Gozitan mountain bikers Stephen Grima and Brandon Sultana are heading back to South Africa this March to compete once again in the Absa Cape Epic, one of the most demanding endurance races in the world of mountain biking.
Racing as Team Gaudos, the pair made history in 2025 when they became the first Gozitan team to complete the event, a proud milestone for the cycling community in both Malta and Gozo. Now they return to the Western Cape armed with the experience of that first participation and determined to push themselves even further.
This year’s race begins on Sunday 15 March with a prologue at Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville, before eight gruelling days of racing take riders through some of the region’s most spectacular and demanding landscapes. Stages passing through Montagu, Greyton and Stellenbosch will feature demanding climbs, rocky trails and flowing singletrack across vineyards, mountains and remote valleys.
“Completing the race last year was a huge personal achievement for both of us,” said Grima. “Once you have experienced the Cape Epic, you realise just how unique and demanding it is. Coming back gives us the chance to push ourselves even further.”
Sultana echoed that sentiment, pointing to the lessons learned first time around. “Last year taught us a lot about pacing, preparation and teamwork. The Cape Epic is a race where experience counts, and we hope to use that knowledge this year.”
For Grima, however, the Cape Epic is just the start of an even bigger ambition. The Gozitan rider has set himself the goal of competing in the entire Epic Series over the course of the year, taking part in several of the world’s leading mountain bike stage races across Europe and beyond. The series consists of 25 stage races in total, covering a combined distance of 1,800 kilometres and 45,000 metres of climbing, and includes events such as the 4Islands Epic in Croatia, the Andorra Epic in the Pyrenees, the Swiss Epic and the Wine 2 Whales in South Africa.
“As riders from Gozo, we are proud to represent our island and Malta in races of this level,” said Sultana. “Events like the Cape Epic bring together riders from all over the world, and being part of that environment is an incredible experience.”
With months of preparation behind them, Team Gaudos now look forward to taking on one of mountain biking’s most iconic challenges for the second time.
Team Gaudos are supported by Novum Bank, 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.
