How the Gravel Burn was Won: Matt Beers’ Path to a Second Title

South African marathon mountain biker, gravel racer, and stage race specialist Matt Beers won his second Nedbank Gravel Burn and the second edition of the race on Saturday, 31 October 2026. In so doing, he defended his title from the inaugural edition in 2025 and continued to be the only man to have won the seven-day gravel stage race. Unlike in 2025, when the race remained tight until the final stage, during which Beers collaborated with Tristan Nortje and Travis Stedman to put Simon Pellaud to the sword, 2026 remained stressfully close to the final finish line. Beers never held an advantage in excess of 32 seconds over Filippo Colombo, and Notje, who had finished fourth in 2025, also ended the race less than 60 seconds behind the overall victor.

2025 Nedbank Gravel Burn Men’s General Classification Results after Stage 7:

1. Matthew Beers: Specialized Off-Road Toyota (19:01:03)
2. Simon Pellaud: Tudor Pro Cycling (+5:26)
3. Hugo Drechou: Numéro31.cc / Pinarello (+8:56)
4. Tristan Nortje: Imbuko ChemChamp (+9:27)
5. Lukas Baum: Orbea x Leatt Speed Company (+10:41)

Coming into the 2026 race Beers had highlighted the experienced stage racers, including Pellaud, Nortje, Hugo Drechou, Marco Joubert, and Marc Pritzen as men to watch. His biggest concern however was SCOTT-SRAM’s Cape Epic winner and two-time XCC World Cup winner, Colombo. That prediction proved prophetic as the Swiss star’s stage racing nouse and experience combined with his cross-country fire power to push Beers throughout the seven days.

“A lot of these guys, who I know are fast, are a bit unproven over seven days,” Beers had mused before the race start in Graaff-Reinet. “Last year Simon [Pellaud] and Hugo [Drechou] showed that they can do it. And I know the South Africans, like Marco [Joubert], Marc [Pritzen], and Tristan [Nortje], who only gets stronger as a stage race goes on, can. Filippo [Colombo] is a problem! He was incredibly strong that year he won the Cape Epic with Nino [Schurter] and he’ll be hard to beat.”

Stage 1: Losing Time to Make a Statement

• Stage Position: 5th
• General Classification Position: 5th

A breakaway formed before the main climb of the day while Beers rode at or near the front of the general classification favourites’ group for much of the first half of the 90 kilometre route from Graaff-Reinet to Blaauwater. On a long descent which followed the big climb, to Conical Peak, the remnants of the break were swept up, but The Grip’s Eddy Le Huitouze and Mattia de Marchi, who had been in the break, continued to attack. After shutting down a number of accelerations Beers left the controlling to Toyota Specialized Imbuko, who were represented by Nortje, Joubert, Stedman, and Jaedon Terlouw in the group of nine.

Nearing the finish line, at the summit of a gradual rise that had been climbing for 30 kilometres, Stedman and Joubert hesitated as De Marchi jumped away. Once the Italian had a 15 second advantage nobody wanted to drag him back and risk losing the sprint finish. As a result De Marchi gained over 30 seconds very quickly and was able to sit up and celebrate his stage win. Behind, the group started to battle for the minor places and the Toyota Specialized Imbuko team salvaged their day with second and third for Joubert and Stedman. Drechou was fourth, Beers fifth. Colombo was the last from the mini-peloton to cross the finish line. He was nineth on the day, ceding 23 seconds to the stage winner and 4 to Beers.

Though he never confirmed as much, the feeling was that Beers had allowed De Marchi to escape off the front to prove a point to his fellow South Africans. The Toyota Specialized Imbuko squad would have to use their numerical advantage, though the team was also suffering from having too many contenders for stage and overall honours. Of the six riders in the outfit, only Ignatius du Preez and Lood Goosen were dedicated domestiques, the remaining four – Joubert, Stedman, Nortje, and Jaedon Terlouw – were clearly racing for their individual aspirations rather than as a cohesive collective.

