Frequently asked questions

Entry fees for the 2027 race vary according to each phase, with Early Bird entries (Phase 1) priced at USD 3,290 / ZAR 43,990. Entries open Thursday 5 November at 15:00 SAST (GMT+2) – there are benefits to committing early. See the 2027 Entries page.

South African and Namibian riders need valid Cycling South Africa (CSA) annual membership covering the race dates. International riders need a licence from their home federation, or a CSA day licence for each stage, available on the CSA website.

A week of non-technical gravel. It’s less demanding than a mountain bike stage race, but the fatigue adds up day after day. A moderately fit cyclist, or someone with a solid background in another endurance sport, can finish it with preparation: work on your bunch-riding skills and plan on 12 or more hours of training a week for six months.

You don’t have to be a racer. Many riders come for the adventure: a week of riding through the Karoo, the camaraderie of the Burn Camps and the satisfaction of reaching Shamwari. More in our training and preparation stories.

Nedbank Gravel Burn is a solo race. Riders who want to compete for prize money enter the Pro category. Age Group riders race for the leader’s jersey in their age group: 19–34, then 5-year bands from 35.

Pro riders can also race as part of a team of three or four in the Teams Classification. See the Teams Classification.

Stages range from 61 km (Stage 4) to 137 km (Stage 3), with 550–1,550 m of climbing a day. Each stage has its own character. See the Route for every stage.

Yes: official GPX files are handed out to riders at registration in Graaff-Reinet, so there’s only ever one version on the day. The course is fully marked, but loading the GPX files onto your GPS device is strongly recommended in case weather or wildlife interferes with the signage.

Both events were founded by Kevin Vermaak. He sold the Cape Epic to The Ironman Group in 2017, stayed on as a consultant and exited in 2022. He launched Nedbank Gravel Burn in July 2024, working with some of the team who built the Cape Epic with him.

Professional gravel teams play a growing role in the sport. The Teams Classification gives teams that send several riders, with their support staff, a structure to race in, and more opportunities for promotion and media coverage.

The individual race comes first: Nedbank Gravel Burn remains a solo race, and all the prize money goes to individual riders.

Teams matter in stage-race tactics, so the limit keeps a large team’s advantage over a team of three small. It also makes it easy to form a team just for this race.

Larger trade teams can enter two teams instead of one team of six or seven riders. Support staff can be shared between teams.

Points keep the competition close. If one rider loses a lot of time to a mechanical problem, the team drops a few places on that stage, not out of contention for the week.

And if a team of four loses a rider, its other three can still compete for the overall Teams Classification.

No, but three must. A team of four can lose one rider and carry on.

If fewer than three of a team’s riders are in the official rankings for a stage, the team is out of the Teams Classification from that stage on, whatever points it has already scored. See Rule 26 of the race rules.

Yes. The team rules only cover how teams are formed and how their results are calculated; everything on the route falls under the race rules.

Riders may give and receive technical and tactical support only within their own race category, Pro Men or Pro Women.

The route is pure gravel and ideally suited to a gravel bike: off-road tyres for the terrain, drop bars for speed. When everyone rides gravel bikes, the playing field is level and group riding is more enjoyable. Wide, straight MTB-style bars are also less safe at speed in a peloton of drop-bar bikes.

Drop bars are the rule. You may fit drop bars to a mountain bike. See Bike & kit.

No. Clip-on and out-front aero bars are prohibited for everyone’s safety: the racing involves fast group riding on unpredictable surfaces, and aero bars reduce braking and control.

SRAM and Shimano provide tech support at every Padstal on the route. The labour is free; you pay for any parts. Roaming motorbikes provide limited support between Padstals.

In the Burn Camps, every bike is washed after each stage and stored in the Bike Park. Servicing is available as an Optional Extra: walk-in service, or a daily full-service package from Techno Guide, which we recommend as the more economical option.

Padstal is Afrikaans for a farm stall. It’s our name for the service stations, two to three per stage. Expect AMACX nutrition, fresh fruit, boiled potatoes, sandwiches, sweet breads and more, plus SRAM and Shimano tech support.

One bag per rider moves between Burn Camps each day. Leave it on your tent porch each morning and it will be waiting at your tent in the next camp. Bike boxes and bags go straight from registration to Shamwari and can only be collected at the finish.

No. Nedbank Gravel Burn is a full-service race. The Burn Camps are on remote private farmland and aren’t open to visitors, and only official vehicles may follow the race. There are no spectator points on the route.

Family and friends are welcome at the finish at Shamwari on the final Saturday, and entry is free. To stay for lunch or the Burn Celebration dinner, they book a Spectator Hospitality ticket in advance: see spectators at Shamwari.

Until the race reaches Shamwari Private Game Reserve, wherever the route crosses land with dangerous animals there is a game fence between riders and the animals. On the final stages at Shamwari, a detailed safety plan is in place, run by Shamwari’s team of qualified game rangers, the largest in South Africa.