2025 Gravel Burn stage race - everything you need to know
Cape Epic founder looks to redefine gravel racing with 850km seven-day stage race concept.
More Features
We take a look at 2025 and how to qualify for the Gravel World Championships.
The original Cape Epic team has reformed to create a new weeklong gravel race, promising something way beyond the established gravel bike events offering.
Scheduled for next October (26 October - 1 November), the Gravel Burn will route through some of the world’s most spectacular gravel riding terrain, through the Western and Eastern Cape of South Africa.
Gravel Burn Stage Race detail, by off-road.cc
Created by Cape Epic founder, Kevin Vermaak, the event will be open to amateur and professional riders. Unlike the Cape Epic, it won’t require the team format. Riders will be racing solo.
- Future of professional gravel racing
- 2024 UK gravel events - the best off-road races of the year
- Gravel bike racing – everything you need to know
Wild and inspired terrain
Gravel Burn Stage Race Route Map, by off-road.cc
With one of the world’s most extensive gravel road networks, often linking to globally renowned wilderness areas and isolated traditional communities, South Africa has the routing and terrain to host an extraordinary gravel bike event. Which is what inspired Vermaak to create Gravel Burn.
Like the first few Cape Epics, the Gravel Burn will start on South Africa’s Garden Route in Knysna. It will journey into the Great Karoo, a semi-arid desert area known for splendid isolation, framed by towering mountains linking ancient rock formations.
And yes, if you use a Hammerhead Karoo head unit, this event is made for your Instagram sufferfest posts.
Gravel Burn Stage Race wild life, by off-road.cc
Vermaak believes the market is mature enough for a gravel bike event of this calibre. ‘I believe gravel biking in South Africa is now at about the place where mountain biking was 20 years ago,’ says Kevin. ‘It is growing exponentially in Europe and the United States, both among professional and amateur riders, and we think the timing is perfect for a major, long-distance, full-service pro-am gravel race.’
An exotic weeklong gravel adventure
Gravel Burn Stage Race, by off-road.cc
The Gravel Burn race distance will be 850km (528 miles) with 11,000m of climbing and riders can expect a full-service experience, with catered camping in renowned wilderness and wildlife areas. Stages will be point-to-point, giving riders the most dynamic sense of ranging and exploring along the route, with a single cloverleaf-type stage circling the legendary Compassberg area in the Eastern Cape.
Although one-day gravel endurance races like the Belgian Waffle Series and Unbound Gravel events exist, a weeklong race like Gravel Burn could entice gravel pros and dashing weekend warriors. It could also trigger rider demand for advanced comfort products, with the fatigue potential of gravel bikes on African gravel routes creating real issues from day four onwards.
Expect many riders to arrive with large-volume gravel bike tyres and gravel-category suspension forks. There may even be a resurgence in demand for rare dual-suspension or softail gravel bikes, which have been a niche within a niche.
Gravel Burn registrations open in December. We will update this feature with detailed stage previews when the information is released.
You might also like:
Author block
