"Gravel Burn" in South Africa: Road bike and MTB pros meet for a gravel race in the desert...
Gitta Beimfohr
· 13.11.2025
The first major gravel bike race in South Africa at the end of October was organised like the legendary Cape Epic for mountain bikers: 7 daily stages, tent camp, media hype. However, the racers start here as individuals and not in teams of two. The focus is not on trails, but on 800 kilometres of gravel and sand tracks. Instead, the route runs from A to B through real wilderness, as befits a real stage race. Also exciting: everyone sleeps in a tent, you have to wash your own jerseys and fill your own water bottles. There are no luxuries or team support on the Gravel Burn. Not even for a double Olympic champion like Tom Pidcock.
The head of this new race format for gravel bikers is Kevin Vermaak. The South African was once involved in the founding of the Cape Epic until the MTB race was finally taken over by triathlon organiser Ironman. As a result, the starting list of amateur riders at the Gravel Burn also includes a few race veterans from earlier times: Thomas Frischknecht (55 years old) and his wife Sibylle, for example. And of course Karl Platt (49 years old), who dominated the Cape Epic in the early years.
The new route was particularly intriguing: from Knysna, a small town on the Indian Ocean and located on the famous "Garden Route", we travelled up into the interior of the country. Long corrugated iron and sand tracks stretched up to an altitude of almost 2,000 metres and then made a wide turn through the spectacular Karoo semi-desert. At the end, the final finishing arch awaited in the Shamwari Private Game Reserve. In other words, right in the middle of the Big 5 wildlife.
Rain, mud and sub-zero temperatures at night
Only the weather didn't play ball at the premiere: Even on the start day it was pouring with rain. At night in the tent: sub-zero temperatures. Gusts of wind repeatedly tore at the riders' tarpaulins and the sixth stage even had to be neutralised because masses of rain, squalls and hail had turned the sandy tracks into knee-deep mud slides. On the day of the long, technical descents, this seemed too dangerous for the organisers. But when the skies finally cleared, it was immediately 35 degrees over the slopes and the wind was constantly blowing dust in the face. On the sixth day, these capricious weather conditions finally pulled the plug on Swiss MTB pro Andri Frischknecht: he crashed heavily on one of the long descents, suffered a collarbone fracture and collapsed lung and had to be operated on in hospital.
Tough conditions at the first Gravel Burn. Not only for the amateur riders, but also for the 32 professional male and 5 female riders in the field, who had travelled from all categories. This was the first time that road bike, cross-country and marathon greats had lined up together at the start of a major stage race. The exciting question: Who will cope best with the new sports equipment, the conditions and the new, multi-day race format? Will it be the racing bike pros, who are used to the handlebars, the seating position and zero suspension travel, or will it be the off-road strategists with stage race experience, who may be chasing the more delicate equipment too aggressively through the terrain?
Interview with Karl Platt
We asked German marathon and stage race specialist Karl Platt about the Gravel Burn premiere in South Africa after the race (2nd in his age group). Who had the better skills on the gravel bike in this race: the road bike pros or the off-road experienced mountain bikers?
"They can really go into lactate for 3 to 5 minutes. You can't do that as a mountain biker."
BIKE: Hey, Karl! Congratulations on your 2nd place! We could see from your Insta posts: The Gravel Burn was pretty tough, wasn't it?
Karl: You could say that. The weather in particular made it even tougher. The legendary Prince Alfred Pass was already on the agenda on the first day. I'd ridden it once before at the Cape Epic and had fond memories of it. This time, however, it was already pouring with rain in the morning and the entire stage was a muddy mess. I don't think I've ever been so dirty after a race day. I managed to get my jersey halfway washed out under the field shower, but I didn't even try my cycling shorts. I threw them away straight away.
That's right, this time there were no teams of carers, you had to look after yourselves in the tent camps.
Yes, although there was of course a certain luxury from the organisation team: the tent city was always already set up at the finish, your bag was already in your individual tent and you could hand in your bike for washing and servicing. Once I needed new brake pads and they were fitted to my sparkling clean bike the next morning. The catering in the large kitchen tents was also great. Only the nights in the tent were really brutally cold.
You've been a Cape Epic specialist from the very beginning - is there anything you liked even better about the Gravel Burn?
The landscape in the Karoo Desert was of course stunning. We saw giraffes, zebras and monkeys... The relaxed atmosphere among the participants was also great. There were far fewer participants. In the evening we sat together around the big fire and of course got to know completely new people from the world of road racing. It was a really cool meet-and-greet.
