Leaders Slip Up and Lose Time on Stage 3 of the Andorra Epic

The penultimate stage of the 2026 Andorra Epic saw both the elite men’s and elite women’s race leaders conceding time but not losing the leaders’ jerseys.

Davide Foccoli and Stefano Goria lost 76 seconds to the day’s victors, Orbea Speed Company, and more importantly, 69 seconds to the second-place Klimatiza Orbea team. Scott Racing’s advantage heading into the final stage is therefore just 51 seconds over David Valero and Samuele Porro. Massi ISB Sport ceded 3 minutes and 24 seconds to the day’s winners, Torpado Kenda FSA, but vitally just 2 seconds to their nearest rivals for the Andorra Epic crown, Metallurgica Veneta - Next Ride. Ahead of Stage 4, Monica Calderon and Costanza Fasolis have a 7:18 buffer.

Saturday, 4 July, saw the Andorra Epic start in Naturland and race a course which Lukas Baum and Georg Egger had identified before the race as the one that suited Orbea Speed Company best. Stage 3 still featured ample climbing, but more descending and trails familiar to Baum, two factors that helped him and his German teammate to stage victory. Behind the day’s winners, Klimatiza Orbea took time out of Scott Racing, though Davide Foccoli and Stefano Goria will still start Sunday’s final stage in the leaders' jerseys. As will Monica Calderon and Costanza Fasolis. Early in the stage, the pair were at risk of losing minutes of their advantage as they were third on the trails. Massi ISB Sport reeled in Maria Zarantonello and Chrystelle Baumann on the drag to La Massana, but could not prevent Torpado Kenda FSA from winning their first stage of the race.

The 52-kilometre course with 1 300 metres of climbing and 1 620 metres of descending suited not only the Orbea Speed Company pairing, but also Katažina Sosna-Pinelė and Giorgia Marchet, of Torpado Kenda FSA. With most of the climbing coming in the first 15 kilometres, the more powerful riders did not need to conserve energy for later in the stage; they could go all in on the ascent to the Civil War Bunkers and then recover on the 20-kilometre descent towards Andorra la Vella. The uphill drag from the capital to the finish line at La Massana.

“Yesterday I suffered too much, but today my legs felt good, and I could push good power,” Sosna-Pinelė smiled. “Giorgia [Marchet] was very strong today too, and we were able to race the stage well together. Especially from Andorra le Vella when the course flattened out, we went full gas from there to make up as much time in the general classification as possible.”

By the time the Torpado Kenda FSA team had reached Andorra la Vella, 42 kilometres into the course, they had built a lead of nearly 2 minutes. Behind them, Massi ISB Sport were chasing Metallurgica Veneta - Next Ride. Calderon and Fasolis had lost over a minute to Zarantonello and Baumann on the day’s main climb and had to chase through the second half to avoid any significant time losses.

“Today, the other women started really fast,” Fasolis acknowledged. “From the off, I knew I had to manage my rhythm and look after myself. We were a little bit behind over the summit of thefirst climb, but I was confident that we would be able to come back in the last part of the stage. And we did exactly that. We saved the day, but honestly, this cross-country style of stage is not good for me. Up, down, up down, you need so much power to get over the steep climbs quickly, and that’s not my ideal kind of riding. But we managed the day well.”

With Torpado Kenda FSA having started the day 27 minutes down, Sosna-Pinelė and Marchet were not a concern for Fasolis and Calderon. Zarantonello and Baumann were, however. “We pushed hard on the first climb and were able to get a gap, but Massi [ISB Sport] were able to catch us after the long downhill, and from there we had to be smart,” Zarantonello said. “We were able to position ourselves well in the finale and win the sprint for second, so we’re happy with the stage. We’ve had a nice week here in Andorra, and we’re looking forward to one more fantastic stage with incredible trails tomorrow.”

Massi ISB Sport’s defensive efforts mean that they hold a 7-minute and 18-second advantage over Metallurgica Veneta - Next Ride going into Stage 4. Torpado Kenda FSA’s stage win and time gain leapfrogged them up the general classification from fifth to third. ISB Cyclistwork Factory’s Meritxell Figueras Garangou and Alba Teruel Ribes remain fourth, while Velo Kartell x R-Suspension MTB lost two places, slipping from third to fifth.

In the elite men’s race, the more gradual gradients, compared to Stage 2’s steep slopes, of the climb to the Civil War Bunkers allowed more teams to remain in contention over the first summit. “Today suited us. It wasn’t so steep, so it allowed the big Germans to keep up with the little Italians on the main climb,” Baum laughed. “I also know these trails pretty well, so it was a day that was meant to be.”

