Mattia De Marchi and Nele Laing win opening stages of Nedbank Gravel Burn

Mattia De Marchi and Nele Laing secured the first stage victories and Orange Leader Jerseys at the 2026 Nedbank Gravel Burn. The opening stage featured over 400 riders from 33 countries competing across 90 kilometres of terrain in South Africa's Great Karoo, including 1,450 metres of climbing.

In the men’s race, De Marchi surged clear of a lead group to win solo by 13 seconds ahead of Marco Joubert and Travis Stedman. Defending champion Matt Beers was part of the chasing group, while favorites Andreas Seewald and Henrique Avancini faced setbacks, with Avancini losing significant time following a sidewall cut.

In the women’s race, Nele Laing established a gap on Conical Peak and worked with Alexis Skarda to maintain her lead. Laing ultimately won the sprint by three seconds over Skarda, while South African Hayley Preen finished third.