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Klimatiza Toteemi Cabberty Take Up the GC Battle on Stage 3 of the 4Islands MTB Croatia

By 4Islands 04/19/2024, 11:15am HST

Miguel Munoz and Luis Martínez raced to stage victory on the penultimate day of the 2024 4Islands MTB Croatia. The, short, 39 kilometre stage on Lošinj might not have resulted in a change in the yellow CIOVITA leaders jerseys, but it sets the race up for a fascinating final stage on Saturday. Just 2 minutes and 25 seconds separate the top two teams after Stage 3. In the UCI Women’s race, for orange, the BUFF MEGAMO Women continued their assured ride through the Kvarner islands by winning their fourth stage and extending their overall lead to 5 minutes and 40 seconds.

Metallurgica Veneta Capitalise on BUFF MEGAMO Misfortune to Extend 4Islands MTB Croatia Lead

By 4Islands 04/18/2024, 11:45pm HST

Another dramatic day at the 4Islands MTB Croatia saw the Metallurgica Veneta MTB Pro Team 1 extend their general classification lead; after a crash for BUFF MEGAMO 1’s Pablo Rodriguez Guede and stomach cramps for Lukas Baum, of ORBEA Leatt Speed Company. Three days into the 2024 event Nicola Taffarel and Massimo Rosa’s advantage is 3 minutes and 40 seconds over the Klimatiza Toteemi Cabberty 2 team. BUFF MEGAMO’s women’s team, Janina Wust and Rosa van Doorn, enjoyed another trouble-free day, on Stage 2, despite being pushed deeper into the course by their nearest rivals, CANNONDALE ISB SPORT, than on the two previous days.

Metallurgica Veneta Surprise the Favourites to Seize Yellow on Stage 1 of the 4Islands MTB Croatia

By 4Islands 04/17/2024, 7:00am HST

Nicola Taffarel and Massimo Rosa, of Metallurgica Veneta MTB Pro Team 1, backed up a strong Prologue performance with a superb ride on Stage 1 to seize the yellow CIOVITA jerseys from the pre-race favourites ORBEA Leatt Speed Company. In the UCI Women’s race BUFF MEGAMO’s Janina Wust and Rosa van Doorn claimed their second successive stage win, extending their advantage to 3 minutes and 26 seconds in the process.

Narrow Prologue Victories Hand ORBEA Leatt Speed Company and the BUFF MEGAMO Women the first 4Islands MTB Croatia Leaders’ Jerseys

By 4Islands 04/16/2024, 5:00am HST

Defending champions, ORBEA Leatt Speed Company, got their 4Islands MTB Croatia campaign off to a winning start on Tuesday, 16 April 2024. Lukas Baum and Georg Egger won the 12-kilometre Prologue by just 6 seconds to take the first yellow CIOVITA jerseys of the race. While in the UCI Women’s competition, Janina Wust and Rosa van Doorn were 14 seconds quicker, for BUFF MEGAMO Women, than the CANNONDALE ISB SPORT combination.

Epic Racing Expected at 2024 4Islands MTB Croatia

By 4Islands 04/15/2024, 8:45am HST

2025 Early bird entries SOLD OUT

By Cape Epic 03/25/2024, 4:45am HST

The highly anticipated early bird entries for the 2025 Absa Cape Epic sold out as soon as they became available. Since its inception in 2004, the Absa Cape Epic has consistently sold out, and this Monday was no exception. Many eager participants were poised and counting the seconds until registration opened at 3 pm.

A fitting and fine Grand Finale

By Absa Cape Epic 03/24/2024, 5:15am HST

Coetzenberg Stadium in Stellenbosch played host to a fitting final stage of the 20th Absa Cape Epic. The stage over 67km with 2000m of climbing saw dynamic, aggressive racing in all the categories and featured the coldest conditions of the week. The contrast to the heat of the week was fitting and indicative of what it takes to complete this race. Every rider who crossed the line at the Grand Finale after 603km and nearly 16 050m of climbing has a very special place in The Book of Legend.

After a week of tactical racing, the undisputed powerhouses of 2024 however, was the team of Matthew Beers and Howard Grotts (Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne) winning two stages to lay claim to the Yellow Leader Jerseys and adding to the Specialized legacy and trophy cabinet.

Beers and Grotts Grab The Gold and Debut Delight For GHOST Factory Racing

By Absa Cape Epic 03/24/2024, 3:00am HST

Simon Schneller and Urs Huber (BULLS Mavericks) won Stage 7 - the Grand Finale - of the Absa Cape Epic men’s race, but it was Matt Beers and Howard Grotts of Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne who claimed the overall title at the 2024 event.

In the Aramex Women’s Category, Anne Terpstra and Nicole Koller (GHOST Factory Racing) won an eighth stage in a row on their way to the 2024 Absa Cape Epic title. By winning every stage of the 2024 race (the Prologue and seven stages), the Dutch-Swiss combo matched the performance of Laura Stigger and Sina Frei, who also won eight stages on their way to the 2021 title.

With some tired bodies and minds amongst the elite riders - leader Matt Beers admitting to lack of sleep and stomach issues on the finish line - the early pace on the 67km, Stellenbosch Stage 7 loop was sedate by the past week’s standards.

Cool Temperatures, Hot Racing

By Absa Cape Epic 03/23/2024, 4:15am HST

A damp, cool morning in Stellenbosch provided a welcome respite from a week of blistering temperatures for riders on the penultimate stage of the Absa Cape Epic. Stage 6 was a testing challenge over 87km with 2400 metres of climbing featuring some of the spectacular singletrack trail network in the Stellenbosch Winelands. The route saw riders pass twice through Muratie Wine Estate in the Knorhoek Valley on the slopes of Simonsberg Mountain. From there it took in some of Dirtopia’s best riding, before heading for Stellenbosch along Morgenhof’s new singletracks. The Idas Valley trails provided a last treat before the final test up the steep Botmaskop climb before they came home to the spectacular race village in the natural amphitheatre that is Coetzenberg.

Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne and GHOST Factory racing once again dominated their categories, winning the stage and extending their leads in the overall general classification at the same time, while there were loads of punctures and mechanicals behind them. The attrition continued further back in the field proving just why this race is not over until you roll over the line at the Grand Finale.

Penultimate Stage Proves Pivotal At 2024 Absa Cape Epic

By Absa Cape Epic 03/23/2024, 3:30am HST

It appears that only major disasters can prevent Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne (Matt Beers and Howard Grotts) and GHOST Factory Racing (Anne Terpstra and Nicole Koller) from winning the Men’s and Aramex Women’s Category respectively at the 2024 Absa Cape Epic.

On the 87km Stage 6 in Stellenbosch, the event’s penultimate day of racing, Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne and GHOST Factory racing once again dominated their categories, winning the stage and extending their leads in the overall general classification at the same time.

Beers and Grotts go into Sunday’s Stage 7, known as the Grand Finale, nine minutes clear of second-placed World Bicycle Relief (Nino Schurter and Sebastian Fini) in the general classification, while in the Aramex Women’s Category, Terpstra and Koller hold a lead of just under four minutes over Cannondale Factory Racing (Candice Lill and Mona Mitterwallner) with the final day of racing to come.

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