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Beers and Laing conquer the Great Karoo

Drechou and Skarda claim final stage honours as general classification battles wrap up at Shamwari

  • Sports Staff
3 min read
SummaryOpen the quick read
  • Matt Beers finished sixth on the final stage to secure back-to-back general classification titles at the Nedbank Gravel Burn.
  • Nele Laing held the orange leader's jersey for the entire event to take the pro women's overall victory over Hayley Preen.
  • Hugo Drechou outsprinted the men's lead group on the shortened 59.5km finale to capture his first stage win of the week.
  • Alexis Skarda delivered a solo attack in the closing kilometres to claim the final women's stage honours.
  • Nickolas Zukowsky and Hayley Preen secured the final Toyota Power Climber jersey titles after a demanding week across the Great Karoo.
Matt Beers celebrates after winning the Nedbank Gravel Burn stage race at the finish in the Shamwari Private Game Reserve on October 31, 2026.
Matt Beers celebrates after winning the Nedbank Gravel Burn stage race at the finish in the Shamwari Private Game Reserve on October 31, 2026. Picture: Paul Ganse/Gravel Burn

Matt Beers (Toyota Specialized) and Nele Laing (Canyon DT Swiss ATR) were crowned overall Nedbank Gravel Burn stage race champions at Shamwari Private Game Reserve on Saturday, while Hugo Drechou (Gravel Nation) and Alexis Skarda (SCOTT-SRAM) each took final stage victories.

Drechou outsprinted the lead group to claim his first stage win of the week, while Skarda soloed to victory after accelerating away from the Pro Women’s bunch in the final kilometres.

Beers finished sixth on the day to secure his second consecutive title while in the pro women’s race, Laing completed a full week in the orange jersey with second place on the stage, extending her overall lead over Hayley Preen (ChemChamp Honeycomb).

Nickolas Zukowsky (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling) was only the fifth fastest up Saturday’s Toyota Power Climb, but the lead he had built during the week was enough to keep the Toyota Power Climber Jersey.

In the pro women’s race, after a week-long battle with Laing, Preen claimed one final Toyota Power Climb win.

The final stage of Nedbank Gravel Burn 2026 was shortened to 59.5km with 1,050m of climbing.

The shorter day still proved thrilling from the start, as the contenders in both the pro men’s and women’s fields fought with everything they had to overturn their time deficits on the gravel roads of Shamwari.

Nele Laing won the women’s event of the Nedbank Gravel Burn at Shamwari on October 31, 2026.
Nele Laing won the women’s event of the Nedbank Gravel Burn at Shamwari on October 31, 2026. Picture: Paul Ganse/Gravel Burn

While the pros battled for points and positions, the rest of the field set off into Big 5 territory for the final stage.

Some had ambitions of securing their place in the age-group categories, while others celebrated an incredible week on the bike with friends old and new.

A final liaison through Shamwari Private Game Reserve led the riders back to the Burn Camp on Stage 7, capping off edition two of the gravel stage race across the Great Karoo into wildlife country.

“The racing was a lot more intense and tactical this year. Filippo made my life properly difficult and gave it everything,” said Beers.

“There was too much wind to do anything today other than cover the moves. I just had to race a clever race. Sometimes it’s boring, but often that’s how you win.

“I love stage racing and I love gravel, so this suits me. I had a really lucky week and it was such a close race. Racing abroad is always really hard, but racing at home on a big stage like this is great. I always try to take advantage of it and represent South Africa.”

Filippo Colombo (SCOTT-SRAM) finished second overall while Tristan Nortje (Toyota Specialized Imbuko) took third.

Approaching the finish line, Laing accelerated away from the bunch and showed why she had worn orange since arriving at Blaauwater Farm after Stage 1.

“I was a little nervous this morning because I felt the pressure. We wanted to get the climber’s jersey back and keep the GC,” said Laing.

“I was also quite excited about the race being shortened, as we knew the GC was pretty much safe. This was my first gravel stage race, and my first stage race this long. Being here in this beautiful environment in South Africa is special, and being here with my whole team was the best way to end the season.”

Preen finished second overall, while Claire Marie Koppenburg (Tudor Pro Cycling) claimed. — Nedbank Gravel Burn

The Herald