WHERE WE’ RE GOING
STAGE 1
KNYSNA TO AVONTUUR
Distance: 84km Elevation gain: ± 2 O5Om Elevation drop: ± 1 2OOm Highest point: 1 O38m Surface: 93 % unpaved /
7 % paved
THE INAUGURAL NEDBANK Gravel Burn begins with the picture of calm. A postcard view of the still waters of the Knysna Lagoon sets the stage for a week of fierce racing and serene landscapes. From The Moorings, riders roll out with a neutralised start, tracing the waters’ edge, with the Knysna Heads behind them, Thesen Island to their left, and a long road ahead, heading north towards Avontuur.
Obscured by the morning’ s coastal haze lies the first reckoning: Simola Hill. It arrives soon after the flag drops – 3km long, rising 250 metres. One of the many meanings of the
28 NEDBANK GRAVEL BURN