Gallery Update

CYCLING NEWS - Eddy Le Huitouze and Nele Laing claimed victory in Stage 3 of the Nedbank Gravel Burn 2026, conquering the demanding Swaershoek Pass in the Karoo on Tuesday, 27 October.

Le Huitouze (The Grip) proved strongest in the Pro Men’s race, pulling away from Simon Pellaud (Cervélo Assos Maxxis) on the steep final climb to win in 3:45:00. Pellaud finished 46 seconds behind, with Le Huitouze’s teammate Jordy Bouts third, 1 minute 47 seconds off the pace.

In the Pro Women’s race, Laing (Canyon DT Swiss ATR) continued her impressive form, claiming her second stage victory of the week in 4:38:47. Hayley Preen (ChemChamp Honeycomb) finished second, 19 seconds behind, while Alexis Skarda (SCOTT-SRAM) took third, 36 seconds adrift.

The 137km stage from Blaauwater Farm to Merino featured 1 550m of climbing and presented riders with a different challenge from the previous stages. With long stretches of tar, strong crosswinds and almost 40km of gravel farm roads, positioning and teamwork played a crucial role before the decisive ascent of Swaershoek Pass.

The Toyota Power Climb section covered 5km, with gradients reaching 15%, making it the day's defining test.

Gravel Burn Stage 3. Photo: Daryan Rowe

Beers holds narrow overall lead

The crosswinds caused splits in the men's field, with several riders forming a breakaway before a chasing group caught them. The enlarged leading group eventually opened a gap of 1 minute 40 seconds on the main bunch, which included overall race leader Matt Beers (Toyota Specialized).

Beers and his rivals eventually regrouped for the final climb, where Le Huitouze made his decisive move.

“I was quite confident for the climb even though I am not used to the altitude,” said Le Huitouze. “Fortunately I managed to hold it together to the end and it was quite perfect.”

Despite finishing outside the stage podium, Beers retained the Orange Leader Jersey. He leads Filippo Colombo (SCOTT-SRAM) by just 31 seconds, with Tristan Nortje (Toyota Specialized Imbuko) third overall, 50 seconds behind Beers.

Nortje's strong performance on Swaershoek also earned him the Toyota Power Climber Jersey.

With four stages remaining, Beers acknowledged that the overall contest remains wide open.

“A 31-second lead is nothing. It’s tight and it’s going to remain tight throughout,” he said.

Stage 3 Gravel Burn. Photo: Fahwaaz Cornelius

Laing extends her dominance

Laing strengthened her position in the women's general classification with another commanding performance on the final climb.

The women's field completed the stage 22 minutes and 45 seconds faster than riders on the same route at the 2025 event, highlighting the pace of this year's race.

After remaining together over Wapadsberg Pass, the riders faced a demanding crosswind section and rough farm roads before regrouping ahead of Swaershoek.

With 16km remaining, the race intensified as Laing, Preen, Skarda and Alison Jackson (St Michel – Preference Home – Auber93) moved clear of the bunch.

Jackson attacked on the lower slopes of the final climb, but the others caught her on the steeper gradients. Laing then launched her own move and rode clear to secure the win, while Jackson finished eighth.

Laing said she had felt better than expected after crashing the previous day.

“To have the Orange Jersey, the Toyota Power Climber Jersey and get the stage win is pretty amazing,” she said, praising her teammates for their support.

Laing now leads Preen by 58 seconds in the general classification. Clara Marie Koppenburg (Tudor Pro Cycling) is third, 4 minutes 12 seconds behind.

Stage 3 Gravel Burn. Photo: Fahwaaz Cornelius

Stage 3 results

Pro Men

1. Eddy Le Huitouze (The Grip) – 3:45:00
2. Simon Pellaud (Cervélo Assos Maxxis) – 3:45:46 (+46 seconds)
3. Jordy Bouts (The Grip) – 3:46:47 (+1:47)

Pro Women

1. Nele Laing (Canyon DT Swiss ATR) – 4:38:47
2. Hayley Preen (ChemChamp Honeycomb) – 4:39:06 (+19 seconds)
3. Alexis Skarda (SCOTT-SRAM) – 4:39:23 (+36 seconds)

General classification after Stage 3

Pro Men

1. Matt Beers (Toyota Specialized) – 9:23:19
2. Filippo Colombo (SCOTT-SRAM) – 9:23:50 (+31 seconds)
3. Tristan Nortje (Toyota Specialized Imbuko) – 9:24:09 (+50 seconds)

Pro Women

1. Nele Laing (Canyon DT Swiss ATR) – 11:29:25
2. Hayley Preen (ChemChamp Honeycomb) – 11:30:23 (+58 seconds)
3. Clara Marie Koppenburg (Tudor Pro Cycling) – 11:33:37 (+4:12)

Stage 4: Shorter distance, higher speeds

Stage 4 brings a shorter challenge, with riders tackling a 61km loop expected to produce some of the fastest racing of the week.

The route includes Shepherd’s Cog and Grootdam before the Toyota Power Climb at Klein-Visrivier. The Red Bull KM will provide another key test, with riders competing over a 1km stretch of gravel for a place in the Night Burn.

With fewer major climbs to separate the contenders, a large group could reach the finish together, setting up a potential sprint showdown.

Four stages remain in the race, which concludes at Shamwari.

READ MORE: Stage 2 Gravel Burn: Colombo edges Beers as Preen claims maiden gravel burn stage victory

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