Nino Schurter and Matthias Stirnemann made it back-to-back wins at Cape Epic with the Swiss duo in a commanding position as overall leaders with one stage to come. The SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing riders covered the 103 km course 16 seconds faster than Hector Leonardo Paez Leon and Max Knox (Kansai Plascon), with Nicola Rohrbach and Daniel Geismayr (Centurion Vaude 2) third at 1:13 minutes.
Schurter and Stirnemann are on the cusp of their first Cape Epic victory as they lead Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy (Investec-Songo-Specialized) by 6:49 minutes ahead of the seventh and final 85km stage from Oak Valley to Val de Vie in Paarl.
"I don't know what happened today, but it was much less suffering than yesterday! It was a good day on the bike," said Stirnemann. "Every day I feel like I am getting stronger on the bike. I recovered well last night; that showed this morning when I could get my rhythm a lot quicker."
Article continues belowIn the women's race, Mariske Strauss and Annie Last (Hansgrohe Cadence OMX Pro) took out the victory 30 seconds ahead of leader's Esther Suss and Jennie Stenerhag (Team Meerendal CBC). With one stage to come, Suss and Stenerhag hold a massive 35 minute lead over the stage 6 winners.
"I am extremely happy and it is nice that we have the bigger gap but we know with their handlebar that broke that it can happen to us as well. We still have to be safe until the finish line," Suss said.
Brief Results
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nino Schurter (Swi) / Matthias Stirnemann (Swi) SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing | 4:26:38 |
| 2 | Hector Leonardo Paez Leon (Col) / Max Knox (RSA) Kansai Plascon | 0:00:16 |
| 3 | Nicola Rohrbach (Swi) / Daniel Geismayr (Aut) Centurion Vaude 2 | 0:01:13 |
| 4 | Christoph Sauser (Swi) / Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) Investec-Songo-Specialized | 0:05:58 |
| 5 | Damiano Ferraro (Ita) / Fabian Rabensteiner (Ita) Trek-Selle San Marco 2 | 0:10:35 |
| 6 | Michiel Van der Heijden (Ned) / Andri Frischknecht (Swi) Scott-SRAM Young Guns | 0:13:59 |
| 7 | Philip Buys (RSA) Matthys Beukes (RSA) PYGA Euro Steel | 0:14:45 |
| 8 | Manuel Fumic (Ger) / Henrique Avancini (Bra) Cannondale Factory Racing XC | 0:15:54 |
| 9 | Jose Hermida (Esp) / Joaquim Rodriguez (Esp) MERIDA FACTORY RACING | 0:16:23 |
| 10 | Calle Friberg (Swe) / Matthias Wengelin (Swe) Bioracer-Apollo Sports | 0:16:52 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mariske Strauss (RSA) / Annie Last (GBr) Hansgrohe Cadence OMX Pro | 5:16:18 |
| 2 | Esther Suss (Swi) / Jennie Stenerhag (Swe) Hansgrohe Cadence OMX Pro | 0:00:30 |
| 3 | Carmen Bachacher (Aut) / Michelle Vorster ( Nam) Hollard-Velocity SportLab | 0:05:51 |
| 4 | Candice Lill (RSA) / Vera Adrian (Nam) DormaKaba SA | 0:08:23 |
| 5 | Ariane Luthi (Swi) / Adelheid Morath (Ger) Spur | 0:10:47 |
| 6 | Jeannie Bomford (RSA) / Samantha Sanders (RSA) Merchants | 0:28:52 |
| 7 | Sabine Spitz (Ger) / Robyn De Groot (RSA) Ascendis Health | 0:35:08 |
| 8 | Fienie Bernard (RSA) / Dalene Van der Leek (RSA) LIVBeyond | 0:37:48 |
| 9 | Alice Pirard (Bel) / Sabrina Enaux (Fra) Spur Foundation | 0:39:20 |
| 10 | Hielke Elferink (Ned) / Cornelia Hug (Swi) Meerendal CBC 2 | 0:42:47 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cadel Evans (Aus) / George Hincapie (USA) BMC Absa Racing Team | 4:48:11 |
| 2 | Bart Brentjens (Ned) / Abraao Azevedo (Bra) CST Sandd American Eagle | 0:01:42 |
| 3 | Tomi Misser (Spa) / Ibon Zugasti (Spa) Orbea Factory | 0:03:00 |
| 4 | David Evans (Aus) / Anthony Shippard (GBr) SRAM PYGA | 0:24:44 |
| 5 | Michael Creedon (Irl) / Andrew Cairns (RSA) Oakhaven Capital | 0:30:48 |
