Bike check: Alexis Skarda's Cape Epic 2025 Santa Cruz Blur

A closer look at the National Champion of the USA's race bike.

Dino Lloyd

|

Apr 7 2025

|

Feature

More Features

The Anatomy of a Power Meter Pedal

Everything you need to know about the Favero Assioma Pro MX power meter pedals.

YT Industries Tech Shell collection, RockShox's Reverb AXS, Leatt's three in one helmet, Fizik's grips and EVOC's knee pads.

It's been a HUGE week for news, too!

Cape Epic_OffRoadCC_Georg Egger Orbea_002.JPG

Bike check: Georg Egger's 2025 Cape Epic Orbea Oiz

We check out the Bike Egger used at the 2025 Cape Epic.

World Cup XCO riders protest at Warner Bros over podium changes

With the first round of the 2025 Whoop UCI Mountain Bike World Series about to kick off, series organisers and broadcasters Warner Bros. Discovery have changed the podium from five to three riders.

Alexis Skarda is a formidable American professional mountain biker known for her prowess in cross-country marathon (XCM) racing, along with some highly proficient DJ skills. As a three-time National Champion in XCM, Skarda has consistently demonstrated her strength and endurance on challenging courses. The 2025 Cape Epic marked a significant chapter in Skarda's career, as she teamed up once again with Namibian Vera Looser, herself a former Cape Epic and National champion.

Racing for Team Efficient Infiniti SCB SRAM, the duo proved to be a strong contender in the competitive Women's category. Skarda and Looser showcased impressive teamwork and resilience throughout the demanding event, which covered over 600 kilometres with significant elevation gain that no doubt pushed their BPM. Their consistent performances saw them battling at the sharp end of the field.

Ultimately, Alexis Skarda and Vera Looser secured a commendable second place in the general classification, finishing behind the dominant Toyota-Specialized team. Their strong partnership and ability to navigate the challenging conditions highlighted their capabilities as top-tier endurance racers.

off.road.cc managed to get an equally hard-fought moment in the finale finish zone to capture some insights on Skarda's Santa Cruz Blur.

Teammates Vera Looser and Alexis Skarda powering through stage four.

National USA XCM Champ, Alexis Skarda, is flying the flag high during stage four.

A jubilant Looser and Skarda on the finale finish in Lourensford.

Focus all in during a post-race interview.

A race mechanic who makes it happen. Mylo "I'll be waiting for you"

Energy, finishing the grand finale, and taking second overall.

Flight Attendant appears across the sharp end of racing.

A rare pair, Xpedo pedals. This model, the M-Force 8 with Ti spindle, has a claimed weight of 220g. We don't know if that would translate into watts or beats.

Derigeur XX Transmission, another choice for alloy cage.

Another pro-choice saddle bag, A Silca Mattone with Boa closure. Neat, clean and compact.

3D-printed Specialized S-Works Mirror Power Saddle. Say that six times fast.

A neat hack, a piece of tube to protect shifter/dropper unit from the elements.

Straight up motivational messages. Supacaz griptape in the centre of the bars also housed AXS blips.

More motivation, also note the route profile sticker affixed behind the race board.

King Cage Titanium, handmade in Colorado USA, with a reputation for light, strong bottle retention. Refreshing to see alloy cages among a plethora of composites.