Cape Epic 2026: a historic podium finish for the Torpado Factory Team!

Sosna and Marchet’s masterpiece at the Cape Epic

The Absa Cape Epic came to a close on Sunday, and the Torpado Kenda FSA team achieved a result destined to go down in history: Katazina Sosna and Giorgia Marchet secured an extraordinary third place in the overall standings, giving the team its first-ever podium finish in the Elite Women’s category at the world’s toughest and most prestigious MTB stage race. A feat that feels like a triumph, built day by day through talent, team spirit and determination.

For Marchet, on her first trip to South Africa, it was an extreme challenge. Despite the difficulties, she and Sosna remained focused, managing the race intelligently at the start and accelerating in the decisive stages, ultimately securing a historic podium finish. A result that confirms the strength of the Italian-Lithuanian duo and places the Torpado name amongst the leading lights of the international marathon scene.

The Cape Epic proved tougher than expected for the Elite Men’s teams, however. The duo of Fabian Rabensteiner and Casey South, who started in great form and were consistently among the leaders in the early stages, were forced to withdraw following a serious crash on Stage 4, bringing to an end a race in which they were firmly in contention for the overall classification. Gioele De Cosmo and Jakob Dorigoni had also shown from the outset that they were among the best, but a series of unforeseen events in the final stages prevented them from completing the race.

The South African expedition concludes with intense emotions and noteworthy results, including no fewer than 13 top-10 finishes over eight days of racing, confirming the team’s competitiveness and the exceptional performance of the new ReNero R. The bronze medal won in the women’s category is the clearest sign: the work done this season lays the foundation for returning to the Cape Epic even stronger.