With all the 32″ hype building to a fever pitch by the end of 2025, the countdown was on for when the big new wheel size standard would make its first race start, and then earn its first major win. Well, it’ only took a couple months.

Felix Stehli and Marc Pritzen won today’s third stage of the ABSA Cape Epic. Stehli is racing in South Africa on Stoll P32, a race rig laying claim to the title of first production 32″ mountain bike.

Now Stoll and Stehli can add “First 32″ UCI win” to that resume.

Stehli’s wheels are visibly larger than the rest of the field. Photo by Nick Muzik/Cape Epic
An unexpected escape at Cape Epic

On one of the longest stages in Cape Epic history, Stehli and Pritzen (Team Honeycomb 226ers) took advantage in a lull in the leader’s pace to launch a long-range solo attack. Not quite Pogacar distances, but 40km of single track  is a pretty big effort nonetheless.

The Honeycomb 226ers, on their 32-er and 29-ers (Pritzen is racing a 29″ bike) established a one-minute advantage over a powerful group of chasers. With current race leaders Matthew Beers and Tristan Nortje (Toyota Specialized) further back and fighting to catch their GC competition, and the Wilier-Vittoria team looking to take advantage and move up from second place, that 60-second lead was no guarantee. The mixed-wheel team persevered, crossing the stage three finish line solo. It’s the first Cape Epic win for both riders.  

Marc Pritzen and Felix Stehli at 40km to figure out if it’s more aerodynamic for the 29″ bike to lead, or the 32″. Photo by Nick Muzik/Cape Epic
First Cape Epic wins for Pritzen, Stehli and the 32″

“It’s an incredible feeling to get a result here. It’s all we could have asked for,” said Pritzen. “We didn’t plan anything and were just racing instinctively. When we noticed hesitation in the group, with a split behind, we thought it would give us a chance to open up a quick 10 seconds. And it did.”

Stehli (15-2) almost makes Pritzen look like he’s riding a 26″ bike again. Photo by Nick Muzik/Cape Epic

Stehli said the stage, with a mix of gravel and singletrack and only around 1,700m of climbing (a sum which only counts as “flat” at the Cape Epic), suited his big wheels perfectly. 

“It’s ideal for these types of conditions. It just rolls well and helped me a lot today,” said the Swiss racer.

Stehli’s race rig is running a 100mm Intend Samurai fork, also one of the first official 32″ compatible components, but outfitted with RockShox Flight Attendant. The Stoll P32 frame matches that with another 100mm of travel out back. 

Andrew L’Esperance, third wheel in pink EF kit of his teammate Lachlan Morton. Photo by Nick Muzik/Cape Epic
A calm day turns hectic for the Cape Epic men

Stage 3 had already turned on its head before the Honeycomb team’s mixed-wheel attack threw the field into mayhem. After riding steady all week, Toyota Specialized Matthew Beers and Tristian Nortje found themselves fighting back from a mechanical at a crucial juncture in the race. With 70km to go, they were behind the lead group when Honeycomb went on a flyer, making the GC leader’s chase back that much harder.

Beers and Nortje would run out of road, reaching the finish line 2:26 behind the stage winners and, more importantly, 1:16 behind Wilier-Vittoria’s team of Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto. that sees Specialized drop out of the leader’s jersey and into second place overall. Braidot and Avondetto take over at the front of the race with a 1:14 advantage.

“We didn’t really have a plan, but we are happy the way it turned out,” said Avondetto. “We always want to just stay with the front group and not have any mechanicals. It feels good to be in yellow now.”

A little further back, Canada’s Andrew L’Esperance and his teammate Lachlan Morton (both racing in EF Education First colours this week) continue their steady march up the standings. After moving up to 18th on stage two, another solid day in the saddle saw the Canadian/Australian duo move up again to sit 17th. Steady being relative to the effort of Cape Epic racing, of course. The EF pair averaged 31 km/h for 4:30 to finish 10 minutes back of the stage winners. A huge effort in muddy conditions.

2026 ABSA Cape Epic: Stage 3
Elite Men Stage Results

1. Honeycomb 226ers: Marc Pritzen & Felix Stehli (4:19.53)
2. Buff-BH Wout Allemann Martin Stosek (4:21.03 | 1:10)
3. Wilier-Vittoria: Luca Braidot, Simone Avondetto (4:21.03 | +1:10)
4. Canyon: Luca Schwarzbauer, Sam Gaze (4:21.21 | +1:29)
5. Toyota Specialized Imbuko: Matthew Beers, Tristan Nortje (4:22.19 | 2:26)

Elite Men GC after Stage 3

1.Wilier-Vittoria: Luca Braidot, Simone Avondetto (12:39.28)
2. Toyota Specialized Imbuko: Matthew Beers, Tristan Nortje (12:40.41 | +1:14)
3. Klimatiza Orbea: David Valero Serrano, Marc Stutzmann (12:41.57 | +2:29)
4. Buff-BH Wout Allemann Martin Stosek (12:44.21 | +4:53)
5. Canyon: Luca Schwarzbauer, Sam Gaze (12:44.38 | +5:10)