Gravel Burn: Lauren Stephens Claims Tactical Win on Stage 3

Lauren Stephens (Aegis Cycling Foundation) of the United States timed a final attack to perfection on the 90km Stage 3 of the Nedbank Gravel Burn to claim the win after a day of tactical racing in the Pro Women’s race. South Africa’s Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Insurance Soudal) finished as the runner-up on the stage, which took riders from Union High School in Graaff-Reinet to Blaauwater Farm beneath the Compassberg.

Haley Smith (Trek Driftless / MAAP / COROS / The Feed) of Canada finished third on a stage that featured six riders in contention for victory up until the very final metres. Axelle Dubau-Prevot (Numéro 31 par Café du Cycliste / Pinarello) was fourth on the day and maintains her overall lead in the general classification; Moolman-Pasio is second on the GC, just 12 seconds behind Dubau-Prevot.

Stage 3 took the Gravel Burn riders from Graaff Reinet to Blaauwater Farm. Photo by Paul Ganse/Gravel Burn.

Classic Karoo blue skies and cool, calm conditions greeted Nedbank Gravel Burn participants on the morning of Stage 3. The Union High School marimba band set the scene for the day, showcasing their musical skills, watched by some of the world’s best cyclists. The plink and plonk of the marimba keys quickly gave way to the start signal – the blowing of the Kudu horn, with riders heading out of Graaff Reinet on a short neutral tar section before hitting the Karoo gravel for the day.

For the first few kilometres of the Pro Women’s race, the field remained in one large group, but from the 10km mark onwards, riders began to drop off the pace, leaving eight riders alone as Conical Peak – the biggest climb of the day – approached. From the top of Conical Peak, the group split further, but regathered to stay together all the way to the finish line.

Riding the gravel pace line. Photo by Fahwaaz Cornelius/Gravel Burn.

Chances Missed, Opportunities Taken

South Africa’s Hayley Preen (ChemChamp Honeycomb 226ers) was in contention again, until she suffered her second consecutive day of bad luck. As was the case on Stage 2, Preen was well-positioned going into the home stretch. This time, instead of an untimely puncture, her front hub became entangled in wire. She stopped to remove the offending item, ultimately losing three minutes on the leaders.

Stephens, tactical throughout the day, sat at the back of the pack and launched her attack with around 300m to go. Having conserved her energy to maximum effect, she was able to hold off a charging Haley Smith for the stage win.

Lauren Stephens executed her tactics to perfection. Photo by Fahwaaz Cornelius/Gravel Burn.

“I haven’t felt great the first few days of the race,” said Stephens, “So I am happy that things came right today and that I was able to ride to my ability. I knew going into the stage there wasn’t really much that was going to be decisive on the course, so my goal from the beginning was always to stay with the front group and be patient for as long as I could.”

With some big days of riding to come on unfamiliar terrain, the tactical approach on Stage 3 paid off for Stephens. “We came into the finish today with a small group,” added Stephens. “I knew it was a bit of a drag to the line, but I wasn’t exactly sure. On the final sprint, the wind seemed to change to a slight tailwind, and that helped a bit. I think there is definitely some fatigue starting to be felt out there, so I am happy to get the win now. It’s only going to get harder from here.”

The gap between Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (right) and Axelle Dubau-Prevot (left) was down to 12 seconds after Stage 3. Photo by Fahwaaz Cornelius/Gravel Burn.

The second and third-place finishers on the day, Moolman-Pasio and Smith, respectively, both said it was a frustrating day on the route, with some riders prepared to work harder than others.

Moolman-Pasio, in particular, felt some of the racing was ‘negative’. “It was super, super frustrating. The rhythm wasn’t there,” said Moolman-Pasio. “But I am happy with second place. I just tried to keep it as smooth as possible on the rough terrain – in the end, it was another beautiful day in the Karoo.”

Gravel roads come in all grades of technicality. Photo by Fahwaaz Cornelius/Gravel Burn

Smith added that the racing was tactical, but also frustrating in parts. “I felt that sometimes not all the riders wanted to pull through and do the work, but that is racing, I guess! We all knew Lauren would launch right at the end; I tried to go with her, but she just had more energy than me.”

With Stages 5 and 6 looking to be pivotal due to their distance and elevation gain, Moolman-Pasio said she is playing the long game. “I am an experienced Grand Tour rider, so I have my eyes on Stage 5 and Stage 6 because that’s where things are going to get really interesting. I’ll probably keep it safe tomorrow (Stage 4) and save as much as I can for the two big days.”