Alessandra Keller aims for the stars in her first Cape Epic

Mountain bike world champion Alessandra Keller will compete in the Absa Cape Epic for the first time in 2026. The world’s most prestigious MTB stage race marks a new sporting focus for the Swiss athlete. Together with South African Candice Lill, Keller is highly focused and has clear goals as she lines up at the start – together they form the ‘Thömus maxon – Sabi Sabi’ team.

The Cape Epic covers 692 kilometres and almost 16,000 metres of elevation gain from Montagu to Stellenbosch and is considered the most prestigious stage race in mountain biking. This will be Alessandra Keller’s first time participating – at the same time, the race marks a central fixture in her 2026 season planning and one of the earliest sporting highlights of the year.

Despite her lack of Cape Epic experience, the Swiss rider is going into the race with a clear goal: ‘I’m really looking forward to the Cape Epic. I’ve been following this race for many years, but the timing has never worked out for me until now. In 2026, the time has finally come. For me, it’s one of the three big highlights of the season – and a race that I’m consciously paying a lot of attention to.’

Keller attaches great importance to the race and focuses a significant part of her season preparation on it. Candice Lill is an athlete who knows the race inside out: in eight appearances, Lill has finished second on the podium five times.

Experience meets world class

The collaboration between the two riders is also due in no small part to their shared equipment: from the 2026 season onwards, Candice Lill will also be riding Thömus bikes in her own team structure. The combination of Keller’s international class in the World Cup disciplines and Lill’s extensive Cape Epic experience promises a duo that combines sporting ambition with tactical maturity.

Targeted preparation and mutual exchange

Keller is currently preparing for the season in South Africa and is taking the opportunity to get to know her future team partner better outside of competition: “I know Candice from the World Cup. Now that I’m in South Africa for preparation, we can exchange ideas more intensively. With her experience as a regular podium finisher at the Cape Epic, she can give me valuable insights for this special race.”

Candice Lill is also highly motivated about the collaboration: ‘After eight participations and five second places, winning the Cape Epic is at the top of my list. I am convinced that Alessandra and I have the best conditions for success together. At the same time, we know how demanding this week is.’

Embarking on the adventure with clear focus

With Alessandra Keller participating for the first time and Candice Lill bringing her experience to the table, one of the most promising duos for the 2026 Cape Epic is taking shape. Their ambitions are clearly defined, their respect for the challenge is immense – and their preparation is correspondingly focused.