Men’s General Classification after Stage 1

1. Mattia De Marchi: The Grip (2:36:49)
2. Marco Joubert: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (2:37:02 | +0:13)
3. Travis Stedman: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (2:37:02 | +0:13)
4. Hugo Drechou: Gravel Nation (2:37:04 | +0:15)
5. Matthew Beers: Toyota Specialized (2:37:08 | +0:19)

Stage 2: The Race Winning Raid

• Stage Position: 2nd
• General Classification Position: 1st

Just 5 kilometres into the 105 kilometre long Stage 2 Beers put the hammer down. He ratcheted up the speed on an uphill drag until the elastic snapped behind Colombo, who had jumped across as Beers accelerated. Initially Le Huitouze and Pritzen followed Beers, but when the French and South African riders could follow no more and swung out of the line Colombo had a gap to close.

Close it he did and then he hung onto the Toyota Specialized man’s coattails for the lion’s share of the next 100 kilometres. “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to help [with the pace making],” Colombo confessed. “I simply couldn’t!”

Beers drove the pair to a 2 minutes and 30 advantage over the KOM Pass climb and down the 30 kilometre descent to Nieu Bethesda. On the 27 kilometre grind back uphill towards the finish line above Blaauwater the chasing pack made some inroads. At the time it looked like this effort may keep Joubert and Nortje’s challenge for the title alive, but in hindsight the 85 seconds they lost that day would never be fully recovered.

Other drama from the day included Pellaud ensuring a puncture which put him out of the battle for even a top ten general classification position, while Drechou lost 3 minutes and 16 seconds.

In the final few hundred metres of the stage, after having remonstrated with Colombo for not working, the SCOTT-SRAM man outsprinted Beers to take victory on the day. Beers took the race lead, however, benefitting from the 4 seconds he had gained over Colombo on Stage 1.

Men’s General Classification after Stage 2

1. Matthew Beers: Toyota Specialized (5:33:44)
2. Filippo Colombo: SCOTT-SRAM (5:33:48 | +0:04)
3. Marco Joubert: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (5:34:59 | +1:15)
4. Tristan Nortje: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (5:35:06 | +1:22)
5. Travis Stedman: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (5:36:49 | +3:05)

Stage 3: Gaining on Colombo, Limiting to Nortje

• Stage Position: 9th
• General Classification Position: 1st

The longest day of the 2026 race took the Nedbank Gravel Burn racers from Blaauwater to Merino along a long stretch of tar road and via the summit of Swaershoek Pass. It was the only true mountain top finish of the race, but even so the northern ascent of Swaershoek is far from the most arduous in South African cycling. Crosswinds, road tactics, and a mano-a-mano battle on the hill climb determined the day’s winners and losers. Beers, despite ceding time to Nortje and finishing nineth, was certainly among the winners.

The first 27 kilometres of the day were furiously fast, to the summit of Wapadsberg. Cresting the pass on the asphalt the men’s peloton raced downhill towards Cradock on a 70 kilometre stretch of tar. Winds from the Southeast had echelons forming and small groups attempting to get up the road. Joubert and Du Preez formed part of an initial move, but were forced to sit up by their breakaway companions when it became clear that the presence of the man in third overall, and a strong Toyota Specialized Imbuko teammate, would ensure that the general classification contenders never let the breakaway gain a significant advantage.

Once Joubert and Du Preez dropped back to the group which included Beers and Colombo, the breakaway’s advantage ballooned to 7 minutes. They fought it out on Swaershoek Pass for stage victory, with Le Huitouze, claiming The Grip team’s second stage win of the race, ahead of Pellaud, and another The Grip man, Jordy Bouts.

