The "gravel Cape Epic" premieres this week with Tom Pidcock, Lachlan Morton, and Matthew Beers on its starting grid

The gravel scene continues to grow and its calendar now includes a new stage race that promises to become one of the most iconic in a short time. Gravel Burn 2025 will celebrate its first edition between October 26 and November 1, 2025, with a route of 800 kilometers and 11,000 meters of positive elevation gain through the remote region of the Great Karoo in South Africa.

Gravel Burn is born, the new adventure from the founder of the Cape Epic with Tom Pidcock among the participants

The event is a creation of Kevin Vermaak, founder of the legendary Cape Epic, and is presented as its gravel version. A premium category event, but with a major difference from its "big sister", in Gravel Burn cyclists compete individually, without teammates, and must do so with a gravel handlebar bike (not flat).

The route will traverse the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces, combining fast tracks with tough and technical sections, as well as areas where wildlife will be the protagonist.

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The event will have its own accommodation system in the so-called "Burn Camps", authentic luxury camps where the riders will coexist each night under the African sky.

The route will start in Knysna, also the starting point of the Cape Epic, and will end in the private reserve of Shamwari. There will be seven stages with varied profiles, with point-to-point routes predominating:

• Stage 1 (Knysna - Avontuur): 80 km / 2,000 m+, with the demanding climb to Prince Alfred's Pass, setting the tone for the race.
• Stage 2 (Avontuur - Willowmore): 108 km / 1,150 m+, with the ascent to The Shallot and the Red Bull Kilometre segment, which will serve as a classification for a special night time trial with Tom Pidcock.
• Stage 3 (Graaff Reinet - Blaauwater): 90 km / 1,450 m+, stage divided into two halves with the climb to Conical Peak and a fast finish.
• Stage 4 (Blaauwater - Blaauwater): 111 km / 1,450 m+, the only loop stage and entirely on gravel, reaching the highest point of the race (1,894 m).
• Stage 5 (Blaauwater - Merino): 137 km / 1,580 m+, with a summit finish at Swaershoek Pass, at 1,616 m altitude.
• Stage 6 (Merino - Gwanishi): 144 km / 1,700 m+, the queen stage, the longest and most demanding terrain.
• Stage 7 (Gwanishi - Shamwari): 112 km / 1,250 m+, final stage through African savannas and arrival at the heart of the natural reserve.

A luxury lineup: Pidcock, Beers, Morton, and Brownlee among the confirmed

The event will have a total prize of $150,000, divided equally between the male and female professional categories. The starting list includes top names such as Tom Pidcock, Lachlan Morton, Matthew Beers, Cameron Wurf, Alistair Brownlee, Andreas Seewald, Koen Bouwman, and Peter Stetina, among others.

In the women's category, standout riders include Alison Jackson, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, Lauren Stephens, Melisa Rollins, and Axelle Dubau-Prévot, in a peloton that will bring together 25 riders.

With production inspired by the standards of the Cape Epic, Gravel Burn aims to become a global reference for stage gravel events. There will be no live broadcast due to lack of coverage in the most remote areas, but each day will have summaries on the official YouTube channel and social media of the event.

A seven-day adventure promising unique landscapes, top-level competition, and an African experience that is hard to match.