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Robert’s journey from riding bikes on a rural New Zealand farm to becoming the 500th Epic Legend is nothing short of inspiring. In this candid interview, he shares the highs, lows, and lessons from years of racing in the world’s toughest mountain bike stage events — and what keeps him pedalling after all these years.

The opening stage of the 2025 SPAR Swiss Epic saw the defending champions falter and this year’s protagonists rise to the fore on the trails from Davos to La Punt. The 78-kilometre Stage 1 is the longest of the race and featured a climb to the summit of the Albula Pass. It was on that 21-kilometre climb that Torpado Kenda FSA laid the foundations for their stage victory, but benefited from Klimatiza Orbea’s misfortune too. In the UCI women’s race, Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM stamped their authority on the day, seizing a commanding early advantage.

Stage 2 of the 2025 SPAR Swiss Epic saw the Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM team lose their early advantage by taking a wrong turn on the trails. This allowed the Buff Megamo and the Torpado Kenda FSA women to catch the women in the orange CIOVITA jerseys, before Katazina Sosna Pinele and Giorgia Marchet slipped off the front in a move that was contested, with the race jury, by the other UCI Women’s teams. The UCI Men’s race was a less strategic and less dramatic affair as the best climbers thrived on the power of their legs and lungs alone. Klimatiza Orbea clawed back valuable time after their opening day misfortune, but the Torpado Kenda FSA men nonetheless extended their advantage over all but the day’s victors, Marc Stutzmann and Samuele Porro.

The mid-race time trial at the SPAR Swiss Epic allowed Torpado Kenda FSA and Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM to exert their dominance over the 2025 SPAR Swiss Epic. The men in yellow and the women in orange paced their efforts to perfection to win Stage 3 by 1 minute and 14 seconds, and 3 minutes and 36 seconds, respectively.

Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM won a fourth stage of the SPAR Swiss Epic to wrap up their general classification title in style, on the final day of the 2025 race. The UCI Men’s competition saw Klimatiza Orbea secure a third stage victory, while Torpado Kenda FSA were able to soak up the sensations of being crowned overall champions after five tough days of racing in the Swiss Alps.

The South African MTB community mourns the tragic loss of two trailblazers, Meurant Botha and JP van Zyl - pioneers whose impact will continue to echo through every ride, race, and trail. As integral members of our South African team and longtime contributors to our events, their absence will be deeply felt across the entire Epic Series family.

Don’t miss our popular Founder’s Ride at Lourensford Wine Estate on Saturday, October 4th! This ride offers a sneak peek at what’s to come, featuring both new trails and beloved favourites. It’s open for all registered 2025 riders, but spots are limited.