Behind Beers, Colombo, Nortje and Joubert went head to head. Colombo would admit to going too hard too early on the climb. While Nortje paced his effort to perfection. Using the only opportunity of the week to gain time on Beers, Colombo, and Joubert he ascended fastest, taking the Toyota Power Climbers’ jersey and pulling back 32 seconds of Beers’ advantage.

Beers for his part finished with Joubert, but put 27 seconds into Colombo. A

t the end of the day, Beers led Colombo by 31 seconds, with Nortje leapfrogging Joubert into third, at 50 seconds off the race lead. Joubert and Terlouw completed the top five, ensuring that Colombo was the lone non-South African in the top five general classification places at that point in the race.

Men’s General Classification after Stage 3

1. Matthew Beers: Toyota Specialized (9:23:19)
2. Filippo Colombo: SCOTT-SRAM (9:23:50 | +0:31)
3. Tristan Nortje: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (9:24:09 | +50)
4. Marco Joubert: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (9:24:33 | +1:14)
5. Jaedon Terlouw: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (9:27:08 | +3:49)

Stage 4: Stasis

• Stage Position: 15th
• General Classification Position: 1st

At just 61 kilometres long, with hardly any climbing to speak of, Stage 4 was an exceptionally fast day. A dramatic crash, which ended Dutch Gravel Champion, Rick Ottema’s race, did nothing to slow the peloton down. It was only when a 13 rider breakaway went, near the halfway mark, that the general classification group settled. From there the classic battle for stage victory and battle for the general classification, as often seen in road cycling’s Grand Tours unfolded.

The former concluded with Stedman outfoxing his breakaway rivals. The diminutive fast man, opted to launch with 1 kilometre to go, on a particularly rutted section of road. With nowhere to put the power down and come around him his companions waited, and waited, and then found the road had run out. Stedman was never overhauled, and he won his second Nedbank Gravel Burn stage win. Adding Stage 4 of 2026 to his 2025 Stage 7 victory.

Behind despite aggression and attempted escapes from the group, Beers and Joubert led the general classification contenders home. Colombo and Nortje, lost a single second each to Beers by finishing in 20th and 21st, as opposed to Beers’ 15th.

Men’s General Classification after Stage 4

1. Matthew Beers: Toyota Specialized (10:54:08)
2. Filippo Colombo: SCOTT-SRAM (10:54:40 | +0:32)
3. Tristan Nortje: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (10:54:59| +51)
4. Marco Joubert: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (10:55:22 | +1:14)
5. Jaedon Terlouw: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (10:55:22 | +3:49)

Stage 5: The Strongest Unite

• Stage Position: 4th
• General Classification Position: 1st

Another long transfer stage, this time 128 kilometres, with the wrinkle of a major climb just 18 kilometres from the finish. After early attacks and regroupings an elite selection of four campaigners made it over the summit of Renosterkop, 110 kilometres into the day, together. They were Beers, Colombo, Nortje and Joubert. Stedman and Terlouw summited just off the back of the lead group and descended back to the pack to fight their way into contention for stage honours. Behind Alex Miller, Henrique Avancini, Luca Dreßler, Andri Frischknecht, Hans Becking, Du Preez, Bouts and Pritzen chased as best they could, but they could not bridge across in time to contest the sprint.

Of the six protagonists only Stedman was not in the top five at that point in the race, having lost significant time with a puncture on Stage 3. Sadly for Toyota Specialized Imbuko and Joubert the South Africa domination of the race suffered a major blow as the South African Gravel Champion crashed out at high speed. Hitting the deck at nearly 70 kilometres per hour, Joubert was fortunate to avoid any broken bones, but a cut to his knee required stitches and put an end to not only his race, but also his season.

His teammates Stedman and Terlouw did not let his misfortune put them off going head-to-head for stage victory a few moments later. The fast men were briefly shoulder to shoulder before Stedman surged ahead on the uphill drag to the line. Colombo was third, Beers fourth, and Nortje fifth. 58 seconds later Miller brought home the chase group. Beers and Colombo were inseparable on the time sheets, and the gap between them remained 32 seconds.

