Matt Beers and Tristan Nortje became the first all-African team to win the Absa Cape Epic after a drama-filled final stage in Stellenbosch on Sunday. Starting the day just 13 seconds behind overall leaders Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria), the South Africans produced a determined performance over the 58km stage to secure the overall title.
Despite finishing third on the stage behind Sam Gaze and Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon), Beers and Nortje finished ahead of the Italians to claim the title by 1 minute and 4 seconds. Gaze and Schwarzbauer secured third overall, 3 minutes 33 seconds behind.
For Beers, it marked his fourth Absa Cape Epic title, while Nortje claimed his first.
“You can’t get bigger than this,” Nortje said. “There are so many emotions right now… it’s very special.”
Drama Until the Final Kilometres
The final stage delivered high drama from the outset. Within the first 10km, Beers and Nortje had already put 35 seconds into the Italians on the climb up to Saaltjie.
As the race progressed, the South Africans extended their advantage to two minutes by the 32km mark. However, just after halfway, Nortje crashed heavily after clipping a pedal on a tree, injuring his elbow and leg.
“I knew it was a big crash,” Nortje said. “I hurt my elbow quite badly and my right leg hit a rock.”
Despite the setback, Nortje continued, supported by Beers, while the Italians fought back to reduce the gap to 40 seconds with 12km remaining. In the end, Beers and Nortje held their advantage to secure a historic victory.
“It’s a special one because we have done what a lot of South Africans have been trying to do for a long time,” said Beers.
Lill and Keller Cap Off Dominant Week
In the women’s race, Candice Lill and Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon Sabi Sabi) secured their seventh stage win in eight days to claim the overall title.
The pair edged clear of their rivals after the 23km checkpoint and extended their lead to the finish, winning ahead of Monica Calderon and Tessa Kortekaas (Massi ISB Sport) by 2 minutes 27 seconds, with Hayley Preen and Haley Smith (Chemchamp Honeycomb) finishing third, 4 minutes 32 seconds behind.
After the withdrawal of Greta Seiwald earlier in the weekend, Preen and Smith moved into second overall, 52 minutes 58 seconds behind, while Katazina Sosna-Pinele and Giorgia Marchet secured third overall.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Lill. “But sometimes you have to go through those deep, dark situations to get to where I am today.”
Keller added: “It’s a bit like winning a World Cup series overall… it’s an adventure.”
A Race to Remember
The 2026 Absa Cape Epic delivered eight days of intense racing across the Western Cape, culminating in a historic victory for South Africa on home soil. 🇿🇦
