The Absa Cape Epic’s Queen Stage — widely regarded as the “real” Queen Stage 5 — delivered one of the most demanding days seen in recent editions. Stretching from Greyton to Stellenbosch, the stage combined extreme distance with relentless elevation, immediately setting the tone for what lay ahead.
As anticipated by Team Gaudos’ Stephen Grima, it proved every bit as unforgiving. Riders navigated a challenging network of trails before the historic portage down Gantouw Pass tested both strength and composure. Any sense of relief on the descent was short-lived, with the imposing climb up Lourensford Nek in the Helderberg basin providing a final, decisive test of endurance.
The first Maltese team across the line was Team Gaudos (Stephen Grima / Brandon Sultana), who delivered a strong and composed ride on the race’s most gruelling test — the Queen’s Stage. Despite an early puncture, the pair settled into a solid rhythm and were moving well through the opening half, overtaking Epic Team Deloitte around the 50km mark. As the relentless nature of the stage began to take its toll, nutrition issues in the final 10 kilometres impacted their pace, yet they dug deep to see it through, completing a stage that emphatically lived up to its reputation as the toughest of the race.
“Over the last two days we’ve reminded ourselves to stay grounded — not to let any issues discourage us, but to take each challenge as it comes. Anything can happen out there, you just deal with it and stay mentally strong to keep the focus.” Remarked Grima.
Epic Team Deloitte (Mark Bonnici / Luke Borg) faced a particularly challenging outing, contending with tough conditions, mechanical issues and physical setbacks across a stage featuring 2,750 metres of climbing. Borg described it as “one of the hardest days I’ve had on the mountain bike,” highlighting the rapidly changing conditions — “four seasons in one day” — alongside a crash that required medical attention and disrupted their momentum. A separate issue with the back brake led to further delays, with approximately 25 minutes lost. Restarting in cold conditions proved difficult, with rhythm and energy levels affected, further compounded by challenges around nutrition and limited availability at feed stations. Bonnici added that the final 20 kilometres were especially demanding, with energy reserves depleted as they lost positions in the closing stages. Comparing the effort to the Hero Dolomites, he noted that while the Italian race may be higher in terms of elevation, this stage was more punishing overall, pushing him to his limits — “in my 25 years of racing, this is one of the worst.”
Team Kalamba Racing (Etienne Bonello / Marie Claire Aquilina) also described the stage as a true test of survival. Reflecting at the finish, Bonello said: “It was an epic day out there. We got soaked in the first hour and really felt the cold early on. Then I punctured the front wheel and went over the bars, hurting my shin and knee. The conditions were extremely muddy — the bikes really took a beating, gears weren’t working properly and towards the end I even lost my front brake. The last climb up the Nek, after almost seven hours, was brutal and pushed us to the limit. Thankfully the sun came out towards the end and we managed to finish strong, even attacking another team in the closing stages. We crossed the line in 9 hours and 9 minutes, and it looks like we’ve come away with 20th in the general classification.”
With this monumental stage now behind them, the race enters its final stretch. However, with two stages still remaining, teams remain fully aware that the Absa Cape Epic can shift dramatically until the very end.
Team Gaudos (Stephen Grima & Brandon Sultana) are supported by Extra Karte, Visit Malta, SG Woodworks Ltd, Raico, National Gypsum Limited Malta, Wurth Malta, Pitre Hardware, Lourdes Opticians, JV Pharma, A. Caruana Enterprises Ltd and Xlendi Supermarket.
Epic Team Deloitte (Luke Borg & Mark Bonnici) is sponsored by Deloitte with additional support from Foster Clark Products, Akkura, Visit Malta with further support from , Nduranz, The Cyclist and Wheel Wizard.
Team Kalamba Racing (Etienne Bonello & Marie Claire Aquilina) are sponsored by Kalamba Games, with further support from Garmin and Visit Malta. Technical partners include 226ERS, Ascend Creative Studio, BBB Cycling, IDMatch Bikefit Lab, The Sports Medics, Tristar Travel, and Würth.
