Strong start at the Cape Epic: Wilier-Vittoria riders take 2nd and 4th in the prologue

They knew they could perform well in the prologue — and they did. The Wilier-Vittoria MTB Factory Team opened its 2026 Cape Epic with a strong second place from the duo Simone Avondetto – Luca Braidot, while Juri Zanotti, paired this week with French rider Mathis Azzaro, finished fourth.

On the 20 km prologue course in Durbanville, Avondetto and Braidot — runners-up overall last year — finished just six seconds behind local winners Matthew Beers and Tristan Nortje, who also claimed the first yellow jerseys. Zanotti and Azzaro crossed the line 25 seconds back.

“It went pretty well — the performance was similar to last year’s, when we won, although the course was a bit shorter this time,” explained Braidot. “It was a very intense effort and the heat made it even tougher. The first flat section was a bit deceptive because the race ended with a demanding climb. I led the first part, then Simone took over and pushed really hard — by then I was already at my limit.”

“We were a bit unlucky near the finish when we caught another team on the course,” added Avondetto. “We probably lost the few seconds that might have allowed us to win. But it’s fine for now — it was only a 40-minute effort and tomorrow we’re looking at four hours of racing. The sensations are good though; Luca and I worked well together, so it’s a solid start.”

“We knew it would be a very intense effort, and that’s exactly how it turned out,” said Zanotti. “We used Gaze and Schwarzabauer as a reference and managed to finish ahead of them, although some teams were simply faster today. My partnership with Mathis is improving — he’s incredibly strong. Today he made me suffer quite a bit, so I hope I can return the favour over the next few days — that would mean we’re both going fast,” he joked. “Tomorrow the real battle begins.”

Stage 1 will indeed be a demanding one, with start and finish in Montagu, covering 90 km and 2,150 metres of elevation gain.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Ella MacPhee finished third at the Langford Bike Fest Canada Cup, while Sofie Pedersen took second place at the Internazionale di Verona, beaten only by Laura Stigger.