Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo will race the Cape Epic 2025

The SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing Team has just confirmed that the team's season will start once again at the Cape Epic with Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo, forming what will be one of the favorite pairs for victory.

The SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing Team advances its schedule and confirms Schurter-Colombo for the Cape Epic

For weeks now, the members of the SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing Team have been seen training in Stellenbosch, South Africa. This has long been the team's favorite destination for preseason training due to its sunny climate, and from there we usually get the first details about their schedule.

This year, the South African concentration is also a great opportunity for new signings Emilly Johnston and Bjorn Riley to get to know and integrate with the team. But according to sources within the team, both cyclists have fit in perfectly, as if they had been part of SCOTT-SRAM forever.

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With the team chemistry solidified, the formation seems ready to face the new season that will kick off soon at the Cape Epic 2025.

The Cape Epic will be one of the main objectives for SCOTT-SRAM, and unlike a World Cup race, where each rider competes individually, here team tactics can make a difference.

As preparation for this race, Schurter and Colombo participated in the Imbuko Big 5, an XCM race where Filippo Colombo took the victory and Nino Schurter finished in fourth position.

Nino Schurter, ten-time world champion and two-time Cape Epic champion, expressed his enthusiasm for this new edition. "The Cape Epic in South Africa is one of my favorites on the calendar. This year is no different. I am very excited to participate alongside Filippo. He is one of the strongest XCO athletes in the world and has great endurance for a long race like this. I think we have a lot of chances for success, although we also need luck to be on our side during the eight days to avoid major setbacks."

Meanwhile, Filippo Colombo, the current Swiss national champion, shared his excitement: "I am thrilled to race this event alongside Nino. It's a dream come true. There is a lot to learn from someone like him, especially in a race like the Cape Epic. We form a perfectly balanced team, and if everything goes well, I believe we have a great opportunity to achieve a standout result. Although I also know that everything has to go according to plan to be successful. We'll see what happens."

The SCOTT-SRAM will debut in Europe, the entire team, in Albegna-Finale Ligure, Italy, on March 8. Then Schurter and Colombo will return directly to South Africa for the Cape Epic, and the rest of the team, composed of Emilly Johnston, U.S. champion Bjorn Riley, and Andri Frischknecht, will head to Massa Vecchia, Tuscany to continue with preparation that will culminate with their participation in the Internazionali d'Italia in Monte Argentario, before traveling to Brazil for the opening of the 2025 World Cup.