Stage 3 of the 2026 Absa Cape Epic saw unexpected general classification action, the fourth new stage winners in the Elite Men’s race, and the continued class of Candice Lill and Alessandra Keller. Marc Pritzen and Felix Stelhi powered across the gravel roads from Riviersonderend to Greyton to establish an advantage, which they held into Middelplaas to take Honeycomb 266ers’ first Absa Cape Epic stage win. Behind them, Tristan Nortje endured a front wheel puncture and was forced to chase for the second time in three days, but unlike on Stage 1, he and Matt Beers were unable to make it back to the favourites group. After 140 kilometres of racing Toyota Specialized Imbuko team ceded 1 minute and 16 seconds to Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto. This meant that Wilier Vittoria led overall, heading into the second half of the race, by 1 minute and 14 seconds over Beers and Nortje. 

 

 

 

On a day that many believed would end in a sprint finish, South African champion Marc Pritzen and his Swiss partner Felix Stehli (Honeycomb 226ers) pulled off an audacious victory on Stage 3 of the Absa Cape Epic over a fast 140km route from Montagu to Greyton on Wednesday.

The two pulled clear of the leading bunch of contenders on a rainy and muddy day to win in 4 hours, 19 minutes, 52 seconds – an average speed of 32.33km/h – over a course dotted with tar sections, single track and long gravel roads but with relatively little climbing of 1750m.

The Buff-BH team of Wout Alleman and Martin Stosek (Buff-BH) led home the chase group that included Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria), 1:10 behind the ecstatic winners. Overnight leaders Matt Beers and Tristan Nortje (Toyota Specialized Imbuko) fought back from an early puncture to finish 2:26 behind the winners but relinquished their zebra-striped, yellow jersey to Braidot and Avondetto. The two are now 1 minute 14 seconds ahead of the South Africans.

Cape Epic

The Toyota Specialized Imbuko teams worked together to limit Matt Beers and Tristan Nortje’s time losses. Photo by Nick Muzik/Cape Epic.

In the women’s race, world marathon champion Kate Courtney of the US and her Italian teammate Greta Seiwald (She Sends Foundation) fought hard to try and open a gap over GC leaders Candice Lill and Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon Sabi Sabi). But the South African Dutch team managed to bring back all their accelerations before eventually pulling clear to win their fourth stage in a row. As they have all week, the plucky She Sends outfit finished second and now trails by 4:53 in the overall.

In other notable results, current World XC champion Jenny Rissveds of Sweden and husband, Denmark’s Simon Andreassen, continued their domination of the Mixed category having won every stage of the race. They lead the GC by 23:27 ahead of Scott Brasil team, Gabriela Ferolla and Huge Neto.

Cape Epic

Wout Allemann helped drag the Wilier Vittoria team into the general classification lead, as he and Martin Stosek sought to gain time in the overall standings too. Photo by Nick Muzik/Cape Epic.

Elite Men’s Race

Over one of the longest stages in Absa Cape Epic history, the combination of tar roads, single track and gravel tracks made for a fast pace at the front of the men’s elite race. By halfway, the group included almost all the elite teams, and, with few climbs to break it up, the stage looked as if it would be decided by a sprint. But Pritzen and Stehli were eager to upset the party.

With 40km to go the plucky Honeycomb 226ers team saw a lull in the pace and decided to attack the lead group that included almost all the favourites. The only notable exceptions were Beers and Nortje who were forced to chase for the second time in the week after a puncture to Nortje’s wheel at the 70km mark.

Marc Pritzen

The stage win was Marc Pritzen and Felix Stehli’s first in their Absa Cape Epic careers. Photo by Diwan Krige/Cape Epic.

Pritzen and Stehli quickly opened up a lead of over a minute, which yo-yo’d as the chasing pack – which included the second-placed overall team of Braidot & Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria) – tried to work together to bring the escapees back. But with a strong tail wind pushing the riders towards the finish near Greyton, the gap never closed sufficiently, and they held on to win by an impressive 1:10. It was a first Epic stage win for both of them.

“It’s an incredible feeling to get a result here. It’s all we could have asked for,” said the 26-year-old. Pritzen. “We didn’t plan anything and were just racing instinctively. When we noticed hesitation in the group, with a split behind, we thought it would give us a chance to open up a quick 10 seconds. And it did.

“And then we had to time trail which and I knew that with the wattage I was putting out, the group behind was going to struggle to close it.”

Stehli, 25, made history by winning the stage on a bigger 32-inch wheeled bike. Standard mountain bikes have a 29-inch wheel, but Stehli believed that his bigger wheel size contributed to their victory.

“It’s ideal for these types of conditions. It just rolls well and helped me a lot today,” said the Swiss.

For the new yellow jersey holders, caution was key, despite the fast pace, and it reaped them the biggest reward.

“We didn’t really have a plan, but we are happy the way it turned out,” said Avondetto. “We always want to just stay with the front group and not have any mechanicals. It feels good to be in yellow now.”

