Absa Cape Epic 2025: all the favorites for the win

The Absa Cape Epic promises a memorable edition this 2025 with the participation of great specialists in the discipline in both the UCI men's and women's categories. The competition will take place from March 16 to 23 in South Africa, starting at Meerendal Wine Estate and finishing at Lourensford Wine Estate.

Favorites for victory in the Absa Cape Epic 2025

The men's category will feature 50 powerful UCI teams on the starting grid, including some pairs that can be classified as top favorites for victory, or at least for the podium.

Outride | Toyota | Songo, with Matt Beers (South Africa) and Keegan Swenson (USA), is one of the strongest teams. Beers is a three-time champion of the race and will seek to defend his title alongside gravel specialist Swenson. Both will compete in support of the NGOs Outride and songo.info.

Scott SRAM, with the Swiss pair Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo, generates high expectations. Schurter is a living legend of XCO, but let's not forget that he has already participated in this race up to 8 times and has won it twice. This year he will seek to add another title to his brilliant career, accompanied by Colombo, who is showing a high level of competitiveness.

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The German duo ORBEA Leatt Speed Company, with Georg Egger and Lukas Baum, is one of the most anticipated pairs in the Cape Epic and one of the favorites among fans since their victory in 2022. Egger comes with doubts due to health problems, but Baum will proudly wear his European Marathon Champion jersey, making this team one of the top favorites.

Other standout teams that are surely fighting for the podium include Singer KTM, with Andreas Seewald and Jakob Hartmann, Klimatiza Orbea, with Samuele Porro and Marc Stutzmann, high-level climbers looking to surprise, and the strong BH pair of Tiago Ferreira and David Valero.

The return of Annika Langvad will mark the women's race

The women's category has an absolute protagonist: Annika Langvad, returning after a five-year break. The multiple Danish champion will team up with Argentine Sofia Gómez Villafañe in Toyota Specialized, presenting themselves as clear favorites. Langvad has five titles and an impressive 27 stage victories.

Among her main rivals are the debutants from Buff Megamo, with European champion Rosa van Doorn and Swiss Janina Wüst, who although new to this race, come with experience in other Epic Series races.

Another pair with real possibilities is Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM, formed by the champion of the 2023 edition Vera Looser (Namibia) and Alexis Skarda (USA), who have already shown their potential in previous editions.

The team Cannondale ISB Sport, composed of Colombian Mónica Calderón and Spanish Tessa Kortekaas, will also seek to impose themselves with the experience and talent that has led them to triumph in European races of the Epic Series circuit.

The Absa Cape Epic 2025 is shaping up to be a high-voltage event and we only have to wait a few days for it to begin.