Le Huitouze and Laing win Stage 3 of Nedbank Gravel Burn

Eddy Le Huitouze and Nele Laing secured victories in Stage 3 of the Nedbank Gravel Burn 2026 on the Swaershoek Pass. The 137km stage from Blaauwater Farm to Merino featured 1,550m of climbing and included approximately 40km of gravel farm roads.

In the Pro Men’s race, Le Huitouze (The Grip) won solo after pulling away on the steep final ascent, finishing in 3:45:00. Simon Pellaud finished 46 seconds behind, while Le Huitouze’s teammate Jordy Bouts took third. Despite the stage result, Matt Beers (Toyota Specialized) maintains a narrow 31-second overall lead.

In the Pro Women’s race, Nele Laing (Canyon DT Swiss ATR) claimed her second stage victory of the week with a time of 4:38:47. Hayley Preen finished second, 19 seconds behind, and Alexis Skarda took third. Laing continues to extend her advantage in the women's classification.