Matt Beers defends Gravel Burn title as Nele Laing led from start to finish across South Africa’s Great Karoo

American Griffin Easter won penultimate stage of gravel stage race

Off-road specialists Matt Beers (Toyota Specialized) and Nele Laing (Canyon DT Swiss ATR) conquered South Africa’s Great Karoo to claim victory at the 2026 Nedbank Gravel Burn. Beers secured his second consecutive title despite not winning a stage, while Laing dominated the women’s race, leading from start to finish and claiming two stage victories across the seven-day event.

Beers moved into the overall lead after finishing second to Filippo Colombo (SCOTT-SRAM) on stage 2, setting up a closely fought battle between the two riders for the remainder of the race. The South African prevailed, finishing 32 seconds ahead of Colombo. Tristan Nortje (Toyota Specialized Imbuko) completed the overall podium, 59 seconds behind the winner.

“I love stage racing and I love gravel, so this suits me.…