Ready, set, go, and Simone Avondetto and Luca Braidot immediately make their mark in their Cape Epic debut, which could hardly have been more exciting. The Wilier-Vittoria MTB Factory Team pair won the prologue of the South African stage race, a 26 km route with 750 meters of elevation, starting and finishing at Meerendal Wine Estate.

Avondetto and Braidot managed to beat the Swiss pair Nino Schurter and Filippo Colombo by 20", and the local riders Marc Pritzen and Wessel Botha by 1'04". Tomorrow, in the first 96 km stage with 2750 meters of elevation around the Meerendal Wine Estate, the Piedmontese and Friulian will be able to wear the yellow jersey of the general classification leaders.

"We are really happy, we hoped to achieve a good result but we went even beyond - said a radiant Avondetto -. A short stage like the prologue was certainly suitable for us cross-country specialists, and we seized the opportunity well. And to think we could have done even better without a small technical issue that slowed us down. Tomorrow it will be exciting to wear the yellow jersey, but we know that a completely different race will begin. We will do our best to keep it for as long as possible".

"How beautiful to start like this - added Braidot -. I must admit that today Simone was really flying, I was a bit more congested but in the end I managed to react well. We managed ourselves perfectly and dealt with a couple of technical problems with great calm and maturity, and also a bit of luck because they could have been more serious. We are aware that the real race starts tomorrow, but in the meantime we can enjoy a beautiful stage in the yellow jersey. An experience that will remain in our hearts".