Absa Cape Epic 2025: Free livestreams for the toughest MTB race in the world

The Absa Cape Epic is considered the toughest and most prestigious mountain bike stage race in the world. The race will be held for the 21st time from 16 to 23 March 2025. In teams of two, the participants will tackle a total of 603 kilometres and 16,500 metres in altitude over eight days through the impressive landscape of South Africa's Western Cape Province.

With a new venue and over 300 kilometres of new route, this year's edition promises particularly exciting days of racing. According to the organisers, the route has been designed to be a real challenge for both professionals and ambitious amateurs.

>> We have collected some great impressions of the last Cape Epic here: Cape Epic 2024: All the info on the world's toughest MTB race - with daily updates!

Routing and stages

The route of the Absa Cape Epic 2025 takes the riders through three regions of the Western Cape. The prologue and the first two stages will take place around Meerendal Wine Estate. This is followed by three stages to Fairview in Paarl.

The grand finale with two stages takes place at Lourensford Wine Estate. The teams have to cover a total of 603 kilometres and 16,500 metres in altitude. A special feature this year: according to the organisers, over 300 kilometres of the route have never been ridden before at the Cape Epic.

Stage overview & livestreams

Prologue (16 March): 26 km, 750 m elevation gain, start/finish: Meerendal Wine Estate

The results

• UCI Men: Luca BRAIDOT - Simone AVONDETTO
• UCI Women: Annika LANGVAD - Sofia GOMEZ VILLAFANE
• Mixed: Elrika HARMZEN-PRETORIUS - Alexander LAWRANCE
• Masters Men: Karl PLATT - Calle FRIBERG
• Masters Women: Tatiana FURLAN - Kellyn CUMIN

Stage 1 (17 March): 92 km, 2750 m elevation gain, start/finish: Meerendal Wine Estate

The results

• UCI Men: Nino SCHURTER - Filippo Viero COLOMBO
• UCI Women: Annika LANGVAD - Sofia GOMEZ VILLAFANE
• Mixed: Riaan WEIDEMAN - Samantha SANDERS
• Masters Men: Pavel GONDA - Tobias LÜTHI
• Masters Women: Nicolle WEIR - Janine MULLER

Stage 2 (18 March): 66 km, 950 m elevation gain, start: Meerendal Wine Estate, finish: Fairview, Paarl

The results

• UCI Men: Wout ALLEMAN - Martin STOŠEK
• UCI Women: Annika LANGVAD - Sofia GOMEZ VILLAFANE
• Mixed: Elrika HARMZEN-PRETORIUS - Alexander LAWRANCE
• Masters Men: Pavel GONDA - Tobias LÜTHI
• Masters Women: Nicolle WEIR - Janine MULLER

Stage 3 (19 March): 90 km, 2600 m elevation gain, start/finish: Fairview, Paarl

The results

• UCI Men: Luca BRAIDOT - Simone AVONDETTO
• UCI Women: Annika LANGVAD - Sofia GOMEZ VILLAFANE
• Mixed: Riaan WEIDEMAN - Samantha SANDERS
• Masters Men: Craig URIA - Charlie MCFALL
• Masters Women: Nicolle WEIR - Janine MULLER

Stage 4 (20 March): 80 km, 1950 m elevation gain, start/finish: Fairview, Paarl

The results

• UCI Men: Nino SCHURTER - Filippo Viero COLOMBO
• UCI Women: Annika LANGVAD - Sofia GOMEZ VILLAFANE
• Mixed: Theresa RINDLER-BACHL - Philipp BACHL
• Masters Men: Christoph SAUSER - Cory WALLACE
• Masters Women: Klara VITASKOVA - Hana UHLIKOVA

Stage 5 (21 March): 98 km, 2850 m elevation gain, start: Fairview, Paarl, finish: Lourensford Wine Estate

The results

• UCI Men: Nino SCHURTER - Filippo Viero COLOMBO
• UCI Women: Annika LANGVAD - Sofia GOMEZ VILLAFANE
• Mixed: Theresa RINDLER-BACHL - Philipp BACHL
• Masters Men: Christoph SAUSER - Cory WALLACE
• Masters Women: Klara VITASKOVA - Hana UHLIKOVA

Stage 6 (22 March): 87 km, 2550 m elevation gain, start/finish: Lourensford Wine Estate

Grand Finale (23 March): 64 km, 2100 m elevation gain, start/finish: Lourensford Wine Estate

Cape Epic 2025 - Favourites among the men

Some of the world's best mountain bikers will be competing against each other in the UCI men's category. The top favourite - as always - is the Swiss rider Nino Schurtermultiple Olympic champion, world champion and overall World Cup winner in the cross country discipline. Schurter, who has already won the Cape Epic twice, will be competing together with his compatriot Filippo Colombo to.

Other favourites are the German drivers Lukas Baum and Georg Eggerwho won the glorious 2022 race. Also Simon Stiebjahn and Martin Frey from Germany, who have already celebrated stage victories, are among the extended group of favourites. The reigning German marathon champion Andreas Seewald forms with Jakob Hartmann another strong German team.

>> Hero UCI Marathon World Cup 2025: New race series in mountain biking

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Favourites among the women

In the women's competition, several teams are considered contenders for overall victory. The Danish Annika Langvadwho has won in all five of her Cape Epic participations, will compete together with the Argentinian Sofia Gomez Villafane on. Villafane already won the race in 2022.

The other favourites are last year's winners Vera Looser from Namibia and Alexis Skarda from the USA. The Dutch-Swiss duo Rosa van Doorn and Janina Wüst, runner-up in the 2022 European MTB Marathon Championships, has a good chance of finishing on the podium.

Significance of the race

Over the past two decades, the Absa Cape Epic has established itself as one of the most important and prestigious mountain bike races in the world. It is often referred to as the "Tour de France of mountain biking".

The combination of a challenging route, spectacular scenery and a high-calibre line-up makes the race a highlight in the racing calendar of many professionals and ambitious amateurs. The fact that the race is completed in teams of two adds an additional tactical and mental component that sets the Cape Epic apart from other stage races.

Facts & figures about the Cape Epic 2025

• 1,500 cyclists
• 750 teams of two
• 50 men's UCI teams
• 25 women's UCI teams
• 63 nationalities represented
• 700 km and 16,000 m altitude difference off-road
• 70 lorries
• 234 cars
• 80,000 m² race village
• 4,500 tents erected
• 10 days / 90 hours required to build each race village
• A total of 450 hours to set up all the venues
• 3 race village locations
• 15 km of fences
• 28 km of fibre optic cable laid
• 2 helicopters
• 20 motorbikes
• 200 members of the audiovisual team
• 1,400 crew members
• 9 days live transmission
• 38.5 hours of live transmission
• Worldwide TV broadcast distribution

Challenges for the participants

The combination of distance, metres in altitude and changing surfaces places enormous demands on the physical and mental resilience of the riders - but also on the equipment.

In addition to pure endurance, technical skills are also required to master the sometimes demanding trails. Changing weather conditions, from scorching heat to sudden downpours with mud battles, can pose an additional challenge.