$150,000 prize purse announced for Gravel Burn stage race
Gravel Burn has announced the wealthiest prize purse yet in gravel racing.
Dedicated gravel racers and mountain biking pros who occasionally flirt with the drop-bar discipline have a six-figure incentive to be in South Africa during late October.
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Gravel Burn organisers has announced the wealthiest prize purse yet in gravel racing. Scheduled for the last week of October, the race is a seven-day, full-service gravel bike event, routing for 850km (528mi) across some of the world’s most challenging and inspiring gravel bike terrain.
2024 gravel burn 5.jpg, by Liam Mercer
Kevin Vermaak is the event organiser and a celebrated name in off-road stage racing. Vermaak founded the Absa Cape Epic and developed it into the global standard for elite-level stage racing. After exiting the Cape Epic a few years ago, Vermaak’s entrepreneurship and love of South African off-road riding has found new expression in the Gravel Burn.
As proved by the Cape Epic, there is an embarrassment of awe-inspiring South African off-road cycling terrain, journeying through deeply inspiring landscapes with an unrivalled distribution and density of wildlife.
To leverage everything amazing about South Africa’s off-road riding geography, Vermaak’s Gravel Burn stage race will be hosted in the Great Karoo, one of the world’s most magnificent semi-desert wilderness areas.
Gravel grinding for big money
To position Gravel Burn as the world’s pioneering professional gravel bike event, Vermaak has confirmed an appropriate prize purse of $150,000.
“For professional riders who make a living in the sport, this prize purse underscores our commitment to setting a new benchmark in gravel racing.”
South Africa’s three-time Cape Epic winner and a recognised global force in gravel riding, Matt Beers, acknowledged the appeal of $150,000 prize funding.
2024 gravel burn 1.jpg, by Liam Mercer
“This changes everything. Gravel Burn focuses on stage racing in the gravel category. A prize purse of this magnitude shows how serious gravel cycling has become. It’s a big step toward further professionalising the discipline and giving it the recognition it deserves. It will also motivate international gravel racers, especially from the U.S. to come to South Africa to compete.”
Gruelling in format but promising an unrivalled riding experience, the Gravel Burn allows amateur riders to compete with pros, measuring themselves against the world’s best gravel riders. For Vermaak, this is part of his vision for event. “For our amateur riders, who make up most of the field, it’s a unique experience to ride alongside cycling luminaries on the same course.”
Riders can expect more event details to be revealed in the second week of February.
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