Why the 2025 Absa Cape Epic was a defining moment for women in mountain biking

The 21st edition of the Absa Cape Epic proved to be a landmark year for women's mountain biking. From a record-breaking elite victory to inspiring performances across amateur categories, the 2025 race showcased not only dominant champions but also the growing depth and diversity of female participation. Aspiring female riders can take heart in the #SheUntamed spirit on display: women tackling the Untamed African MTB Race on their own terms and rewriting what is possible on two wheels.

A legend returns and dominates the elite field

In the premier Aramex UCI Women's category, all eyes were on the comeback queen, Annika Langvad. The Danish mountain bike legend, racing her first Cape Epic since 2019, did not disappoint. Langvad and her partner Sofia Gomez Villafane of Argentina (team Toyota | Specialized) seized control from the Prologue and never let go, ultimately winning the overall women's title by a commanding margin. For Langvad, it was a historic sixth Cape Epic crown – a new all-time record, surpassing the five titles of the men's greats Karl Platt and Christoph Sauser. Even more impressively, she achieved this feat after retiring to have a baby and spending two years away from professional cycling.

"I gave birth seven months ago. I didn't ride my bike for years... People think I am some superhuman cyclist. But this week has been very hard. I am tired now. I just want to lie down," Langvad admitted candidly after clinching victory. Her brutal honesty about the pain and fatigue of the race – even as a six-time world champion – resonated with many.

Teammate Sofia Gomez Villafane, who earned her second Cape Epic title, was full of praise for Langvad's grit. "Annika has been suffering in silence since that crash... it’s been my honour to be her partner and help her get that sixth title... they gave me the best [partner] possible," Gomez said, celebrating their unbeaten run. The duo’s dominance was undeniable, winning multiple stages and finishing over 21 minutes ahead of their nearest rivals. Yet behind the results was a story of determination: Langvad juggling new motherhood and even a full-time dentistry job before returning to racing in 2025. Her triumphant comeback sends a powerful message to female riders everywhere about resilience and potential.

Fierce competition and stage glory beyond the podium

The women’s elite race was not without drama or competition. A strong international field lined up (18 teams in the UCI women’s category – 36 riders, as many as the total female entrants in 2019), and several teams rose to the challenge of pushing the champions. Namibian rider Vera Looser and American Alexis Skarda (Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM) proved the most consistent challengers, ultimately securing second place overall. Not far behind, South Africa’s own Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen (Team Titan Racing Honeycomb) grabbed the final GC podium spot in third. Haw and Preen – who only teamed up days before the race – clicked instantly and even held the Absa African Women’s Special Jersey as the top all-African women’s team. “Me and Hayley have similar racing styles. We just go until we blow!” laughed Haw, describing their all-or-nothing approach. Their fearless attacks each day made them crowd favourites and embodied the joyful determination of local riders.

Perhaps the biggest revelation of the week came from the CANNONDALE ISB women’s team of Monica Yuliana Calderón Martinez (Colombia) and Tessa Kortekaas (Netherlands). After a slow start to their race, this duo found their rhythm in the final stages – and how. They stormed to victory on Stage 6, then backed it up by winning the Grand Finale Stage 7 as well. Calderón and Kortekaas were the only team to beat Langvad and Villafane on a stage this year, proving that the leaders were not invincible. “Winning today and yesterday makes up for all the bad stuff earlier in the week,” said Kortekaas. “We raced hard from the start today and felt really good, so we are super happy with the last two days.”

The late surge was not enough to change the overall standings – Cannondale ISB moved up to fourth overall – but it certainly shook up the race narrative. Even Langvad acknowledged, “Monica and Tessa were so strong… they fully deserved that stage win… I was dying a million deaths out there today. At one stage I was trying to decide what was worse, riding in that mud or giving birth.” The stage victories by Calderón and Kortekaas, along with other teams frequently challenging the leaders, show that women’s elite racing is deeper than ever. The talent pool is growing, and on any given day new faces can rise to the top – an exciting sign for the future.

Women conquering every category of the Epic

One of the most inspiring aspects of the 2025 Cape Epic was seeing women competing – and winning – across nearly all categories of this famously tough event. It is not just the pros on the podium who made their mark, but dozens of amateur and age-group women who embraced the challenge of eight brutal days in the saddle.

