Nothing but Pure South African Gravel | Nedbank Gravel Burn Features a New Course for 2026 | Take a Look at the First Four Stages
Nedbank Gravel Burn - Robert Sobukwe Town/Graaff-Reinet to Shamwari Private Game Reserve
7 days | 750km | 8 500m
Somewhere on the high, arid plateaus of the Sneeuberg, the complexities of the modern world fall away. All that remains is the crunch of gravel under rubber, an endless Karoo sky stretching to infinity and remote, fire-lit Burn Camps dotted along a 750-kilometre route of Pure South African Gravel. Nedbank Gravel Burn is a seven-day gravel stage race across unique semidesert terrain and a journey through time. From the historic frontier streets of Robert Sobukwe Town/Graaff-Reinet to the predator-guarded valleys of Shamwari Private Game Reserve, riders track 252-million-year-old fossil beds, circumnavigate the dolerite-capped beacon of Compassberg and conquer Swaershoek Pass before entering iconic African bushveld featuring the Big Five. Yet when the dust settles, the soul of the event emerges in the Burn Camps. Sitting shoulder to shoulder around fires beneath a canopy of stars, top professionals and back-of-the-pack warriors share their stories of the day. Successful campaigners, across the board, are riders who strike that magic balance – combining measured pacing with sensory awe.
Robert Sobukwe Town/ Graaff-Reinet to Blaauwater
Stage 1 - Riding back in time
Race: 90km, 1450m ascent, 700m descent
Liaison: 1km, 5m ascent, 25m descent
Stage 1 is a literal journey through deep geological time. Robert Sobukwe Town/Graaff-Reinet and the Sneeuberg foothills sit atop the Beaufort Group of the Karoo Supergroup, home to one of the world’s richest records of predinosaur therapsids. As the route climbs towards Blaauwater, tyres cross a variety of colours of the sedimentary layers shaped 252 million years ago, before the stage finishes on the fourth-generation farm of the Kingwills – where deep agricultural heritage meets deep geological pre-history. Justin Kingwill lines up in 2026 to race across his own ancestral terrain.
The Ride:
Robert Sobukwe Town/Graaff-Reinet sits cupped in a vast basin like an oasis in the Great Karoo. After rolling through historic streets and out of town, the route turns right onto gravel and the road climbs steadily toward Conical Peak and the first Padstal of the 2026 race. Heading across expansive working sheep farms, riders would do well to find good company in a cooperative bunch, especially on the final 30-kilometre section where the notorious Karoo afternoon winds often prevail. Crossing into the sanctuary of Blaauwater marks the triumphant completion of the opening leg, welcoming riders into the event’s original Burn Camp – the site of the prototype lapa. Near the finish line, over 20 of these circular tent layouts surround flickering fires with bedouin canopies dotted in-between where nourishing meals are served and stories are shared.
The Race:
There is no warm-up on Stage 1. Pros and Age Group racers – many of whom are podium hopefuls – begin their hunt for the prizes. The start gun is replaced by the call of the Kudu horn, setting off the riders on their podium quests. Early splits on the first climb are guaranteed and some “vasbyt” will be in order in the opening half of the stage for those looking to be in the mix for the finale. Another ambush is set for the final 30 kilometres as the strongest use the will-sapping false-flats, chunky surfaces and relentless headwinds to their advantage. Losing the wheel in front here means surrendering precious minutes to rivals before the opening day is over.
Blaauwater to Blaauwater
Stage 2 - Navigate by the mountain
Race: 111km, 1450m ascent, 1450m descent
Compassberg’s towering dolerite cap is an ancient volcanic intrusion, hardened against millions of years of Karoo erosion. In a single 60-kilometre loop around its base, riders cross seven million years of fossil-bearing rock, a landscape that has drawn some of the world’s leading palaeontologists. Beneath the mountain lies Nieu Bethesda, a village seemingly lost to time. Perhaps most famous for Helen Martins’ Owl House, it was also here that the landscape became the muse for playwright Athol Fugard’s The Road to Mecca. Artists and sheep farmers alike have continued to carve out a life here, far removed from the modern world.
