Cape Epic 2025: Wilier Vittoria wins stage 4 in a chaotic and crowded final sprint

The Wilier-Vittoria pair formed by Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto has achieved victory in stage 4 in a tight, numerous, and tumultuous final sprint that decided the day after some previous attacks from SCOTT SRAM.

Wilier-Vittoria wins again, SCOTT SRAM attacks and maintains the lead

The fourth stage of the Absa Cape Epic 2025, with a route of 80 km and 1950 meters of positive elevation, served as a transition between the demanding previous stages and the imminent queen stage. Despite the apparent truce in distance and elevation, the day was marked by some attacks and an exciting sprint finish.

From the start, the group of favorites rode compactly, although the winding route, steep climbs, and high pace generated small gaps of 10 seconds, which fragmented the peloton. David Valero and Tiago Ferreira even led the race at the beginning of the day, but by kilometer 26, the local pair from Imbuko ChemChamp, Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje, were already leading a reduced first group.

The leading group at that point was composed of SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing with Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo, Wilier-Vittoria with Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto, Orbea Leatt Speed Company with Lukas Baum and Georg Egger, and Torpado x Singer with Fabian Rabensteiner and Simon Stiebjahn.

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As the stage progressed, Imbuko ChemChamp set a high pace, showing once again that they are one of the revelations of this edition. Only SCOTT-SRAM and Wilier-Vittoria managed to keep up with their pace in the most demanding sections.

With 20 kilometers to go, Schurter and Colombo made a tactical move with an attack downhill. They first accelerated on a wide track and then continued the attack on a dusty trail section. Although they managed to open a gap with Imbuko ChemChamp and Torpado x Singer, Wilier-Vittoria resisted and did not detach from the overall leader.

The SCOTT-SRAM attempt did not have the expected effect, and in a few kilometers, the group came back together for what became a very long, tumultuous, and tactical final sprint. In the finish, the Wilier-Vittoria team, with Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto, won for the third time this edition, narrowly beating SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing. Buff Megamo, with Wout Alleman and Martin Stošek, completed the podium for the day.

Stage 4 Classification - Absa Cape Epic 2025 (Men)

1. Wilier-Vittoria - Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto 3:06:34
2. SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing - Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo 3:06:35 (+1s)
3. BUFF MEGAMO 1 - Wout Alleman and Martin Stošek 3:06:36 (+2s)
4. Imbuko ChemChamp A - Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje 3:06:38 (+4s)
5. Torpado Kenda FSA 2 - Jakob Dorigoni and Gioele De Cosmo 3:07:22 (+48s)
6. Klimatiza Orbea - Samuele Porro and Marc Stutzmann 3:07:27 (+53s)
7. Honeycomb 226ers - Marc Pritzen and Wessel Botha 3:07:32 (+58s)
8. Torpado x Singer - Fabian Rabensteiner and Simon Stiebjahn 3:09:57 (+3:23)
9. Klimatiza Orbea 2 - Miguel Muñoz Moreno and Luis Francisco Pérez Martínez 3:10:08 (+3:34)
10. ORBEA Leatt Speed Company - Lukas Baum and Georg Egger 3:10:17 (+3:43)

General Classification after Stage 4

1. SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing - Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo 13:34:00
2. Wilier-Vittoria - Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto 13:34:42 (+42s)
3. Imbuko ChemChamp A - Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje 13:43:52 (+9:52)
4. Klimatiza Orbea - Samuele Porro and Marc Stutzmann 13:47:30 (+13:30)
5. BUFF MEGAMO 1 - Wout Alleman and Martin Stošek 13:49:24 (+15:24)
6. Torpado x Singer - Fabian Rabensteiner and Simon Stiebjahn 13:50:20 (+16:20)
7. Honeycomb 226ers - Marc Pritzen and Wessel Botha 13:53:33 (+19:33)
8. ORBEA Leatt Speed Company - Lukas Baum and Georg Egger 13:57:41 (+23:41)
9. Torpado Kenda FSA 2 - Jakob Dorigoni and Gioele De Cosmo 13:57:49 (+23:49)
10. BH Coloma - David Valero Serrano and Tiago Jorge Ferreira Oliveira 14:00:35 (+26:35)

Annika Langvad and Sofía Gómez lift the pedal but still win

In the women's race, there was also a brief respite at the beginning of the day, and without initial attacks from Toyota Specialized, the pair from Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM led the race for half of the route.

However, Sofía Gómez once again led her partner Annika Langvad in a change of pace, around kilometer 40, with which they began to gain an advantage over the rest of the competitors. That move allowed them to achieve their fifth consecutive victory and add 50 more seconds to their lead in the general classification.

Stage 4 Classification - Absa Cape Epic 2025 Women's Elite

1. Toyota | Specialized - Annika Langvad and Sofía Gómez Villafañe 3:50:45
2. Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM - Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda 3:51:35 (+50s)
3. TitanRacing SE Honeycomb - Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen 3:52:14 (+1:29)
4. Cannondale ISB Sport - Monica Yuliana Calderón Martínez and Tessa Kortekaas 3:57:27 (+6:42)
5. Torpado Kenda FSA WMN - Katazina Sosna-Pinele and Claudia Peretti 3:58:11 (+7:26)

General Classification after Stage 4 - Women's Elite

1. Toyota | Specialized - Annika Langvad & Sofía Gómez Villafañe 16:45:00
2. Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM - Vera Looser & Alexis Skarda 16:59:49 (+14:49)
3. TitanRacing SE Honeycomb - Bianca Haw & Hayley Preen 17:12:30 (+27:30)
4. Torpado Kenda FSA WMN - Katazina Sosna-Pinele & Claudia Peretti 17:31:38 (+46:38)
5. Cannondale ISB Sport - Monica Yuliana Calderón Martínez & Tessa Kortekaas 17:36:51 (+51:51)
6. BUFF MEGAMO - Rosa Van Doorn & Janina Wüst 17:38:40 (+53:40)
7. BULLS Swiss - Irina Lützelschwab & Alessia Nay 17:55:02 (+1:10:02)
8. MAAP - Haley Smith & Ella Bloor 17:58:29 (+1:13:29)
9. Outsiterz D2mont Merida - Janka Keseg Stevková & Martina Krahulcová 18:18:16 (+1:33:16)
10. Songo | Kolisi Foundation - Ila Stow & Cherise Willeit 18:39:28 (+1:54:28)