In the Open Women’s category (amateur women under 40), South African duo Rouxda Grobler and Mikaela Hagemann (team Drivetrain Ladies) took the honours. They battled through the same 658 kilometres of mountains and mud as the elites – often for far longer each day – and emerged as champions among the purely amateur women’s teams.

In the Masters Women’s division (both teammates aged 40+), experience triumphed in the form of Nicolle Weir and Janine Muller (Team Bounce). They completed the race to secure the top Masters Women spot. In the Grand Masters Women’s category (50+), trail veterans Jenny Rönngren of Sweden and Martha Koekemoer of South Africa (Team UAG Epic) topped the field. The presence of dedicated women’s classifications for Masters and Grand Masters is itself notable. The fact that these fields were viable – and competitive – in 2025 speaks to the growing participation of women across all age groups.

Perhaps the most heartwarming story came from the women’s Exxaro Special Jersey competition. This year, for the first time, an Exxaro Women’s category was officially in play – and two 20-year-old women from Soweto seized the opportunity. Team Exxaro Academy Ladies 1, comprised of Tsholofelo Nkosi and Bontle Phepiso, not only finished the grueling race but won the Exxaro Women’s jersey. Nkosi and Phepiso grew up far from the typical mountain-biking scene, yet through the Exxaro MTB Academy development programme, they found their way to the Epic start line. Day after day, the young pair persevered, often spending double the time on course as the elite leaders. Their sheer grit – riding up punishing climbs in searing heat, fixing mechanicals in the dust, encouraging each other through pain – embodied the very essence of the Untamed spirit.

The rising tide of women’s participation

The numbers tell a powerful story of how far women’s participation in the Cape Epic has come – and how much potential remains. In 2019, only 15 all-women teams completed the event. By 2024, that figure had grown nearly five-fold to 176 women. This year’s race is on track to exceed that, with women making up roughly 15 percent of the 1,000+ riders – still a minority, but a significantly larger one than a few years ago. The final results table shows 48 all-women teams completing the race in 2025, a significant growth from 2019. The Cape Epic has clearly made strides in attracting more female competitors, from weekend warriors to world champions.

Yet despite the clear upward trend, women still comprise only about one in seven or eight Cape Epic riders. Barriers to entry remain real – from financial costs to the daunting logistics of training for a week-long race while juggling careers, families and societal expectations. Many women still struggle to find sponsors unless they are at the very top, and amateur women usually fund themselves. There is also the simple issue of confidence and representation: if you do not see people like you doing the Epic, it is harder to imagine yourself doing it.

Breaking barriers: how #SheUntamed is empowering women riders

One major initiative tackling these challenges is Absa’s #SheUntamed programme. Launched in 2019, #SheUntamed set out to encourage and assist more women to take on the race and mountain biking in general. In just a few years, it has had a dramatic impact: “Since its inception, the Absa #SheUntamed programme has led to a significant increase in women’s participation and growing the field,” notes Absa.

For the 2025 race, Absa selected a “12 for 21” #SheUntamed class – 12 all-women teams ranging from complete novices to seasoned amateurs. Starting months before the race, these women benefited from structured training, mentorship and hands-on experiences to prepare them for the challenge. In January, Absa hosted a four-day training camp in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands for the #SheUntamed teams, where they rode back-to-back routes and attended workshops on everything from nutrition to mental resilience. Crucially, the camp fostered a sense of sisterhood.

The effects of #SheUntamed are evident on the ground. Many of the Open and Masters women’s teams that finished this year – including some category podiums – are alumni of the programme. Beyond the race statistics, there is a palpable shift in atmosphere. The hashtag #SheUntamed lit up social media throughout the event, as participants documented their journeys and inspired followers.

As the 2025 Absa Cape Epic fades into memory, it leaves behind a clear message: women are not only welcome in this race, they are increasingly integral to it. For aspiring female riders, the Cape Epic is more attainable than ever – not easier (it will always be brutally hard), but more accessible, with a path to the start line now visible. Challenges remain, but the momentum is undeniable.

She Untamed. She Unstoppable. The 2025 race proved that when women riders band together, break through barriers and dare to be untamed, there is no limit to what they can achieve on the bike. The trail has been blazed; now it is up to the next generation of women to keep riding it, faster and farther each year. The Cape Epic is waiting – and the women are just getting started.

*IMAGES courtesy of Cape Epic: Sam Clark, Nick Muzik, Michael Chiaretta, Dom Barnardt