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Stellenbosch (RSA), 23 March 2026<\/span><\/b>\u00a0\u2013 The debut of the\u00a0Metallurgica Veneta Professional Team<\/b>\u00a0at\u00a0Absa Cape Epic<\/b>\u00a0has concluded with a standout performance. The duo of Norwegian\u00a0Eskil Evensen-Lie<\/b>\u00a0and Italian\u00a0Nicola Taffarel<\/b>\u00a0crossed the final finish line of the 2026 edition in\u00a09th place overall<\/b>, successfully smashing their Top 10 goal in what is universally recognized as the “Untamed” and toughest race on the planet. <\/p>\n This result was earned the hard way. The team\u2019s journey to South Africa was nearly derailed by health issues for Taffarel, who was forced onto a course of antibiotics until just days before the start. Despite a compromised physical state and the very real risk of not starting at all, the team\u2019s grit transformed a critical situation into a sporting triumph.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Early Days: patience and damage control<\/b> <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Turning Point: masterclass in the Queen Stage<\/b> <\/p>\n The Grand Finale: tactical maturity<\/b> <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Quotes from the Team <\/p>\n Nicola Taffarel<\/strong>:\u00a0“We hit the goal we set for ourselves: the Top 10. I\u2019m incredibly happy, especially considering how this journey started. My health was far from 100%, and I arrived here still on antibiotics. But day by day, the feeling improved. Bagging two Top 10 stage finishes makes me very proud. Sometimes you have to go through the dark moments to reach the top; it makes the result even sweeter. I\u2019m grateful to everyone who supported me through the tough days to get here.”<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Martino Tronconi (Team Manager)<\/b>:\u00a0“It certainly wasn’t the start we envisioned. Just seven days out, we weren’t even sure we\u2019d make it to South Africa because of Nicola\u2019s flu relapse. He was off the bike for days on antibiotics. That said, our determination never wavered. To finish in the Top 10 at the most important race in the world, against the strongest teams on the planet, is a massive milestone. We will definitely be back to be even greater protagonists. Our technical equipment performed flawlessly – every component and partner was put to the ultimate test and passed with flying colors.”<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Stage-by-Stage Recap:<\/b><\/p>\n Prologue: P17 Final General Classification: 9th Place<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Photo credits – Filippo Cantoni<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Top 10 debut at the Absa Cape Epic: Metallurgica Veneta Pro Team defies the odds to secure 9th overall Beyond the obstacles: The Evensen-Lie\u2013Taffarel duo overcomes health setbacks to claim a historic Top 10 finish in their first appearance at the world\u2019s most grueling…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":67189,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[467],"tags":[2983],"class_list":["post-67200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cycling","tag-metallurgica-veneta-mtb-professional-team-it"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/isbsport.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67200","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/isbsport.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/isbsport.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isbsport.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isbsport.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67200"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/isbsport.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67200\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isbsport.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/isbsport.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isbsport.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67200"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isbsport.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/span><\/p>\n
\nThe campaign opened with a brutal 20 Km Prologue in Durbanville, where searing heat immediately tested the field. The\u00a0Metallurgica Veneta<\/b>\u00a0pair rode a steady opening time trial, finishing 17th, 2\u2019 29\u201d off the specialist XC pace. As the race progressed, Taffarel\u2019s form began to trend upward. The team executed a calculated climb up the General Classification (GC): 15th in Stage 1, 12th in Stage 2, and a strategic “management” day during the treacherous, mud-soaked 140 Km Stage 3 (23rd).<\/p>\n![\"MVPT](\"https:\/\/isbsport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MVPT-Absa-Cape-Epic-02.jpg\")
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\nThe momentum shifted during Stage 4 in Greyton, where smart teamwork and tactical positioning saw them knock on the door of the Top 10. However, Friday\u2019s\u00a0Queen Stage<\/b>\u00a0from Greyton to Stellenbosch was the team\u2019s crowning moment. Over 134 Km and 2,750m of elevation gain in wet, muddy conditions, the duo became protagonists of the race. They featured in the live global broadcast for over two hours, with Taffarel even leading the elite group alongside world-class talent like Samuel Gaze. A stellar\u00a06th place<\/b>\u00a0finish on the stage signaled a total physical and mental resurgence.<\/p>\n
\nDuring Stage 6 – the edition’s most vertical day with 2,450m of climbing over 76 Km\u2014Evensen-Lie and Taffarel rode with intelligence to defend their 10th place in the GC. On the final day, a fast 58 Km loop around Stellenbosch, the Italo-Norwegian pair finished 8th on the stage, successfully consolidating their\u00a09th position in the final General Classification<\/b>.<\/p>\n![\"MVPT](\"https:\/\/isbsport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MVPT-Absa-Cape-Epic-03.jpg\")
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\n<\/b>
\nEskil Evensen-Lie<\/b>:\u00a0“I think we had seven really solid days on South African soil. We showed great pace in several stages and exceeded our initial expectations given the circumstances. We faced some challenges mid-race, but we managed them perfectly. We\u2019ve learned so much\u2014about the equipment, nutrition, heat management, and navigating complex race situations. ‘Taffa’ and I can be proud of what we achieved. We\u2019re taking this massive experience forward to return even stronger in the coming years.”<\/i><\/p>\n![\"MVPT](\"https:\/\/isbsport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MVPT-Absa-Cape-Epic-05.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"MVPT](\"https:\/\/isbsport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MVPT-Absa-Cape-Epic-04.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nStage 1<\/b>: P15
\nStage 2<\/b>: P12
\nStage 3<\/b>: P23
\nStage 4<\/b>: P11
\nStage 5<\/b>: P6
\nStage 6<\/b>: P13
\nStage 7<\/b>: P8<\/p>\n