THE PROS race-craftsman and with the ability to make repairs to his equipment as accurately and decisively as a trauma surgeon. Armed with local knowledge, his confidence in chaos is a quiet advantage. When mechanicals happen, and they will, the mountain bikers’ ability to manage mechanical mischance could count for several minutes’ worth of GC time. What matters is how they respond. MTB stage racers bring the edge here, but they will need to bring all the firepower they can muster – after all, they need to be there when the opportunity presents.
The outsiders who belong
Everyone loves a darkhorse, and ironically, the wildcard picks come from the gravel specialists. Nedbank Gravel Burn 2025 sees some big names assembling in Knysna, and it’ s justifiable to say the top gravellers may be on the backfoot. So with the pressure off, there’ s nothing to lose and everything to prove. Other outsiders include the triathletes – no rider should underestimate their firepower, nor how deep they can go. The greatest advantage that could be bestowed on a rider is to be underestimated. The story of two dogs fighting over a bone and the third one swooping is an all-too-often recurring scenario, and happened as recently as this year’ s Giro d’ Italia.
As the race ebbs and flows, favour will sway to and fro – each of the above will be advantaged and disadvantaged in equal measure. It presents a blank page. When it comes to scaling the importance of each quality of a rider, our previously held sense of proportion will be detonated. Over seven days of unpredictability, we’ ll be able to assign one moment when the race is won. Pre-race predictions vary hugely, and only when the dust settles will we know who was right.
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ALEX MILLER
1O
Team: Swatt Club DOB: 20 November 2000 | Age: 25 Top results: 2x Olympian, Bronze 2022 Commonwealth Games XCO, 1st 2023 Race to the Sun; 1st 2024 Wines2Whales; Absa African jersey at 2023 Cape Epic
“ I would like a top 5 GC and also a stage win or two. I’ m really excited for the gravel roads on the route and the scenery they’ ll take us past.”
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ALISTAIR BROWNLEE
25
Sponsors: BMC, SRAM, Zipp, Fizik, TrueFuels DOB: 23 April 1988 | Age: 37 Top results: Gold 2012 + 2016 Olympic Games Triathlon; 2009 + 2011 World Triathlon Champion; 2011 + 2014 World Team Triathlon Champion; 2021 UK Gravel Champion
“ Winning the Olympics was my childhood dream. Since I retired from pro sport it is an amazing privilege to do events that are fun and inspire me. I’ m looking forward to the racing, and am excited to see the wildlife.”
ANDREW BOSCH
39
Sponsor: Victoria Falls River Lodge DOB: 22 April 2003 | Age: 22 Top results: 8th Sa Costa Brava Gravel Large; 2nd U23 Safari Gravel Race, Kenya”
“ I grew up in Port Elizabeth and spent a lot of time at Bayethe Lodge in Shamwari, so I’ m super exited to be able to race on home roads towards the end of this iconic stage race. I’ d like to be able to stick with the big dogs of the sport!”
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ANDREAS SEEWALD
3
Team: Singer KTM Racing DOB: 21 August 1991 | Age: 34 Top results: 2021 World XCM Champion; 2021 + 2025 European XCM Champion; 2022-2025 German XCM Champion
“ I love the adventure of long-distance races in remote mountains or deserts. I’ m looking forward to discovering more of South Africa while racing against the best. I will try to win, like I try at every race I enter, but I guess there will be many surprises to master.”
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ALISON JACKSON
6O
Team: EF Education-Oatly DOB: 14 December 1988 | Age: 36 Top results: 1st 2023 Paris-Roubaix; stage winner 2024 La Vuelta; 2021, 2023 + 2025 Canadian Road Champion
“ I am so excited for the community and the camping at this race. I love doing hard things with amazing people! Also, the route looks like nothing I’ ve ever ridden before; I love exploring new roads. I am going to soak it all in. I want to make this a memory to last forever and bring me back with new best friends.”
ANDREW L’ ESPERANCE
29
Team: FWD Racing Off-Road DOB: 18 March 1991 | Age: 34 Top results: 1st 2021 + 2023 BC Bike Race; 6th 2025 Leadville MTB; 12th 2025 Unbound Gravel
“ I’ d like to try for results on stages and ride a consistent race for the overall. It comes at the end of a long season, so I also just want to enjoy the experience. I’ m looking forward to exploring a new part of the world and am excited for the new views around every turn, and getting to race against a different group of people than I typically do.”
62 NEDBANK GRAVEL BURN