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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Unforgettable and inspiring destinations usher you into a world of premium mountain biking experiences. Remarkable trails are set against breath-taking scenery and spattered with ruts, mud and dust. True grit, cheers and chatter of chains are the universal language that see you off in search of the next challenging spectacle.
Keep up to speed on the latest Epic Series event updates.
If the idea of racing your mountain bike all around the world appeals to you, sign up for our newsletter for the latest on Epic Series events, captivating trails and rider updates.