WILIER-VITTORIA SHAKES UP THE CAPE EPIC—IT'S ALL ON THE LINE TOMORROW!

It’s not over yet for Wilier-Vittoria! Simone Avondetto and Luca Braidot aren’t showing any signs of fatigue after a grueling week, and in the penultimate stage of the 2025 Cape Epic, they launched a bold attack that has thrown the overall standings wide open. On the 87 km stage with 2,550 meters of climbing, starting and finishing at Lourensford Wine Estate, the Wilier-Vittoria MTB Factory Team duo managed to put overall leaders Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo under serious pressure.

The Italian attack came on the day’s toughest climb, and this time, the yellow jersey duo couldn’t respond. By the end of the stage, Avondetto and Braidot had gained 1’20”, finishing second on the day. Stage victory went to South Africans Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje.

In the overall standings, the gap has now shrunk to just 32 seconds, setting the stage for a thrilling showdown tomorrow.

“There was this gritty mud—it felt like we were glued to the ground, everyone was struggling to keep moving," said Braidot. “It’s a shame Simone dropped his chain with 500 meters to go, or we might’ve gained another 15 to 20 seconds. The Swiss had a rough day, especially Colombo—let’s hope they have another one tomorrow! If so, we’ll have to make it count.”

“It was a brutal day for everyone," added Avondetto. “You could feel the fatigue all around. When we noticed our rivals suffering on the climbs, we pushed harder and managed to open up a gap. Tomorrow’s stage is shorter, but it’ll be all-out for everyone. It’s going to hurt.”

All eyes now turn to tomorrow’s final stage: 64 km with 2,100 meters of elevation, starting and finishing again at Lourensford Wine Estate. It's going to be an all-or-nothing battle, down to the very last breath.