| 6 | Thorsten Keller (Ger) / Friedrich Max (Ger) Rocky Mountain - toMotion | 0:34:22 |
| 7 | Igna De Villiers (RSA) / Paul Theron (RSA) LGE Midas/Slender-Wonder | 0:35:13 |
| 8 | Nic Lamond (RSA) / Simon Lamond (RSA) Podium Sports | 0:40:03 |
| 9 | John van de Wouw (Ned) / Freddie van der Schoot (Ned) MTB van de Haterd | 0:41:57 |
| 10 | Richard Laurie (RSA) / Brent Russel (RSA) Eurocasa Gaggenau | 0:44:57 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nino Schurter (Swi) / Matthias Stirnemann (Swi) SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing | 22:37:13 |
| 2 | Christoph Sauser (Swi) / Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) Investec-Songo-Specialized | 0:06:49 |
| 3 | Hector Leonardo Paez Leon (Col) / Max Knox (RSA) Kansai Plascon | 0:14:46 |
| 4 | Nicola Rohrbach (Swi) / Daniel Geismayr (Aut) Centurion Vaude 2 | 0:19:21 |
| 5 | Manuel Fumic (Ger) / Henrique Avancini (Bra) Cannondale Factory Racing XC | 0:25:06 |
| 6 | Michiel Van der Heijden (Ned) / Andri Frischknecht (Swi) Scott-SRAM Young Guns | 0:34:30 |
| 7 | Karl Platt (Ger)/ Urs Huber (Sui) Bulls | 0:49:25 |
| 8 | Philip Buys (RSA) / Matthys Beukes (RSA) PYGA Euro Steel | 0:59:43 |
| 9 | Alban Lakata (Aut) / Kristian Hynek (Cze) Topeak Ergon Racing | 1:05:51 |
| 10 | Jochen Kaess (Ger) / Markus Kaufmann (Ger) Centurion Vaude | 1:12:03 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Esther Suss (Swi) / Jennie Stenerhag (Swe) Hansgrohe Cadence OMX Pro | 28:05:01 |
| 2 | Mariske Strauss (RSA) / Annie Last (GBr) Hansgrohe Cadence OMX Pro | 0:35:33 |
| 3 | Sabine Spitz (Ger) / Robyn De Groot (RSA) Ascendis Health | 0:47:17 |
| 4 | Ariane Luthi (Swi) / Adelheid Morath (Ger) Spur | 1:03:57 |
| 5 | Carmen Bachacher (Aut) / Michelle Vorster ( Nam) Hollard-Velocity SportLab | 1:19:16 |
| 6 | Candice Lill (RSA) / Vera Adrian (Nam) DormaKaba SA | 1:19:27 |
| 7 | Jeannie Bomford (RSA) / Samantha Sanders (RSA) Merchants | 1:13:22 |
| 8 | Hielke Elferink (Ned) / Cornelia Hug (Swi) Meerendal CBC 2 | 1:13:31 |
| 9 | Fienie Bernard (RSA) / Dalene Van der Leek (RSA) LIVBeyond | 3:28:08 |
| 10 | Alice Pirard (Bel) / Sabrina Enaux (Fra) Spur Foundation | 3:32:59 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tomi Misser (Spa) / Ibon Zugasti (Spa) Orbea Factory | 26:16:01 |
| 2 | Cadel Evans (Aus) / George Hincapie (USA) BMC Absa Racing Team | 0:02:43 |
| 3 | Bart Brentjens (Ned) / Abraao Azevedo (Bra) CST Sandd American Eagle | 0:02:48 |
| 4 | Thorsten Keller (Ger) / Friedrich Max (Ger) Rocky Mountain - toMotion | 2:14:10 |
| 5 | Igna De Villiers (RSA) / Paul Theron (RSA) LGE Midas/Slender-Wonder | 2:20:28 |
| 6 | Manuel Rojo Nieto (Esp) / Jorge Lopez Janeiro (Esp) GACOSUR IEDES CENTAURO | 2:58:18 |
| 7 | Michael Creedon (Irl) / Andrew Cairns (RSA) Oakhaven Capital | 2:55:08 |
| 8 | Nic Lamond (RSA) / Simon Lamond (RSA) Podium Sports | 2:57:50 |
| 9 | Richard Laurie (RSA) / Brent Russel (RSA) Eurocasa Gaggenau | 3:03:26 |
| 10 | Hannes Hanekom (RSA) / Ben Melt Swanepoel (RSA) @40 | 3:20:11 |
-
As it happened: Late crash hands win to the sprinters on stage 3 of Volta a Catalunya 2026
Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard attacked but the Olympic champion crashed with 300 metres to go and Dorian Godon stormed to victory -
Best women’s hybrid bikes 2026: Town bikes designed for women
Get in your daily exercise or travel through the city with our pick of the best women’s hybrid bikes currently on the market -
Ronde van Brugge: Another victory for Dylan Groenewegen as crosswinds and crashes rip through peloton
Jasper Philipsen second, Max Kanter third in wind-swept Belgian Classic -
As it happened: Reduced bunch sprints for victory at end of windy day at Ronde Van Brugge
The new-look mid-week Classic sees the sprinters out in force in Bruges