“We needed a bit of luck, though,” Egger added. “David [Valero] took two wrong turns, the first of which allowed me to get to the front of the group after I’d been caught further back at the start of the descent. Once we reached the bottom of that descent, we put the power down, working with KTM [Spada Brenta Brakes] and Klimatiza [Orbea], as we were focused on moving up on the general classification too.”

The race leaders had summited with the Orbea Speed Company and Klimatiza Orbea group but opted to descend cautiously. “We were a bit far back in the group on the descent and lost a bit of time,” Goria explained. “We didn’t want to take any risks either, though, as it would have been really easy to puncture. We’ve lost some time today, but we’re still in the leaders’ jerseys, and I’m confident that we’ll be able to defend the lead tomorrow.”

Sunday’s final stage is finely poised in the elite men’s race. Scott Racing holds a 51-second advantage over Klimatiza Orbea. Singer KTM, after a solid first three days, find themselves under pressure from Orbea Speed Company, who are 1 minute and 54 seconds off third. Lorenzo Samparisi and Jacopo Billi, of KTM Spada Brenta Brakes, moved into fifth with their second place on Stage 3, but are only 58 seconds ahead of Klimatiza Orbea 2. With so much to race for, the top five will be fiercely contested on Stage 4.

Stage 4’s route lends itself to attacking racing, too. The 45-kilometre course, which starts and finishes in La Massana, includes 1 650 metres of climbing thanks to the Collada de Muntaner and Coll de la Botella passes. The day and the race end with nearly 1 000 metres of continuous descending on the famous La Commençal T-Section singletrack. Making for a spectacular finale to the 2026 Andorra Epic.To share in the final day excitement and potentially drama, mountain biking fans can like the Andorra Epic Facebook page or follow @andorra_epic on Instagram for updates from the race.

2026 Andorra Epic Results

Stage 3 Elite Men:

1. ORBEA SPEED COMPANY: Lukas Baum & Georg Egger (2:12:48)

2. KTM SPADA | BRENTA BRAKES: Lorenzo Samparisi & Jacopo Billi (2:12:51 | +3)

3. KLIMATIZA ORBEA: David Valero & Samuele Porro (2:12:55 | +8)

4. SINGER KTM RACING: Simon Stiebjahn & Martin Frey (2:13:23 | +35)

5. SCOTT RACING: Davide Foccoli & Stefano Goria (2:14:04 | +1:16)

Stage 3 Elite Women:

1. TORPADO KENDA FSA: Katažina Sosna-Pinelė & Giorgia Marchet (2:48:38)

2. METALLURGICA VENETA - NEXT RIDE: Maria Zarantonello & Chrystelle Baumann (2:52:00 | +3:22)

3. MASSI ISB SPORT: Monica Calderon & Costanza Fasolis (2:52:02 | +3:24)

4. ISB CYCLISTWORK FACTORY: Meritxell Figueras Garangou & Alba Teruel Ribes (2:57:55 | +9:17)

5. VELO KARTELL X R-SUSPENSION MTB: Claudia Krenn & Veronika Weiss (3:03:37 | +14:59)

Elite Men’s General Classification after Stage 3:

1. SCOTT RACING: Davide Foccoli & Stefano Goria (7:11:58)

2. KLIMATIZA ORBEA: David Valero & Samuele Porro (7:12:49 | +51)

3. SINGER KTM RACING: Simon Stiebjahn & Martin Frey (7:17:55 | +5:57)

4. ORBEA SPEED COMPANY: Lukas Baum & Georg Egger (7:19:51 | +7:53)

5. KTM SPADA | BRENTA BRAKES: Lorenzo Samparisi & Jacopo Billi (7:25:40 | +13:42)

Elite Women’s General Classification after Stage 3:

1. MASSI ISB SPORT: Monica Calderon & Costanza Fasolis (9:27:22)

2. METALLURGICA VENETA - NEXT RIDE: Maria Zarantonello & Chrystelle Baumann (9:34:40 | +7:18)

3. TORPADO KENDA FSA: Katažina Sosna-Pinelė & Giorgia Marchet (9:51:48 | +24:25)

4. ISB CYCLISTWORK FACTORY: Meritxell Figueras Garangou & Alba Teruel Ribes (10:00:34 | +33:12)

5. VELO KARTELL X R-SUSPENSION MTB: Claudia Krenn & Veronika Weiss (10:04:14 | +36:52)