WILIER-VITTORIA STEALS THE SHOW AT CAPE EPIC—MOST WINS & A STUNNING 2ND OVERALL!

They promised to fight until the very last meter—and they kept that promise. Simone Avondetto and Luca Braidot gave it everything they had in a bid to overturn the standings at the 2025 Cape Epic.

But after the final stage at Lourensford Wine Estate—shortened to 40 km and 1,050 meters of climbing due to poor trail conditions—they had to settle for second place overall, behind the ageless legend Nino Schurter and his teammate Filippo Colombo.It’s worth remembering: this was Wilier-Vittoria MTB Factory Team’s debut at the iconic South African stage race. And yet, after eight grueling days of racing through heat and mud, they finished as the most successful team of the event.

After winning the prologue (and wearing the yellow jersey for a day), Avondetto and Braidot went on to claim Stage 3 and Stage 4, and were key protagonists in nearly every stage. In fact, they made the podium in 7 out of 8 stages.“We started full gas—it was a super fast stage and we gave it a real go on the second climb," Braidot said. "But unfortunately, my legs gave out and I had to ease off a bit. That takes nothing away from the amazing week we’ve had—it went far beyond our expectations. Huge thanks to Wilier-Vittoria and the entire support crew.”“Sure, winning would’ve been better—but we’re really happy with this week," added Avondetto. "So many battles, so many great moments—it’s an experience we’ll remember for a long time. We came here hoping to fight for a stage or two, and instead we won three and nearly took the overall. I’d say there’s nothing to regret.”

Not only Cape Epic today: in Switzerland, at the Tamaro Trophy, the first stage of the Swiss Bike Cup, Juri Zanotti, Sofie Heby Pedersen, Elian Paccagnella, and Gustav Heby Pedersen also took to the track. In the men's Under 23 race, Elian Paccagnella achieved an excellent third place, while Gustav Heby Pedersen was forced to retire due to a fall. Juri Zanotti distinguished himself in the men's elite competition, finishing in ninth position, while Sofie Heby Pedersen finished seventeenth in the women's elite event.

Now they have a few days of rest ahead of them, before heading to the XCO World Cup which will kick off in Brazil on the weekend of April 3-6.