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Cape Epic is calling

Feb 21, 2025 | News | 0 comments

With Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo pairing up at this year’s Cape Epic, excitement is guaranteed! Watch out for the two Swiss riders racing the most prestigious stage race in the world… the untamed Cape Epic in South Africa!

Stellenbosch, South Africa. The whole SCOTT-SRAM team is currently preparing for the 2025 season in sunny South Africa. Equipment testing, dialing in the details and hard, very hard training fills a busy schedule.

As Nino Schurter, Filippo Colombo and Andri Frischknecht already know each other from previous years of racing, this is an opportunity for the team newcomers Emilly Johnston and Bjorn Riley to familiarize themselves with team and equipment and get their first taste of SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing. Both of them have been eagerly awaited and blended in seamlessly as if they were with the team forever.

With the Team Vibe dialed as the final piece in the puzzle, the SCOTT-SRAM squad is ready for action with the 2025 racing season unfolding already in just a few weeks!

SCOTT-SRAM Team Roster 2025: Emilly Johnston (top left), Bjorn Riley (top right), Andri Frischknecht (middle left), Filippo Colombo (middle right), Cape Epic Team Nino Schurter & Filippo Colombo (bottom)
Imagery: Sam Clark
Some of the team will soon be returning to South Africa. With Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo teaming up at the 2025 edition of the Cape Epic, the first season highlight is set and it’s going to be an absolute blockbuster. Over the past few weeks, the two have be training side by side as a team. In contrast to the World Cup, where everyone races for victory on their own, team tactics are crucial to aim high at the toughest stage race in mountain biking. Part of the preparation was first a marathon race, the Imbuko Big 5, with its legendary Cliff Hanger climb. With Filippo Colombo taking the win and Nino Schurter in 4th, the first test went well.
Hopes are high that the world-class SCOTT-SRAM duo may have a say for this year’s victory. With 8 Cape Epic appearances and 2 wins (2017 with Matthias Stirnemann and 2019 with Lars Forster) Nino is one of the most experienced Cape Epic contenders. Filippo has only finished one Cape Epic so far, but his big engine and talent make him currently one of the strongest riders lining up at the start.

However, this is just the statistics. Each year this race tells a new story on its own. In 8 days of cruel racing through rugged South African trails, drama is guaranteed. Winning the Cape Epic is often about staying out of troubles and having a little luck as well, and not always about about being the strongest team.

Let’s cross our fingers!!

“The Cape Epic in South Africa is one of my favorite races on the calendar. This is no different in 2025. I couldn’t be more excited to start the Cape Epic teaming up with Filippo. He’s currently one of the strongest XCO athletes world wide. Besides, he also has a big engine for a long race like the Cape Epic. I think we have the very best chances to succeed. But at the end we have to rely on the luck on our side to get through 8 days without big failures.”

Nino Schurter
10x World Champion, 2x Cape Epic Champion
SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing

“I’m thrilled to race this monument with Nino. It’s like a dream come true. There is a lot to learn from the GOAT, especially in this particular race. We are a perfectly matched team and if all goes well we are sure have a chance for a top placing. But I’m also aware everything has to go according to plan to succeed. Let’s see!”

Filippo Colombo
Swiss National Champion
SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing

The Teams’ European racing debut will be in Albegna-Finale Ligure, Italy, on March 8th, where the whole team will attend. While Nino and Filippo head straight back to Africa, the rest of the team around Emilly Johnston, US Champion Bjorn Riley and Andri Frischknecht will spend some time at the Tuscan team base of Massa Vecchia. To finish off the training block, the Internazionali d’Italia of Monte Argentario, Tuscany, is waiting for them as a last test before heading to Brazil for the World Cup Opener of the 2025 World Cup season.