The Ride:
From Blaauwater, riders set out to circumnavigate Compassberg, the Eastern Cape’s highest peak at 2 502 metres, its towering summit a comforting orientation point in an ever-shifting landscape. Riders wanting to soak it all up will find a steady rhythm, look around, breathe it in and let the terrain dictate the pace. Intense climbs result in sweeping descents, which in turn reveal expansive vistas across mountain valleys before the route threads through the village of Nieu Bethesda. Two Padstals, stocked with AMACX nutrition, will keep riders fuelled up, leaving them with enough in the tank for Owl Hill and a final steady climb. They’ll need to stay alert for the white-hot descent back into Blaauwater.
The Race:
Stage 2 demands brawn, brains and bravery in equal measure. Those chasing Ember Leader Jerseys, Toyota Power Climber prizes and the Teams Classification must stay in contact with the sharp end of the field on the punchy ascents around the base of Compassberg. Skill and risk management comes to the fore on high-speed downhill sections over surfaces that rattle bones, bolts and bottles. The riders willing to push the limits can distance their rivals here, before the Tafelkop finale and the last descent into Burn Camp.
Blaauwater to Merino
Stage 3 - The country changes colour
Race: 137km, 1550m ascent, 1450m descent
Cresting Swaershoek Pass reveals one of South Africa’s most dramatic changes of scenery. The arid, ironstone-strewn plains of the Great Karoo suddenly surrender to rolling, vivid high-altitude grasslands. Locals say “you ride out of Scotland and drop into Ireland”, and from the saddle, it is easy to see why. This high mountain basin is the heartland of South Africa’s finest Merino sheep, where generations of wool farmers have raised prized bloodlines and produced world-class natural fibre on historic frontier farms like Willie Jordan’s Merino, where the race stays for two nights.
The Ride:
This transition stage marks a shift in the landscape and the gravel. It offers the widest variety of surfaces, from minimum maintenance tracks to pristine paved roads. After riders turn off the rough paths out of Blaauwater, they will welcome the smooth tarmac. There is still work to be done though, on a major climb that tops out at 1 730 metres – the highest point in the stage – on Wapadsberg Pass. The whole field will relish the “free kilometres” as they settle into cooperative pacelines. After 80 kilometres they’ll be back on gravel, meandering alongside the Great Fish River towards Nxuba. Then comes Swaershoek Pass, a steady, majestic climb – the defining physical challenge of the day. With official stage timing stopping at the orange windmill marking the finish at the summit, riders catch their breath and take in the panorama before descending on the untimed liaison section into Merino Burn Camp.
The Race:
The prizes of the day will go to the riders who balance power, pack skills, politics and risk. Anyone’s strengths and weaknesses could potentially be exposed. The first major climb will force decisions – whether to hang on to the fast climbers and hope to form a cohesive group, or to hang back and save it all for Swaershoek Pass. If the Karoo sun is out, the heat will add another dimension, turning every pedal stroke into a test of resolve.
Merino to Merino
Stage 4 - The shortest day
Race: 61km, 550m ascent, 550m descent
Tucked into a natural amphitheatre beneath towering mountain ridges, for most of the year, the only traffic on Merino’s dirt road is the farm’s own. When fourth-generation sheep farmer Willie Jordan was first introduced to the idea of a global cycling community descending on his remote property it seemed almost impossible to imagine. Now, as the sun drops behind the mountains, Merino comes alive, and thousands of stars light a sky so vast that the Burn Camp seems to disappear beneath it.
The Ride:
Stage 4 is a midweek “break”, making for some extra recovery time – a relatively flat 61-kilometre loop. Riders set off on a fast, rolling course and by midday should be showered and settled into Burn Camp, cold drink in hand. A headline moment is the Red Bull KM: 1 000 metres of pure gravel speed, power, energy and a shot at Night Burn qualification. Times are indexed against overall GC standing, with riders posting the greatest positive difference punching their ticket to race under the floodlights at Shamwari on Friday night.
The Race:
Stage 4 is sure to deliver the fastest average speeds of the week. With few selective climbs along the route, it’s likely to be a group of top professionals arriving at the finish, favouring the sprinters.
The remaining three stages of the Nedbank Gravel Burn, following the route from Merino to Shamwari Private Game Reserve, will be covered soon. Expect more speed, more intensity, more gravel and more breathtaking Karoo landscapes.
