The second edition of the South African Gravel Championships will take place at the Harvard House GoGravel Midlands, in Karkloof, KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday 13 August. The brand-new 140km race has attracted a strong field, comprising mountain bikers, road racers and Gravel racers, including 2022 national men’s champion, Matt Beers.
By Sean Badenhorst
There are very few Gravel racers in South Africa. That is riders that only race Gravel. Gravel purists if you will. That’s mostly because the discipline is so new (the first national championships were held last year only) and partly because there is such a strong mountain bike racing calendar, which offers world-class races, excellent media coverage and attractive prize money. But as Gravel racing continues to mature, that is sure to change, with more an more Gravel racers emerging.
Looking at the entry list for Sunday’s Harvard House GoGravel Midlands 140km race, there’s a very distinctive mix of riders from different disciplines. Primarily a mountain bike racer, Beers (intro photo) won the inaugural national Elite Men’s Gravel title last year and, earlier this year he raced to a few top 10 finishes at some of the biggest Gravel races in the United States, the spiritual and physical home of the discipline. He’s undoubtedly one of the world’s best Gravel racers.
The tall Capetonian just finished 20th at last Sunday’s UCI Marathon World Championships in Scotland, where the grim weather and technical nature of the course weren’t in Beers’ favour. This Sunday, however, that will be completely different. The forecast is for a sunny and warm day and the majority of the route is on undulating gravel roads through the scenic Midlands.
Beers, winner of the 2021 and 2023 Absa Cape Epic, can deliver sustained periods of immense power and will undoubtedly start as the favourite in the Elite Men’s race. Others who have excelled in Gravel races and are likely to challenge for the medals include Beers’ Toyota Specialized teammate, Tristan Nortje, winner of the Prince George Memorial 100 Miler last year; and Brandon Downes (TEG Pro Cycling), winner of the Shesha Fuels Gravel Travel 100 Miler last Saturday and the Underberg Gran Fondo less than a fortnight ago.
Team Imbuko Giant’s Franko van Zyl of the Western Cape is also on the entry list. He won The Gallows gravel race in early June and finished third at the Ronde van Riebeeck gravel race in May. His teammates that are sure to also be in the Elite Men’s medal hunt this Sunday include Pieter du Toit, multiple Cape Epic stage winner and Wessel Botha, 2021 winner and record-holder of the Attakwas Extreme MTB Challenge.
The Titan Racing Valley Electrical pro MTB team brings former national Marathon and XCO champion, Gert Heyns to the Midlands, along with strong hybrid racers, Matthew Keyser and Rossouw Bekker. Dusty Day from North West will line up on Sunday too. The former road pro won the gruelling News24 Karoo Burn earlier this year and was the bronze medallist at the 2022 SA Gravel Champs. CP van Wyk of the Insect Science Pro MTB team, fourth at the 2022 SA Gravel Champs; and top XCO racers, Jan Withaar (24/7 Security – Merida) and Michael Foster (Pyga Euro Steel) are also entered and undoubtedly bolster the depth of the Elite Men’s field.
Although the distance may be a bit short for him, a man that must also be mentioned as a top contender is Kevin Benkenstein. ‘Benky’, a Karkloof local, helped design Sunday’s race route and is a previous winner of The Munga as well as other ultra-endurance races.
Several strong veteran road and mountain bike racer’s names are also on the start list. While they may no longer be as fast as they once were, they have years of conditioning and the ability to suffer over a long distance, which are undoubtedly requirements for Gravel-racing success.
With all three of last year’s medallists not racing, the Elite Women’s entire podium is an open affair. Hayley Preen won’t be defending her title because she is contesting the UCI Road Race World Champs for South Africa in Scotland on Sunday. Last year’s runner-up, Amy Wakefield, is on a racing break currently; and last year’s bronze medallist, Catherine Colyn is racing the Leadville 100 in Colorado USA this weekend.
Multiple South African road and mountain bike champion, Cherise Willeit will be among the favourites to claim the Elite Women’s title. She won The Gallows and Ronde van Riebeeck Gravel races in the Western Cape recently. Willeit will be backed by her Sandton City Cycle Nation teammates, Joanna van der Winkel, winner of the recent Underberg Gran Fondo and Lize-Ann Louw.
Ultra-distance racer, Bianca Cooper, winner of The Munga last year and Ford Cullinan 2 Tonteldoos this year is also on the start list and must be considered a podium challenger, while Rebecca van Huysteen, the 2022 Sub-Vet Gravel champion, will surely be an overall podium challenger too. She finished third at the last year’s edition of The Munga and was runner-up at the 2023 edition of The 36ONE MTB Challenge.
Although advertised at 140km, the final route distance is 134km with 2600 metres of ascent. This event is for riders aged 19-59 and will incorporate Elite Men and Women and all Sub-Veteran, Veteran and Master age divisions. The first 20km is mostly climbing and will ensure the field is spread out before the first major descent.
The 100km race is open to anyone 19 years or older and it will the event that riders 60 and older can contest the SA Gravel Champs titles. There is also a 60km distance event that’s ideal for those getting into Gravel racing and looking for a challenge that’s not too difficult.
“We’re excited to be granted the hosting rights for the 2023 South African Gravel Champs at our inaugural race, but it’s also important to note that the Harvard House GoGrave Midlands will be an annual event. We are looking forward to the race becoming a highlight on the calendar as we play our part in growing the Gravel racing scene in KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa,” said Devlin Fogg, Event Director.
Online entries have closed, but late entries will be accepted with a late fee. For more details, click here.
