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CYCLING NEWS - Filippo Colombo and Hayley Preen claimed victories in Stage 2 of the Nedbank Gravel Burn 2026 at Blaauwater Farm, with Colombo outsprinting defending champion Matt Beers in the men’s race and Preen securing her first stage win in the women’s event.
The 105km stage, featuring 1,450m of climbing, tested riders across the gravel roads beneath Compassberg and through the Sneeuberg Nature Reserve.
Challenging climbs, rocky surfaces, river crossings and the notorious Karoo wind added to the demands of the race.
Beers finished alongside Colombo after the pair broke away from the men’s field, but the Swiss rider took the stage victory. Beers’ second-place finish was enough to move him into the overall lead, earning him the Orange jersey by just four seconds over Colombo.
In the women’s race, Preen timed her move perfectly to escape the leading group and ride solo to victory.
The result moves her into second place in the general classification (GC), 39 seconds behind overall leader Nele Laing of Canyon DT Swiss ATR, who retained the Orange jersey despite a crash.
Beers and Colombo break clear
Beers set an aggressive pace from the start, stretching the men’s field as the riders tackled the early climb towards Tafelkop. Colombo initially had to bridge across but soon joined Beers at the front.
By the top of Leeukop, the pair had established themselves as the leading duo. Their advantage grew on the rolling descent through the Sneeuberg Nature Reserve, while a chasing group of more than 20 riders struggled to close the gap.
The long ascent towards Kom Pass, the highest point of the stage and the entire race at 1,894m, proved crucial. Beers drove the pace, with Colombo acknowledging the South African’s strength on the climb.
“Matt pulled like only he can do,” Colombo said. Although Colombo briefly questioned whether the pair should ease off and allow the chasing group to return, Beers maintained the pressure. Their advantage continued to grow as they descended towards Nieu-Bethesda, leaving the chasers unable to make up the lost ground.
The pair worked together to protect their lead, although Colombo admitted that sharing the workload was not easy. “I tried to do my part, but his engine is on another level,” he said.
Colombo eventually launched his decisive acceleration to take the stage win, with Beers crossing the line in the same time. Tristan Nortje finished third, 1 minute and 21 seconds behind the leaders, after the chasing group split on the final climb.
Stage 2 of Gravel Burn. Photo: James Cameron Heron
Beers said his aggressive approach had been deliberate.
“There are limited opportunities to gain time on anyone on this route. I had to take this stage by the horns,” he said.
“The plan was always to go hard from the start, but hoped for more company. Filippo helped where he could, but my weight and power suited the stage. Now it’s up to me and Filippo to figure out how to get rid of each other.”
Preen makes her move in the women’s race
The women faced a demanding opening 50km, with the early climbs keeping the leading group together. Maddie le Roux of Tshenolo Women’s Cycling climbed strongly on Tafelkop and the Toyota Power Climb on Leeukop, while Olivia Hottinger of SCOTT-SRAM repeatedly tried to lift the pace.
Alexis Skarda of SCOTT-SRAM suffered a puncture on the rough descent from Leeukop, losing more than 30 minutes in the general classification after repairs.
Carolin Schiff of Canyon DT Swiss ATR then attacked near the first Padstal, building a lead of 1 minute and 50 seconds before the climb towards Kom Pass. Her teammate, Laing, was able to remain with the chasing group without having to contribute to the pursuit.
Preen, Elena Hartmann, Hottinger and Clara Marie Koppenburg worked together to reduce Schiff’s advantage on the climb and the long descent towards Nieu-Bethesda.
They eventually caught Schiff, while Laing crashed and lost contact with the leaders. By the time the race left Nieu-Bethesda, only Preen, Hartmann, Hottinger and Koppenburg remained at the front.
The decisive move came at a wide puddle covering the road. Preen, riding at the front, found the cleanest line through the water and emerged with a small advantage. She immediately accelerated, opened a gap and rode away to claim the stage victory.
Preen said the win was particularly satisfying after narrowly missing out on the same stage last year.
“I came so close on this stage last year, so it’s amazing to win,” she said. “Such an exciting stage.”
The victory lifted her to second overall, 39 seconds behind Laing. Preen acknowledged that the next stage would present a different challenge but said she intended to continue fighting for stage wins while trying to close the overall gap.
Stage 2 results
Pro men
- Filippo Colombo (SCOTT-SRAM) – 2:56:36
- Matthew Beers (Toyota Specialized) – 2:56:36
- Tristan Nortje (Toyota Specialized Imbuko) – 2:57:57 (+1:21)
Pro women
- Hayley Preen (ChemChamp Honeycomb) – 3:41:52
- Elena Hartmann (OPEN Schwalbe) – 3:42:20 (+0:28)
- Olivia Hottinger (SCOTT-SRAM) – 3:42:21 (+0:29)
General classification after Stage 2
Pro men
- Matthew Beers (Toyota Specialized) – 5:33:44
- Filippo Colombo (SCOTT-SRAM) – 5:33:48 (+0:04)
- Marco Willie Joubert (Toyota Specialized Imbuko) – 5:34:59 (+1:15)
Pro women
- Nele Laing (Canyon DT Swiss ATR) – 6:50:38
- Hayley Preen (ChemChamp Honeycomb) – 6:51:17 (+0:39)
- Clara Marie Koppenburg (Tudor Pro Cycling) – 6:52:07 (+1:29)
Stage 3: Summit finish on Swaershoek Pass
Stage 3 will take riders from Blaauwater Farm to Merino over 137km, with 1,550m of climbing. More than half the route is on paved roads, setting up a potentially fast start before the terrain becomes more demanding.
Wapadsberg Pass, at 1,730m, is the first major climb. The route then crosses the Spekboomberg before passing Nxuba and approaching the day’s main challenge, Swaershoek Pass.
The stage finishes at the summit, with the Toyota Power Climb covering the final 5km, where gradients exceed 14%.
With Beers holding a narrow four-second lead over Colombo and Preen chasing Laing in the women’s standings, the summit finish could prove pivotal in the overall race.
About Nedbank Gravel Burn
Nedbank Gravel Burn is a seven-day, 750km gravel stage race set entirely in South Africa's Eastern Cape. Starting in the historic Robert Sobukwe Town / Graaff-Reinet, the race journeys deep into semi-desert landscapes, with all riders staying together in the purpose-built Burn Camps. The route spans the Great Karoo and concludes in Big 5 territory at Shamwari Private Game Reserve. Designed as a true pro-am experience, Nedbank Gravel Burn brings elite and age-group riders together in a shared journey defined by scale, remoteness and connection.
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