Annika Langvad claimed her sixth Absa Cape Epic title and teammate Sofia Gomez Villafana her second, as the well-matched duo controlled the race from Prologue to final pedal stroke over the finish line at Lourensford Wine Estate to win the Aramex UCI Women’s Category in the Western Cape on Sunday, 23 March, 2025.
Team Toyota / Specialized’s Langvad’s sixth Absa Cape Epic title makes her the most successful rider in the history of the race, surpassing the five titles shared by Karl Platt and Christoph Sauser.
Even more remarkable, Langvad retired from the sport to have a child and has been working full-time as a dentist only to come roaring back to racing at this year’s Absa Cape Epic alongside a committed and composed Gomez Villafane.
“This week has just been crazy,” said Langvad, who has won each of her six race entries. “Our week did not really go to plan, and after crashing earlier in the race, I have been in a lot of pain.”
“Sofia has just been the most amazing partner, but I have not been having fun out there. Winning is amazing, though. 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.”
The Most Successful Absa Cape Epic Racer Ever, Team Toyota / Specialized’s Annika Langvad
Gomez Villafane was full of praise for her partner.
“Annika has been suffering in silence since that crash. I don’t think I could have done what she has done this week and it’s been my honour to be her partner and help her get that sixth title. I’m excited to get the title back too! After getting third for two years in a row I wanted a partner that was strong enough to do this – they gave me the best one possible.”
2025 Absa Cape Epic Champion, Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez
A shortened Stage 7 Grand Finale – due to severe overnight weather affecting the route – was won by Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez and Tessa Kortekaas.
The Cannondale ISB Sport pair surged late in this year’s event, and after two consecutive stage wins, now leave the Absa Cape Epic wondering what might have been.
“Winning today and yesterday makes up for all the bad stuff earlier in the week. We raced hard from the start today and felt really good, so we are super happy with the last two days.”
Absa Cape Epic Stage 7 Champion, Tessa Kortekaas
Considering the cooler weather, shortened stage distance and a pack of world-class cyclists racing for final day honours and pride, leading South African team of Bianca Haw Hayley Preen in TitanRacing SE Honeycomb stripes did well to finish the final stage 7 just off the podium in fourth place, good enough to take the 2025 bronze medal.
The only South Africans in the top 10 finishing teams completed the General Classification behind Namibia’s Vera Looser and her USA partner Alexis Skarda, who finished five stages in second place behind the champions to earn their silver medals, only once missing the podium.
In special honours and GC jerseys earned, team Drivetrain Ladies’ Rouxda Grobler and Mikaela Hagemann won the Open Women’s Category, Theresa Rindler-Bachl teamed up with Philipp Bachl in Protective Megamo colours to top the Toyota Mixed Category, the Bounce pair of Nicolle Weir and Janine Muller were on top in the Masters Women.
Jenny Rönngren and Martha Koekemoer took the Grand Masters Women’s Category for UAG Epic, GC Bronze medalists Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen for TitanRacing SE Honeycomb earned the Absa African Women’s Special Jersey, and Exxaro Academy Ladies’ Tsholofelo Nkosi and Bontle Phepiso walked away with the Exxaro Special Jersey Women.
The 2025 Absa Cape Epic Aramex UCI Women’s Category General Classification
1. Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafane – Toyota | Specialized – 29:03:10 –
2. Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda – Efficient Infiniti SCB SRam – 29:24:42 +21:32
3. Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen – TitanRacing SE Honeycomb – 29:41:17 +38:07
4. Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez and Tessa Kortekaas – Toyota | Specialized – 29:43:16 +40:06
5. Katazina Sosna-Pinele and Claudia Peretti – Torpado Kenda FSA WMN – 30:04:29 +1:01:19
6. Rosa van Doorn and Janina Wüst – Buff Megamo – 30:38:26 +1:35:16
7. Haley Smith and Ella Scanlan-Bloor – MAAP – 30:43:50 +1:40:40
8. Irina Lützelschwab and Alessia Nay – Bulls Swiss – 31:02:45 +1:59:35
9. Janka Keseg Stevkova and Martina Krahulcova – Outsiterz D2mont Merida – 31:20:35 +2:17:25
10. Costanza Fasolis and Stefanie Walter – Cannondale ISB Sport – 31:44:20 +2:41:10
Top 10 2025 Absa Cape Epic Aramex UCI Women’s Category Stage 7 Final Race Results
1. Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez and Tessa Kortekaas – Cannondale ISB Sport – 1:54:38 –
2. Katazina Sosna-Pinele and Claudia Peretti – Torpado Kenda FSA WMN – 1:55:11 +33
3. Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda – Efficient Infiniti SCB SRam – 1:58:01 +3:23
4. Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen – TitanRacing SE Honeycomb – 1:58:06 +3:28
5. Haley Smith and Ella Scanlan-Bloor – MAAP – 1:58:35 +3:57
6. Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafane – Toyota | Specialized – 1:59:55 +5:17
7. Rosa van Doorn and Janina Wüst – Buff Megamo – 2:01:53 +7:15
8. Irina Lützelschwab and Alessia Nay – Bulls Swiss – 2:01:56 +7:18
9. Janka Keseg Stevkova and Martina Krahulcova – Outsiterz D2mont Merida – 2:02:29 +7:51
10. Ila Stow and Cherise Willeit – Songo | Kolisi Foundation – 2:04:59 +10:21
Stage 6 Results
1. Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez and Tessa Kortekaas – Cannondale ISB Sport – 4:47:57
2. Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafane – Toyota | Specialized – 4:54:37 (+6:40)
3. Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda – Efficient Infiniti SCB SRam – 4:55:33 (+7:36)
4. Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen – TitanRacing SE Honeycomb – 4:59:23 (+11:26)
5. Katazina Sosna-Pinele and Claudia Peretti – Torpado Kenda FSA WMN – 5:03:20 (+15:23)
Stage 5 Results
1. Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafane – Toyota | Specialized – 5:23:38
2. Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez and Tessa Kortekaas – Cannondale ISB Sport – 5:23:50 (+12)
3. Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen – TitanRacing SE Honeycomb – 5:31:18 (+7:40)
4. Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda – Efficient Infiniti SCB SRam – 5:31:19 (+7:41)
5. Katazina Sosna-Pinele and Claudia Peretti – Torpado Kenda FSA WMN – 5:34:20 (+10:42)
Stage 4 Results
1. Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafane – Toyota | Specialized – 3:50:45
2. Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda – Efficient Infiniti SCB SRam – 3:51:35 (+50)
3. Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen – TitanRacing SE Honeycomb – 3:52:14 (+1:29)
4. Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez and Tessa Kortekaas – Cannondale ISB Sport – 3:57:27 (+6:42)
5. Katazina Sosna-Pinele and Claudia Peretti – Torpado Kenda FSA WMN – 3:58:11 (+7:26)
Stage 3 Results
1. Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafane – Toyota | Specialized – 4:14:53
2. Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda – Efficient Infiniti SCB SRam – 4:19:30 (+4:37)
3. Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen – TitanRacing SE Honeycomb – 4:21:58 (+7:05)
4. Katazina Sosna-Pinele and Claudia Peretti – Torpado Kenda FSA WMN – 4:29:04 (+14:11)
5. Haley Smith and Ella Bloor – (MAAP) – 4:29:56 (+15:03)
Stage 2 Results
1. Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafane – Toyota | Specialized – 2:43:14
2. Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez and Tessa Kortekaas – Cannondale ISB Sport – 2:45:23
3. Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda – Efficient Infiniti SCB SRam – 2:45:38
4. Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen – TitanRacing SE Honeycomb – 2:47:26
5. Katazina Sosna-Pinele and Claudia Peretti – Torpado Kenda FSA WMN – 2:48:25
Stage 1 Results
1. Annika Langvad and Sofia Gomez Villafane – Toyota | Specialized – 4:43:35
2. Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda – Efficient Infiniti SCB SRam – 4:49:17
3. Rosa van Doorn and Janina Wüst – Buff Megamo – 4:51:37
4. Monica Yuliana Calderon Martinez and Tessa Kortekaas – Cannondale ISB Sport – 4:53:41
5. Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen – TitanRacing SE Honeycomb – 4:55:02
Other Categories & Special Jerseys GC
Open Women’s Category
Rouxda Grobler and Mikaela Hagemann – Drivetrain Ladies – 34:42:07
Toyota Mixed Category
Theresa Rindler-Bachl and Philipp Bachl – Protective Megamo – 30:13:13
Masters Women’s Category
Nicolle Weir and Janine Muller – Bounce – 37:27:58
Grand Masters Women’s Category
Jenny Rönngren and Martha Koekemoer – UAG Epic – 37:48:20
Absa African Women’s Special Jersey
Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen – TitanRacing SE Honeycomb – 29:41:17
Exxaro Special Jersey Women
Tsholofelo Nkosi and Bontle Phepiso – Exxaro Academy Ladies 1- 47:56:43
Original Copy: Absa Cape Epic, with editing by gsport
Main Photo Caption: Annika Langvad claimed her sixth Absa Cape Epic title and teammate Sofia Gomez Villafana her second, as the well-matched duo controlled the race from Prologue to final pedal stroke over the finish line at Lourensford Wine Estate to win the Aramex UCI Women’s Category in the Western Cape on Sunday, 23 March, 2025. Photo: Sam Clark /Cape Epic
Photo 2 Caption: Denmark’s Annika Langvad (left) came into the 2025 race after giving birth recently, and persevered for a historic win. Photo: Dom Barnardt /Cape Epic
Photo 3 Caption: The silver medalist Namibian and USA team of Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda never seemed without a smile. Photo: Dom Barnardt /Cape Epic
Photo 4 Caption: Bianca Haw and Hayley Preen were the only SA team in the top 10, winning the Absa African Women’s Special Jersey. Photo: Dom Barnardt /Cape Epic
Photo 5 Caption: Team Exxaro Academy Ladies’ Tsholofelo Nkosi and Bontle Phepiso won the Team Exxaro Special Jersey. Photo: Dom Barnardt /Cape Epic
