Nedbank Gravel Burn: marking the beginning of a new era in cycling

Signing a landmark five-year partnership with Nedbank as our Title Sponsor, we officially name the event Nedbank Gravel Burn. This marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the seven-day, 850km stage race, charting a course through some of South Africa’s most spectacular and untamed landscapes.
ChemChamp Joins as Official Infrastructure and Sustainability Partner

Nedbank Gravel Burn is proud to welcome ChemChamp as the Official Infrastructure and Sustainability Partner for the inaugural 2025 race. This partnership marks a significant investment in the infrastructure of the Burn Camps, ensuring that riders experience comfort and reliability even in the remote heart of the Karoo. Beyond elevating this rider experience, ChemChamp’s involvement will also leave a lasting impact on the farms and communities that host the event.
Toyota South Africa ready to fuel Nedbank Gravel Burn adventure
As a founding Headline Sponsor and Official Vehicle Partner, we’re proud to announce that Toyota South Africa Motors is now on board. Toyota’s pioneering spirit is the perfect match for our mission – to showcase South Africa’s most spectacular and diverse landscapes, thriving cycling culture and unmatched adventure.
Raising the heat
Gravel Burn received the perfect Christmas present near the end of December… a title sponsor! The name is still under wraps but what you might have seen is one immediate consequence of this: we announced a $150,000 prize purse for the event, making it the largest single-race prize in the history of gravel bike racing…
Former Road World Champion Set to Make It a Family Affair in October
Maurizio Fondriest has just entered Nedbank Gravel Burn, starting 2025 with the ultimate thrill of a new challenge. The Italian cycling legend will share the experience with his daughter Carlotta. In the year of his 60th birthday, the 1988 Road World Champion from Ronse is preparing for an adventure where he will relive some of the most memorable moments of his career, highlighted by his world title and victories at Milan–San Remo, La Flèche Wallonne, Tirreno–Adriatico, and two stages of the Giro d’Italia.
Gravel Burn Sets A New Bar, Announcing Record-Breaking Prize Purse
Today Gravel Burn has officially announced its prize money for its inaugural race, set at $150,000—the largest single-race prize purse in gravel racing. This milestone has been made possible by the signing of their title sponsorship, a significant turning point for the 2025 event.
Forging ahead
It’s been a while since my last blog. My excuse is that I’ve been wholly consumed by the act of organising the race which has left me no time to also write about the organising! To be honest, it all feels a bit like 2004 again and those wild times before we staged our first Cape Epic.
The stoke
Well, it’s been a busy time since my last blog. Among the many developments two things stand out: Trial Burn and our first formal presentation of Gravel Burn to the media. Both mark significant milestones in our new event’s young history, and the Gravel Burn team and I believe that they’ve set the bar for things to come…
Hello World
Some of you will know me as the founder of the Cape Epic (I started work on that a full 20 years ago now!). Well, I’m now planning something in a different – but also familiar – space.
After selling the Cape Epic to The Ironman Group in 2017 – but staying on in a consulting capacity – I finally said goodbye to the event at the end of 2022…