The Lowveld-based Bell’s Cycling team, comprising Nico Bell and Gawie Combrinck, finished second in the masters’ (40-49) category at the 2026 Absa Cape Epic, held from March 15 to 22.

They clocked 30:24:19.70 in the 707km, seven-stage race, with 16 000m of climbing. The race took place in the winelands and mountains of the Boland in the Western Cape.

The duo finished 23rd overall.

After the 90km stage 1 they were in fifth place, but clawed their way back to fourth after the 102km stage 2. They remained in fourth following the 140km stage 3 and 87km stage 4.

They finished strong, moving up to third after the 134km stage 5. The 76km stage 6 was their best, as they won the segment and moved into second place.

Bell and Combrinck maintained their form in the seventh and final stage, securing second place in their category.

“Gawie and I started serious training for the Epic in November 2025. We were well prepared and knew the more open route this year would suit us. We went out hard and didn’t hold back. We are thrilled with second place in the masters’ category and 23rd overall,” said Bell.

“We were on course for second when, a few kilometres from the end of the final stage, Gawie lost his front wheel and took a tumble. Shortly afterwards, something struck my head on the single track. Gawie was bruised with a few scratches, while I had a sore head and mild concussion. But we finished and are very pleased. We are no longer pro cyclists, so to achieve this at this stage of our careers is special.”

The masters’ category was won by Pavel Gonda (Czech Republic) and Tobias Lüthi (Switzerland) of Team Czech Rocket & Swiss Diesel. They clocked 30:02:09.80, just over 22 minutes faster than Bell and Combrinck over the 707km.

Lowvelder Samantha Sanders and Bianca Haw of KZN finished sixth in the women’s elite category.

Riding for Sani2C Efficient Infiniti, they completed the race in 26:17:26.20.

The women’s elite race was over 545km, with 13 250m of climbing.

Sanders and Haw were the winners of the Absa Africa Cup. The Africa Cup is a special classification awarded to the highest-placed all-African team in both the elite men’s and elite women’s categories.

They finished sixth overall and first in the Africa Cup in the prologue. Throughout the following seven stages they never relinquished the Africa Cup lead.

“Winning the Absa African jersey was incredibly special. The support we received throughout the race was unreal. At times it genuinely felt like we had won the race overall. From the cheers out on course to the messages we got along the way, the backing was amazing,” said Sanders.

“We set the tone right from the prologue, taking the jersey on day one and never giving it up. In a race like the Cape Epic, that means a lot. Once you’re in the jersey, the objective shifts – you’re no longer only chasing stage results, you’re also defending the jersey and your place in the general classification every single day. And at Epic, where so much can go wrong, holding onto it from start to finish is something we’re really proud of.”

Sanders and Haw finished overall ninth in stage 1, fifth in stage 2, sixth in stages 3 to 6, and seventh in stage 7.

The next all-African team to finish were Ila Stow and Cherise Willet of Fortress Toyota, one hour and 59 seconds slower than Sanders and Haw.

“We weren’t just focused on the African classification, we were also determined to keep moving up the overall general classification. We climbed from eighth to finish sixth overall, while also winning the jersey. Honestly, that overall result is one of the strongest indicators of just how well we raced. We didn’t win the jersey simply by being the last team standing, we won it while delivering a genuinely competitive elite general classification performance in a stacked women’s elite field,” Sanders concluded.