Merida at the Cape Epic - a week of mixed emotions

The 2026 ABSA Cape Epic has come to an end, and our two Merida-powered teams have made it to the finish with two very different sets of results.

Both teams entered this year’s race with ambitions to play an active role in the event and aim for a top result.

With the now 700 gruelling km behind them, only the Metallurgica Veneta Mtb Pro Team, comprising Nicola Taffarel (Italy) and Eskil Evensen-Lie (Norway), supported by Merida Italy and Merida Nordic, achieved that target. Entering the last two days in 10th position in the general classification, the order was to maintain this position and, if possible, even slightly improve upon it. This is exactly what Nicola and Eskil managed to do, delivering a solid 13th position in the penultimate stage and racing for their best stage result (8th) in the final stage of the event. Their solid performance put them in 9th position overall at the end of the event; a great result for the team and their Ninety-Six race bikes.

For the D2Mont Merida Team, consisting of Hermann Pernsteiner (Austria) and Filip Rydval (Czech Republic), supported by Merida Czech Republic, the story turned out to be slightly different. A number of unfortunate crashes slowed the team down in the first 2 stages, prompting them to shift from their top-10 ambitions to delivering strong stage results. While the team delivered consistent results in the middle of the event, things simply did not come together as hoped. But despite the setbacks, the team entered the final days in 23rd position, with ambitions to make it through the remaining days and ideally move up the rankings. Unfortunately, Filip started to suffer from health issues, which made the last two days feel like a survival game. Despite the added difficulties, the team’s fighting spirit never wavered, and they managed to get into the top twenty, finishing in a solid 19th place in the final stage. While that was far from their original target, their perseverance and determination made them fight through the week and prove that even with the issues they faced, a solid result can be achieved in this most demanding mountain bike race of all.

In both cases, their custom Ninety-Six race bikes performed flawlessly, showing once again that it is a hugely capable bike for today’s cross-country and marathon courses.

For further race details, images and videos from the two teams, please follow Metallurgica Veneta Mtb Pro Team on their Instagram feed @metallurgicaveneta_proteam and the D2Mont Merida Team's progress on @d2mont_meridacyclingteam.