Cape Epic

Candice Lill and Alessandra Keller were able to control much of the day, shut down the She Sends Foundation team’s attack, and then launch a stage winning move themselves. Photo by Sam Clark/Cape Epic.

Elite Women’s Race

The women’s elite race, over 108km with 1450m of climbing, was tightly bunched for most of the first half before Courtney and Seiwald took the fight to the leaders and, at one stage, managed to open up a gap. But the overall leaders were able to pull back the accelerations every time, and like they did on Tuesday, finally pulled away with 10km to go.

“It was a pretty crazy day out there today,” said Lill. “It started off as a nice dry track but then it turned into a complete mud fest. Kate and Greta threw in some nice attacks, and we had to chase a few times. But we had the legs to pull it back.”

Cape Epic

Bianca Haw and Samantha Sanders extended their Absa African Jersey advantage to 41 minutes. Photo by Sam Clark/Cape Epic.

The She Sends Foundation team are now 4:53 behind the lead but was still upbeat about their performance.

“Conditions were formidable, but this is the Cape Epic,” said Courtney, pointing to her muddied legs. “But we were sending it out there and giving it everything.”

On Thursday, riders take on Stage 4 over 87km with 1750m of climbing. The women’s elite race is over 61km with 1450m of climbing.

Kate Courtney

Kate Courtney after Stage 3. Photo by Diwan Krige/Cape Epic.

2026 Absa Cape Epic Results

Elite Women’s Stage 3 Results:

  1. Thömus Maxon Sabi Sabi: Candice Lill & Alessandra Keller (3:58:56)
  2. She Sends Foundation: Kate Courtney & Greta Seiwald (4:00:18 | +1:22)
  3. BUFF-BH | Efficient Infiniti: Rosa Van Doorn & Vera Looser (4:03:05 | +4:08)
  4. Chemchamp Honeycomb: Hayley Preen & Haley Smith (4:03:06 | +4:10)
  5. Torpado FSA Kenda: Katazina Sosna-Pinele & Giorgia Marchet (4:03:07 | +4:10)

Elite Men Stage 3 Results:

  1. Honeycomb 226ers: Marc Pritzen & Felix Stehli (4:19:53)
  2. Buff BH: Wout Alleman & Martin Stosek (4:21:03 | +1:10)
  3. Wilier-Vittoria: Luca Braidot & Simone Avondetto (4:21:03 | +1:10)
  4. Canyon: Luca Schwarzbauer & Sam Gaze (4:21:22 | +1:29)
  5. Toyota Specialized Imbuko: Matthew Beers & Tristan Nortje (4:22:19 | +2:26)
Wilier Vittoria

Luca Braidot and Simone Avondeto seized the race lead from Toyota Specialized Imbuko on Stage 3. Photo by Diwan Krige/Cape Epic.

Elite Women’s General Classification after Stage 3:

  1. Thömus Maxon Sabi Sabi: Candice Lill & Alessandra Keller (11:22:14)
  2. She Sends Foundation: Kate Courtney & Greta Seiwald (11:27:07 | +4:53)
  3. Chemchamp Honeycomb: Hayley Preen & Haley Smith (11:52:25 | +30:11)
  4. BUFF-BH | Efficient Infiniti: Rosa Van Doorn & Vera Looser (11:53:16 | +31:02)
  5. Torpado FSA Kenda: Katazina Sosna-Pinele & Giorgia Marchet (11:53:47 | +31:33)

Elite Men General Classification after Stage 3:

  1. Wilier-Vittoria: Luca Braidot & Simone Avondetto (12:39:28)
  2. Toyota Specialized Imbuko: Matthew Beers & Tristan Nortje (12:40:42 | +1:14)
  3. Klimatiza Orbea: David Valero Serrano & Marc Stutzmann (12:41:57 | +2:29)
  4. Buff BH: Wout Alleman & Martin Stosek (12:44:21 | +4:54)
  5. Canyon: Luca Schwarzbauer & Sam Gaze (12:44:38 | +5:10)
Alessandra Keller

Alessandra Keller and Candice Lill added another 1 minute and 22 seconds to their general classification lead on Stage 3. Photo by Diwan Krige/Cape Epic.

Absa African Women’s General Classification after Stage 3:

  1. sani2c Efficient Infiniti: Samantha Sanders & Bianca Haw (12:04:22 | 7th)
  2. Fortress Toyota: Ila Stow & Cherise Willet (12:45:30 | +41:08 | 11th)
  3. Pirtek Hollard: Kelsey Van Schoor & Anri Greeff (12:45:30 | +45:37 | 12th)

Absa African Men’s General Classification after Stage 3:

  1. Toyota Specialized Imbuko: Matthew Beers & Tristan Nortje (12:40:42)
  2. Insect Science | Safari Essence: Wessel Botha & Johan Van Zyl (12:53:06 | +12:24 | 8th)
  3. Toyota Specialized Imbuko 2: Marco Joubert & Travis Stedman (12:55:36| +14:55 | 11th)

To view the full results from the 2026 Absa Cape Epic, please click here.