Four teams of the Fairtree DP World Cannondale mountain-bike racing team took on the gruelling 2025 Absa Cape Epic from Sunday 16 to Sunday 23 March, with the Stellenbosch-based team enjoying its finest performance yet.
The riding pairs of Luyanda Tobigunya and Jan Montshioa, Kusaselihle Ngidi and Ethan Michaels, Thembela Lukalo and Winile Majavu, and Damon Terblanche and Ziandro Jordaan all saddled up for the 21st instalment of the challenging 591 km ride, which started at Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville and traversed rugged and steep terrain to finish at Lourensford Wine Estate in Somerset West.
Most challenging race
According to team manager Chris Norton this year’s Epic was one of the most challenging in recent years, with riders encountering extreme weather conditions, especially on day 2 and 6 of the event. “Not only was much of the course extremely treacherous, but these route challenges came at a time when most of the field was mentally and physically exhausted, so it required mental tenacity to get through to the end,” he said.
Team Fairtree DP World Cannondale claimed victory and second place in the Exxaro category, with Terblanche and Jordaan topping the podium with an overall time of 28:38:43 and Ngidi and Michaels crossing the line in second place in a time of 29:11:00. Tobigunya and Montshioa recorded a time of 30:44:59, while Lukalo completed the race solo after Majavu was forced to pull of the race on day 3.
“The first three teams worked brilliantly together, ensuring we could take the Exxaro jersey. Luyanda and Jan’s experience in guiding the younger riders was invaluable.”
– Team manager Chris Norton
Apart from their achievements in the Exxaro category, the local teams also gleaned good positions in the amateur men and overall standings. Terblanche and Jordaan 52nd overall and eighth in the amateur men’s category, Ngidi and Michaels ended 62nd overall and 11th in the amateur men’s race, and Tobigunya and Montshioa finished in 96th position overall and 26th in the amateur men’s race.
“We ticked all the boxes as far as goals were concerned,” Norton pointed out. “Looking ahead, we will be setting new goals for 2026 and always trying to improve the performances. For the first time, we broke through the top 10 of the amateur men’s category.”
Norton further thanked Marc Erasmus and the Absa Cape Epic team for sponsoring the four teams’ entry fees and the opportunity to participate in the MTB adventure, as well as partners DP World, Fairtree Capital, Omnico. Cannondale, NTT Global and Biogen for their continued support of the team.