And did you have a chat with double Olympic champion Tom Pidcock?
Of course! We have a common theme: fast cars and all that. But he wasn't in racing mode anyway. He was actually on holiday in South Africa with his fiancée and only took part in the race as a training session. In the end, he was satisfied with 26th place.
Did he wash his jerseys by hand and sleep in the tent?
Of course, and he thought it was really cool, he said. Especially the camp life with the tent and campfire.
Did it bother you that you can only compete in the Gravel Burn as an individual rider and not in a team of two?
No. Teams of two wouldn't work in a gravel race either. You're constantly travelling in 50 or 60 km/h laps anyway and riding in the slipstream. How are you going to look out for a team partner? It's different at the Cape Epic. That wouldn't be fun for me as an individual starter.
Who do you think has the greater advantage in a gravel race: the road bike faction or the off-road-experienced mountain bikers?
I spend a lot of time training on my road bike, so I'm used to the position and handlebars. But I did put on 50 mm tyres and rode them at 1.4 bar - simply for more comfort. Next time I would even consider a suspension fork. Saving weight makes no sense on the gravel burn track. Many a road rider has had this experience. Most of the complaints from this group were that the route was too demanding.
So it was the mountain bikers who had the advantage here?
Maybe on certain descents. But even as a mountain biker, you can't make up for 120 kilometres of dusty corrugated iron track with riding technique. There were also steep climbs that are almost impossible to pedal with the gravel gear ratio. I would say that the mountain bikers had a slightly easier time here. But what the road riders definitely bring to the table is their peak power. They can really get into their lactate for 3-5 minutes and then carry on pedalling as if nothing had happened. You can't do that as a mountain biker. We are more used to constant cranking.
If you had to choose a race next year: Cape Epic or Gravel Burn?
Definitely Cape Epic! That's simply my race.
The winners of the "Gravel Burn" premiere in South Africa
Men
- Matthew Beers (RSA): The 31-year-old South African specialises in cross-country and gravel races. He has won the Cape Epic three times (2021, 2023 and 2024).
Finisher time: 19:01:03 hours - Simon Pellaud (SUI): The 33-year-old road bike pro rides for the Tudor Pro Cycling Team, but will also be stepping up his gravel racing in future. In 2025, he already won the gravel tour "Transcordilleras" and the UCI Gravel World Series race "Gravel Brazil".
Finisher time: 19:06:29 hours - Hugo Drechou (FRA): The 34-year-old used to ride the Cross-Country World Cup, then the marathon and switched to gravel in 2024: "Gravel gives me a new drive in racing."
Finisher time: 19:09:59 hours - Tristan Nortje (RSA): Cross-country racer and Cape Epic participant from South Africa.
Finisher time: 19:10:30 hours - Lukas Baum (GER): Cross-country, marathon and stage race specialist. Together with Georg Egger, the German won the Cape Epic race in 2022 and the inaugural German Gravel Championships in Daun in September 2023.
Finisher time: 19:11:44 hours
- Andreas Seewald (GER) (8th)
- Georg Egger (GER) (12th)
Women
- Axelle Dubau Prévot (FRA): 29 years old, ended her active road cycling career in the summer of 2025 (including the Tour de France Femmes) and is the sister of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.
Finisher time: 23:40:55 hours - Melisa Rolling (USA): Enduro and gravel biker, former ultramarathon runner
Finisher time: 23:43:02 hours - Heylay Preen (RSA): The 27-year-old competes in all cycling disciplines in Africa, but mainly in cross-country and road races.
Finisher time: 23:43:10 hours - Lauren Stephens (38, USA): US Champion 2023 in Gravel, 6th at the Gravel World Championships 2023, but also winner of the road race at the Pan American Games (2023 and 2024).
Finisher time: 23:43:39 hours - Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA): The 39-year-old South African has competed at the Olympics four times and dominates African women's road cycling. In 2020, she secured her first world championship title in e-cycling.
Finisher time: 23:51:36 hours
Registration for the next Gravel Burn in South Africa opens on 3 February.
Date: 25-31 October 2026, Info: gravel-burn.com
NEW: Gravel Peaks - The first big stage race in the Alps
From Saalfelden Leogang over the Hochkönig and through Flachau to St. Michael im Lungau - the route of the first alpine gravel stage race leads for 6 days through the scenic highlights of Salzburger Land. The Gravel Peaks route in detail.
Racing speed is only necessary on selected sections. This leaves plenty of time between stages for scenery, refreshments and socialising with the gravel community.
Date: 11-16 May 2026
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
