GEORGE NEWS - Two young guns, one of whom is George-based, shook up the 2025 Absa Cape Epic and firmly entrenched themselves as a pair to watch in future.
Local mountain biking ace Tristan Nortje (23) and his partner, the 27-year-old Marco Joubert (team Imbuko ChemChamp A), not only secured the Absa African Men's Jersey for the top African team, but also achieved a remarkable third place overall finish at this year's Epic.
Throughout the race, they captivated fans with aggressive, tactical, and entertaining mountain biking, culminating in a well-deserved victory on the penultimate Stage 6. All week, they were on the verge of clinching a stage win.
Nortje, a former learner at Outeniqua High School, and Joubert were among four South African teams finishing in the top 10 this year, a feat rarely seen at the Epic.
With the race route passing near major towns such as Durbanville, Paarl and Somerset West, local crowd support was immense. As Joubert and Nortje pushed for top honours, the fans went ballistic.
In the women's race, Danish mountain biker Annika Langvad clinched her sixth Epic title, partnering with Argentina's Sofia Gomez Villafane.
Meanwhile, Swiss riders Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo won the men's race by the narrowest margin in the event's history - just one minute and 31 seconds ahead of Italians Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto.
The Absa Cape Epic is a premier seven-day mountain bike stage race, often dubbed the 'Tour de France of mountain biking'. Held annually near Cape Town, it is renowned as one of the toughest and most prestigious MTB races globally.
The event attracts elite professional riders and passionate amateurs from around the world, making Nortje and Joubert's achievements even more impressive.
Tristan Nortje and Marco Joubert during Stage 7 of the 2025 Absa Cape Epic. Photo: Dom Barnardt/Cape Epic
Nortje and Joubert in first place (middle) with the rest of the Absa African Men's podium during Stage 7 of the Epic. Photo: Nick Muzik/Cape Epic‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
