless,” said Braidot post-race, speaking from an ice bath. “We tried to attack on the climbs, but the Swiss were just a little stronger today. We have no regrets. The gap is a bit bigger now, but if we’ve got the legs in the next two stages, we’ll go for it. The race isn’t over.”

“I tried to hang on during the climbs, but in the final part, I was completely spent and lost contact," admitted Avondetto. "Luca had to wait for me a bit. I’m disappointed, but I really had nothing left. Now we’ll see how we recover overnight—we’re hoping the legs come back. It’s too soon to talk strategy, but one thing’s for sure: we’ll give everything we’ve got left.”

Tomorrow brings another brutal stage, starting and finishing at Lourensford Wine Estate, covering 87 km and 2,550 meters of elevation gain. Another epic battle awaits.