Stage 1 Racing News | 2026 Nedbank Gravel Burn

Mattia De Marchi (The Grip) and Nele Laing (Canyon DT Swiss ATR) claimed opening stage wins of Nedbank Gravel Burn and at the same time the first Orange (GC leader) Jerseys of the 2026 race. The Karoo wasted no time showing its teeth. Stage 1 sent more than 400 riders from 33 countries out of Union High School in Robert Sobukwe Town / Graaff-Reinet and into 90 kilometres of unrelenting gravel and 1,450 metres of climbing on the road to Blaauwater Farm. Under endless blue skies and the blazing Karoo sun, the opening stage laid down a clear marker for the week ahead: there would be no easy days. For much of the field, the goal was to soak up the unique, remote beauty of the region and savour the experience, even beyond the finish. At the front, however, the ambition was singular: to stake a claim on the race on the first day.