Nele Laing has put the women’s race on notice at Nedbank Gravel Burn 2026, winning Stage 1 on 25 October after 90km and 1,450m of climbing from Union High School in Robert Sobukwe Town / Graaff-Reinet to Blaauwater Farm.
The Canyon DT Swiss ATR rider took the first women’s Orange Jersey as general classification leader, as well as the Toyota Power Climber jersey, after attacking on Conical Peak and then holding off American Alexis Skarda in a two-up sprint. Up front, it was a proper Karoo hello: hot, exposed, and not remotely interested in easing anyone into the week.
More than 400 riders from 33 countries started the seven-day South African gravel stage race, which covers 750km through the Eastern Cape and finishes in Big 5 territory at Shamwari Private Game Reserve. Riders are based together in purpose-built Burn Camps as the route moves through the Great Karoo’s remote semi-desert landscapes.
Laing makes her move on Conical Peak
The women’s field stayed together through the early kilometres as the route tilted upwards, with the bigger selection arriving on the slopes of Conical Peak. Laing made her move there, opening a gap before the technical descent and building a lead of around 40 seconds over a chase group that included Skarda, Hayley Preen, Clara Koppenburg, Elena Hartmann and Nathalie Eklund.
After the main river crossing, which was deeper than on the same stage last year, Skarda bridged across to Laing. With around 14km remaining, the pair were together at the front while Koppenburg, Eklund and Preen chased behind.
Preen then launched her own move just before the culvert under the national road, riding clear of her group but unable to reach the two leaders. Laing and Skarda worked together to the finish, where Laing had the kick to win by three seconds. Skarda was second, with Preen third at 1:18.
Skarda described the finish as difficult to read, saying it was tough to see the actual line and therefore hard to judge the pacing. She added that she knew Laing would be hard to sprint and that she “just didn’t have the legs” at the end.
Laing said she had been excited from the start and expected the main climb to suit her. She said she went hard on the climb, managed to get away, and was worried in the sprint because she was “pretty cooked” and not used to the heat anymore. Once Skarda had not made the first move, Laing decided she needed to go.
Stage 1 results and GC
Because it was the opening day, the Stage 1 results and the general classification are identical. In the Pro Women’s race, Laing leads in 03:08:07, ahead of Skarda of SCOTT-SRAM in 03:08:10, three seconds back. South Africa’s Hayley Preen of ChemChamp Honeycomb sits third in 03:09:25, 1:18 down.
In the Pro Men’s race, Mattia De Marchi of The Grip won Stage 1 and took the first men’s Orange Jersey in 02:36:49. Marco Willie Joubert of Toyota Specialized Imbuko was second in 02:37:02, 13 seconds back, with teammate Travis Stedman third on the same time.
Stage 2: Blaauwater, Compassberg and Kom Pass
Stage 2 on 26 October sends riders on a 105km anticlockwise gravel loop from Blaauwater Farm, with 1,450m of climbing and a hilltop finish. The route circumnavigates Compassberg, passes through the Sneeuberg Nature Reserve, and is dominated by the 2,500m peak that once served as a beacon for early aviators flying between Cape Town and Johannesburg.
The organiser expects the steep slopes of Tafelkop to offer an early launchpad, before Leeukop hosts the Toyota Power Climb. Kom Pass, the race’s highest point at 1,894m, is expected to be a key place for gaps to open, with a technical descent ready to tax any sleepy hands or wandering minds. After Nieu-Bethesda, riders face Owl Hill and a second ascent of Tafelkop on the way to the finish.