Gravel Burn has been launched and there’s a distinct low-level buzz of anticipation. The fact that it’s been launched by Cape Epic founder, Kevin Vermaak, is the reason for the buzz. Is he a visionary? Will his next project become the next big thing? What will an entry cost? Will gravel racing explode or fade? Here are some burning questions about Gravel Burn – with answers.
By Sean Badenhorst
A few months ago we interviewed Vermaak to find out what he was doing since selling what has become the world’s most prestigious mountain bike stage race. Turns out he was unable to do anything in the cycling space because he was living out the two-year restraint that was part of his sale contract to the new owners of the Absa Cape Epic. But once that period ended in June 2024, he began working on the launch of Gravel Burn, a seven-day 850km gravel stage race in South Africa.
Why? Well, according Vermaak, he missed the challenge involved in building a world class experience. His creative side was also gagging for a new canvas…
“With the Cape Epic, we launched what seemed like something quite crazy and built it over time into something quite special – and the best of its kind in the world. There was a lot of innovation, which I love. The UCI eventually adopted our rules as the de facto rules for two-person team MTB stage racing. Many other mountain bike stage races launched after the Cape Epic, which essentially led the way,” said Vermaak.
“Gravel racing has been established as a category but that still has tremendous growth potential – perhaps a bit like MTB back in 2004 when I started the Cape Epic. There aren’t many significant pro-am gravel stage races in the world – ones that attract hundreds of serious amateurs but also riders that competed in the recent UCI Gravel World Championships. With Gravel Burn, we hope to create such a pro-am gravel stage race, much like we did with the Cape Epic. We are undoubtedly going to be creative and innovative with Gravel Burn,” added Vermaak.
The race itself will start in Knysna on the coast and head inland (west) through the Great Karoo, a large semi-desert region before turning east, north and then south to the finish venue at Shamwari, a five-star Big Five Game Reserve. The majority of the race will be held in the Eastern Cape, a rugged, yet beautiful province that, save for a couple of annual events, is relatively unexplored by bicycle.
“We started the first stage of the Cape Epic in Knysna for the first five years, so there’s a nostalgic link with that town. Other than that, and the fact that it’s a week-long bicycle stage race, everything else about Gravel Burn is quite different from the Cape Epic,” said Vermaak.
You’ll note that he said “we”. Well, at the event launch at WeWork, Cape Town (WeWork is Gravel Burn’s HQ and is also Gravel Burn’s first official sponsor), it was evident that Vermaak has got a few members of his original ‘gang’ back together for Gravel Burn. Richard McMartin and Steve Thomas were part of the original Cape Epic race organising team. Also present at the launch were Neil Gardiner and Jennifer Welzel, who were part of building the Cape Epic through its formative years and are now back at Vermaak’s side to commit their experience, skill and passion in Gravel Burn.
Experience is a big thing in major events. While Gravel Burn is brand new, the people behind it most certainly aren’t…
Gravel Burn is a full-service gravel stage race. Full service means that meals, drinks and accommodation are all included in the entry fee, which will be announced well before entries open on 3 December 2024. We have heard that it will be cheaper per rider than the Absa Cape Epic entry fee.
There are very limited urban areas in the Great Karoo, so all Gravel Burn entrants will be accommodated in Burn Camps, which will offer comfortable, individual tented accommodation with access to electricity. The race date (late October) should ensure there is limited, if any rain and moderate-to-hot daytime temperatures with cooler, but not cold, nights.
There will not be an eBike category and all riders must use a drop-bar gravel bike. Fitting a drop-bar to a mountain bike will be permitted. Elite men and women will be paid equal prizemoney, the value of which will be confirmed once a title sponsor has been announced. All other UCI age categories from 35 years and older – in five-year increments – will be recognised with leader jerseys and final GC trophies.
The quality of gravel roads varies significantly in South Africa. From severe corrugations, stones and soft sand on the one end to graded, firm and smooth on the other end. According to the organisers, the roads on the Gravel Burn route will be ‘pure gravel heaven’. Where necessary, the gravel roads on the route will be graded to ensure a good quality route experience.
To raise awareness of the inaugural Gravel Burn, Vermaak and his team are hosting Firestarters in the major cycling centres in South Africa. These evenings are designed to offer a relaxed environment with drinks and snacks where Vermaak describes what Gravel Burn will be in some detail and also answer questions.
The Cape Town Firestarter was held last week at East City Cycles with Johannesburg on Tuesday 15 October at Mellow Velo (register here to attend); and Pretoria on Wednesday 16 October at Lynnwood Cyclery (register here to attend). Stellenbosch (22 October) and Durbanville (5 November) will follow, with a European Firestarter in Zurich on 19 November.
More than 20 years after launching the Cape Epic, which would become the world standard by which other mountain bike stage races are measured, the cycling event landscape is very different. Although it will be classified as an international race, the majority of the Gravel Burn entries in the launch year are likely to be South Africans.
With the exception of the Absa Cape Epic, mountain bike stage-race entry numbers in South Africa began to drop before the Covid disruption. And have struggled to return to hey-day numbers since, with most reporting a 25-30% decrease on peak numbers. A new generation of cyclists, who don’t place high value on endurance or multi-day challenges, are entering the market; and a battered economy has hit ‘nice-to-have’ lifestyle segments, including cycling, quite hard.
If ever there wasn’t a good time to launch a new South African stage race, it’s now. But think back to when Vermaak launched the Cape Epic. Despite loads of challenges, he and his team made it work. The inaugural event didn’t run as smoothly as planned. But the real test was in rider satisfaction. When the entries for the second edition opened, they were eagerly scooped up. Success!
With the significant experience Vermaak and his team have now, the inaugural edition of Gravel Burn is sure to run smoothly. It’s certainly something fresh. Gravel riding and racing seems to have passed the fad phase and, like tubeless tyres, 29-inch wheels, 1x drivetrains, dropper seatposts, hydraulic disc brakes and eBikes, is here to stay. Gravel Burn will certainly make an impression on the local and international cycling scene. Will it be the next big thing? Time will tell…
To find out more about Gravel Burn, click on the race website here.
