Canadian duo Andrew L’Esperance and Haley Smith are headed back to South Africa. Both have new teammates for the 2026 Cape Epic, with whom they’ll take on an absolutely stacked field at the classic XC stage race.
L’Espy, Lachlan and Specialized’s stacked squad
After racing Cape Epic in 2025 in what L’Esperance called a “recon year” alongside Rob Britton, the East Coast-born racer is teaming up with Lachlan Morton for 2026. The EF Education First Australian is lining up for his fourth Cape Epic appearance. The Unbound 200 winner and Great Divide FKT holder is no stranger to long, fast days on the bike. Neither is L’Esperance, a past XCM national champ and World Cup XC racer. The two 34-year-olds will look to crack into the top-10, or better, against a stacked men’s Cape Epic field.
To do so, they’ll have to get past a heavy roster of returning Cape Epic veterans. That includes Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto (Wilier Vittoria), Wout Alleman and Martin Stosek (Buff BH), Mathias Azzaro and Juri Zanotti (Origine Wilier), Lukas Baum and Georg Egger (Orbea Speed Company) and Andreas Seewald and Jakob Hartmann (Singer KTM Racing).
Andrew L’Esperance rides on resiliency for Life Time top-10 finish
Oh, and Specialized power-duo of current XCM world champion Keegan Swenson and three-time Cape Epic winner Matt Beers.
The wildcard will be Canyon duo of Luca Schwarzbauer and Sam Gaze. Both known more for their explosive power and short track XCC success, but with plenty of results in XCO World Cups, too, the Canyon team will add an interesting dynamic to this year’s racing. It’ Schwarzbauer’s first Cape Epic while Gaze has started once, but has yet to finish.
The Ha(y)leys vs She Sends
On the women’s side, there’s just as interesting a mix of racers headed to South Africa.
Haley Smith is teaming up with South Africa’s Hayley Preen to form team ChemCamp Honeycomb. Preen has four Cape Epic finishes to her name, including one overall podium in 2025. That local’s knowledge and Cape Epic experience will help Smith, a two-time Canadian XCM champ and Olympian, find her way through the tough week in South Africa at top speed.
They Ha(y)leys are up against some serious firepower in the women’s field. She Sends Foundation is fielding a powerhouse U.S. duo for 2026. Kate Courtney lines up with XCM and XCO world championship titles and a Cape Epic win to her name. She joins Melissa Rollins, Leadville 100 winner, SBT Gravel 200…
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