To speak of the Cape Epic is to speak of one of the most demanding and prestigious events on the global MTB calendar. It is a race that brooks no half-measures, where every stage takes its toll, every day pushes riders to their limits, and where only those who manage to maintain their form day after day manage to stand out.
Against this backdrop, the Massi ISB Sport team has once again demonstrated that it is ready to compete where it really counts. Because beyond the final result, the Cape Epic is a race that measures many things at once: performance, endurance, strategy and, above all, adaptability. The South African terrain—tough, changeable and cumulative—forces every rider and every team member to push themselves to the limit throughout the week.
In the women’s category, the team put in a performance that deserves to be highlighted. Mónica Calderón and Tessa Kortekaas managed to make it onto the podium after a solid, intelligent and consistent race. This result did not come about by chance, but as a consequence of knowing how to compete in an event where every detail counts and where maintaining consistency is just as important as having moments of brilliance. Their performance perfectly reflects what the Cape Epic demands: knowing how to manage effort, read the race and respond at key moments. But it also speaks to the groundwork, the preparation and the confidence in everything surrounding the team.
In the men’s category, history was made in a different way, but with the same spirit. Axel Roudil and Martí Aran showed character, commitment and a fighting spirit that defines what it means to compete in an event of this calibre. Because the Cape Epic doesn’t always reward riders with podium places, but it does recognise those who are able to persevere, adapt and keep pushing right to the end.
Stage after stage, the team maintained their standard in a context where any mistake comes at a high price and where the accumulation of kilometres makes every day a new challenge. That ability to keep going, to never give in, is also part of the success.
For ISB Sport, taking part in a race like the Cape Epic holds special significance. Not only because of the international exposure, but because it represents the perfect setting to validate the work carried out. It is a scenario where equipment ceases to be secondary and becomes an active part of performance, where reliability becomes a determining factor.
That is why Mónica and Tessa’s podium finish, and Axel and Martí’s relentless fight, go beyond the result. They are confirmation that the Massi ISB Sport project continues to grow, competing at the highest level and establishing itself in one of the toughest races in the world.
ISB SPORT BEARINGS: A KEY FACTOR IN THE CAPE EPIC
It is at that moment that the material ceases to be invisible. Mud knows no brands or names; it accumulates, penetrates, wears down and increases friction at every critical point on the bike. During this start to the season, we have seen situations where every turn of the wheel required extra effort, where the build-up of water and dirt forced components to operate far beyond their ideal conditions.
For ISB Sport, this scenario is not an exception, but the starting point for the brand’s ongoing investment in R&D. For years, the brand has been developing products based on the realities of competition, understanding what happens when a bearing ceases to rotate under optimal conditions and must continue to function in a hostile environment. It is not just about resistance, but about maintaining performance when everything around it is pushing in the opposite direction.
It is this approach that has shaped the new range of wheel bearings, featuring a black oxide coating and a special magenta-coloured FCNC (Full Contact / No Contact) seal. Designed specifically for high-humidity conditions and constant exposure to water, they have been developed as a direct response to the challenges faced in races such as those at the start of this season. Improved sealing, protection against the ingress of external agents and durability in extreme conditions are not theoretical concepts, but needs identified in the field.
- Specially designed for MTB & Gravel
- Maximum anti-corrosion performance
- Greater protection
- Greater resistance and service life
Teams such as Klimatiza Orbea Team and Massi ISB Sport do not merely compete; they play an active role in this development. Every race becomes a test bed, every stage a source of information, and every extreme condition an opportunity to continue evolving. It is an ongoing process where product development and competition go hand in hand, with no shortcuts. Because in the end, beyond the rankings, there is something that remains: trust. The trust of a rider who knows their equipment will perform, the trust of a mechanic who prepares every bike with no margin for error, and the trust of a team competing at the highest level, knowing that every component is up to the task.
