Who to watch at the 2026 Gravel Burn
The second edition of the Nedbank Gravel Burn kicks off today, with plenty of big names to watch – from mountain bike world champions and road stars to top gravel specialists. Riders from 33 countries will spend seven gruelling days grinding 750 kilometres through the ever-changing landscapes of the Karoo, from Robert Sobukwe Town/Graaff-Reinet to the wildlife-rich terrain of the Shamwari Private Game Reserve.
Among the top South African men in contention is Matt Beers, 2025 Nedbank Gravel Burn champion, four-time Cape Epic winner and two-time South African Gravel Champion. He’s shown consistent form all year, making him the man to beat. Marco Joubert is another local rider to watch. The 2026 South African Gravel Champ finished seventh in at Gravel Burn last year, after finishing third at the 2025 Cape Epic. His endurance is his strong suit, and he loves to ride far. Tristan Nortje, this year’s Epic winner alongside Beers, and Marc Pritzen, SA’s 2026 MTB marathon champ, are also part of a strong SA line-up that includes Luke Moir, Travis Stedman and Ryan Gibbons.
In the women’s field, South Africa’s Hayley Preen will be looking to improve on her third place at last year’s Gravel Burn. Preen, a two-time African Gravel Champion, comes in hot from a successful US gravel season (she’s currently sitting fourth overall in the Life Time Grand Prix Series). Maddie Le Roux will start alongside her, looking strong after taking ninth overall at the 2026 Tour Cycliste International Féminin Du Burundi.
Competing against them are some big international names. Brazilian mountain-bike legend Henrique Avancini, a two-time MTB Marathon World Champ and multiple Cape Epic stage winner, is a hot favourite after clinching two major gravel titles in his home country earlier this year, and finishing 11th at the recent Gravel World Champs in Australia. German Andreas Seewald, fresh off winning his second MTB Marathon World Champ title, also looks strong, as does Switzerland’s Simon Pellaud, who came second to Beers last year. Germany’s Lukas Baum and Georg Egger, winners of the 2022 Cape Epic, will also be on the starting line.
The international women’s field is just as exciting. Last year’s champion, Axelle Dubau-Prévôt, is back in the Karoo, where she’ll face stiff competition from Canadian star Alison Jackson, the 2023 Paris-Roubais winner. Nathalie Eklund, who’s won the Swedish national gravel title twice, and Germany’s Carolin Schiff, a former Unbound Gravel 200 winner, also bring strong credentials. And fresh from top 10 finishes at the 2026 Gravel World Champs in Nannup come the Netherlands’ Larissa Hartog (third), Germany’s Nele Laing (fourth) and Switzerland’s Irina Lützelschwab (seventh).
Gravel Bike Magazine caught up with some of the stars in the lead-up to the race. Henrique Avancini told us why he thinks his skillset suits gravel, and shared some key advice for making it through seven tough days in the saddle. “Managing your effort and how you deliver it is what counts the most,” he says. “Set good habits and organise yourself and your time well. The small actions, like cleaning yourself and eating and drinking properly, will make a huge impact after a few days of racing.”
Marco Joubert shared both his love for gravel riding as well as smart bike setup advice with us. He swears by tyre inserts, and says tyre pressure is a key thing to get right on rough Karoo roads. The 29-year-old riding in the SA Champs jersey will bring his punchy style and plenty of well-honed long-distance strategy to the race.
French rider and the defending women’s champ Axelle Dubau-Prévôt provided plenty of drama last year. After wearing the leaders jersey for two days, a puncture took her out of GC contention – or so everyone thought. Sitting nine minutes behind the leaders, she put on an incredible fight in the last stage to take a convincing victory. She says, “I was just racing hard, trying to finish the race and get everything I had left out of myself. The fact that it ended with me winning was a pretty incredible surprise.” If she brings that same grit and determination to this year’s race, she’ll certainly be a contender to watch.
With a stacked field of top-tier talent battling it out over 750 kilometres of rugged Karoo gravel, it's set to be an intense week of racing. We can’t wait for the show!