Men’s General Classification after Stage 5

1. Matthew Beers: Toyota Specialized (14:07:40)
2. Filippo Colombo: SCOTT-SRAM (14:08:12 | +0:32)
3. Tristan Nortje: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (14:08:33 | +53)
4. Jaedon Terlouw: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (14:11:28 | +3:48)
5. Marc Pritzen: Honeycomb 226ers (14:14:10 | +6:30)

Stage 6: Sprinting to Shamwari

• Stage Position: 12th
• General Classification Position: 1st

The penultimate stage would have been another long one, but foot and mouth protocols in Shamwari meant that the riders would race to the border of the reserve, for 76 kilometres, then ride socially to the Burn Camp in the game reserve. The undulating nature of the course and a rutted middle section had the general classification contenders concerned. It was unsurprising therefore that they let a break go eary.

Griffin Easter, Cronje Beukes, Georg Egger, Juri Hollmann, De Marchi, Miller, and Drechou got away as the flag dropped at the end of the neutral zone. De Marchi punctured from the group, and Hollmann got dropped on a climb, while other attackers tried and failed to bridge across. At the front Beers was momentarily under pressure as Colombo found an ally in Avanchini.

The Brazilian was looking to move up towards the top five general classification places and when a minor crash in one of five river crossings on the day split the peloton Avancini attacked. Colombo, Frischknecht, and SCOTT-SRAM’s short-term import, Felix Stehli, worked to put Beers on the defensive, when the leader was caught behind the crash. It took Beers a few kilometres to fight his way back to parity, and once he did the general classification racing was all-but neutralized once again.

Easter outfoxed and outsprinted his breakaway companions to take stage honours. Miller was second and Drechou third. Frischknecht brought the chase group home nearly 4 minutes down.

Men’s General Classification after Stage 6

1. Matthew Beers: Toyota Specialized (16:10:28)
2. Filippo Colombo: SCOTT-SRAM (16:11:00 | +0:32)
3. Tristan Nortje: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (16:11:22 | +54)
4. Jaedon Terlouw: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (16:14:16 | +3:48)
5. Marc Pritzen: Honeycomb 226ers (16:17:00| +6:32)

Stage 7: Cheers to Beers

• Stage Position: 6th
• General Classification Position: 1st

The final stage of the 2026 Nedbank Gravel Burn was shortened to 59 kilometres on the eve on the last day. This played into the hands of the jersey holders, though Beers was under no illusion that Colombo would use the punchy course through and around Shamwari to probe for any weakness. The Swiss rider pushed the tempo for the first 30 kilometres of the day, but Beers was on a good day too and was never in trouble.

“I knew Filippo [Colombo] would try everything today,” Beers stated. “He did! But I had great legs today, too.”

“Matt [Beers] is a very honest rider. I like the way he races,” Colombo praised. “He attacks from the front and wins with strength. He deserved this victory.”

A headwind once the course turned at Alicedale and headed for the final finish line nullified any attacks and Stage 7 culminated in a bunch sprint. Drechou, the 2025 bronze medalist, claimed the stage win he had been looking for all week. Stedman was second, adding another stellar result to his haul of two stage wins and a third place on the opening day. Colombo was third, and Beers finished on the same time in sixth, with Bradyn Lange and Terlouw between them.

Despite not needing to sprint to avoid ceding a second Beers did just that. Holding Colombo 32 seconds, as he had done since Stage 4.

Men’s General Classification after Stage 7

1. Matthew Beers: Toyota Specialized (17:47:42)
2. Filippo Colombo: SCOTT-SRAM (17:48:14 | +0:32)
3. Tristan Nortje: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (17:48:41 | +59)
4. Jaedon Terlouw: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (17:51:30 | +3:48)
5. Marc Pritzen: Honeycomb 226ers (17:54:14 | +6:32)