In the men’s race team ORBEA x Leatt x Speed Company’s Georg Egger (GER) and Lukas Baum (GER) won the final Stage 7. Matthew Beers (RSA) and Christopher Blevins (USA) of team Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne came into second to claim the 2023 Absa Cape Epic titles.
They made up an 8-minute deficit after Stage 1 to win the event. It is the second ABSA Cape Epic victory for Beers after 2021 and he is the second South African to win this race. Blevins won the ABSA Cape Epic for the very first time in his career.
Third-placed Simon Stiebjahn (GER) saw his partner Martin Frey (GER) with a spectacular crash on the final meters. Nino Schurter (SUI) and Andri Frischknecht (SUI) were leading in the General Classification before the final stage.
The SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing team crossed the finish line only in fifth place and fall back to third place in the GC. In the women’s race Greete Steinburg (EST) and Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez (COL) of team Cannondale Vas Arabay win Stage 7, their first-ever stage win at the race.
Kim le Court (MRI) and Vera Looser (NAM) of team Efficient Infiniti Insure finish second on Stage 7 and win the 2023 ABSA Cape Epic. Amy Wakefield (RSA) and Candice Lill (RSA) finish in third and end up in second place in the GC.
| STAGE 7 – MEN | STAGE 7 – WOMEN |
| 1. ORBEA x Leatt x Speed Company – 1-1 Georg EGGER (GER) & 1-2 Lukas BAUM (GER) 03:07:26 | 1. Cannondale Vas Arabay. – 62-1 Greete STEINBURG (EST) & 62-2 Monica Yuliana CALDERON MARTINEZ (COL) 04:02:50 |
| 2. Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne – 10-1 Matthew BEERS (RSA) & 10-2 Christopher BLEVINS (USA) 03:07:36 // +00:00:10 | 2. Efficient Infiniti Insure – 64-1 Kim LE COURT (MRI) & 64-2 Vera LOOSER (NAM) 04:03:08 // +00:00:18 |
| 3. Singer Racing – 5-1 Simon STIEBJAHN (GER) & 5-2 Martin FREY (GER) 03:08:22 // +00:00:56 | 3. e-FORT.net : SeattleCoffeeCo – 63-1 Amy WAKEFIELD (RSA) & 63-2 Candice LILL (RSA) 04:10:20 // +00:07:30 |
| GENERAL CLASSIFICTION – MEN | GENERAL CLASSIFICATION – WOMEN |
| 1. Toyota-Specialized-NinetyOne – 10-1 Matthew BEERS (RSA) & 10-2 Christopher BLEVINS (USA) 26:17:04 | 1. Efficient Infiniti Insure – 64-1 Kim LE COURT (MRI) & 64-2 Vera LOOSER (NAM) 33:11:37 |
| 2. ORBEA x Leatt x Speed Company – 1-1 Georg EGGER (GER) & 1-2 Lukas BAUM (GER) 26:20:53 // +00:03:49 | 2. e-FORT.net : SeattleCoffeeCo – 63-1 Amy WAKEFIELD (RSA) & 63-2 Candice LILL (RSA) 33:44:02 // +00:32:24 |
| 3. SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing – 3-1 Nino SCHURTER (SUI) & 3-2 Andri FRISCHKNECHT (SUI) 26:21:15 // +00:04:11 | 3. NinetyOne-Songo-Specialized. – 61-1 Sofia GOMEZ VILLAFANE (ARG) & 61-2 Katerina NASH (CZE) 33:54:55 // +00:43:17 |
