Rider Hub · 2026
Everything you need for race week
The important information every rider registered for Nedbank Gravel Burn 2026 needs to know, in one place.
Race week
- Recommended arrival in Graaff-Reinet
- Mandatory Registration, Union High School, Graaff-Reinet, 10:00–16:00
- Rider Welcome and Briefing, Union High School, 16:00 (don’t miss it: meet your fellow riders and Lapa mates, and get everything you need to know for the week ahead)
- Stage 1
- Stage 6, then the Night Burn at Shamwari
- Stage 7 and the Burn Celebration at Shamwari
- Breakfast, then departures (shuttles to Gqeberha airport)
Registration
At Union High School, Graaff-Reinet, on Saturday 24 October, 10:00–16:00. Registration is mandatory: every rider must attend in person to collect their race pack. The Rider Welcome and Briefing follows at 16:00, at the same venue. Don't miss it: it's your first chance to meet your fellow riders and Lapa mates, and you'll get everything you need to know for the week ahead. Hand in your bike box or bag here: it goes straight to Shamwari, and you can't get to it during the race.
Check your name, race number and category on the start list, kept by Peak Timing, our timing company.
Cycling South Africa licences
All South African and Namibian riders need a valid Cycling South Africa (CSA) membership for the full event period. Memberships run for 12 months from the date of purchase.
International riders who don't hold a membership or licence from their home federation need a CSA day licence for each of the 7 race days. Buy them online on the CSA website: create an account, select Purchase Licence, choose Day Licence, and select "Nedbank Gravel Burn - 2026-10-25".
Start times
| Stage | Pro Men | Pro Women | Age Groups | Max stage time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 Sun, 25 Oct | 08:00 | 08:03 | 08:15 | 6:30 h |
| Stage 2 Mon, 26 Oct | 07:30 | 07:33 | 07:45 | 8:00 h |
| Stage 3 Tue, 27 Oct | 07:00 | 07:03 | 07:15 | 9:30 h |
| Stage 4 Wed, 28 Oct | 08:00 | 08:03 | 08:15 | 4:30 h |
| Stage 5 Thu, 29 Oct | 07:30 | 07:33 | 07:45 | 8:45 h |
| Stage 6 Fri, 30 Oct | 07:30 | 07:33 | 07:45 | 5:30 h |
| Stage 7 Sat, 31 Oct | 08:30 | 08:33 | 08:45 | 7:00 h |
Start times are provisional and may change: the Karoo Post and the daily briefing have the final times. Finish within the maximum stage time to be classified on the stage (race rules).
Luggage
One bag per rider moves between camps. Attach the luggage tag from your race pack and leave the bag on your tent porch each morning; it will be waiting at your tent in the next camp.
Padstals
Two to three per stage, with AMACX drink mix, gels, chews, nougat and oat bars, plus fruit, salted potatoes, sandwiches, droëwors and more. SRAM and Shimano provide tech support at every Padstal: the labour is free, but you pay for parts. No littering, ever.
Medical cover
Every Burn Camp has a full Mediclinic field hospital. On the route, 4×4 ambulances bring any injured rider to it, and on to a regular hospital by road or air if needed.
Camp hygiene
The facilities around the Burn Camp make it easy to keep clean and comfortable throughout the event. Play your part: it's the right thing to do.
- Wash your hands at the handwashing stations at every toilet block, and at the entrances to the lunch and dining areas.
- Sanitise at the stations at high-touch points around the Burn Camp.
- Shower first for the Camp Clean area. The Finish Boma has a "Camp Clean" area to relax in, for riders who have already showered. Coming straight off the course to refuel? There's plenty of space in the general area.
Light and power
Every evening your tent has a lantern that doubles as a 9,900 mAh power bank (USB-A and USB-C). Leave it in the tent each morning; a charged one waits at the next camp. Bring a multiport adapter, and your own power bank if you need more. There's Wi-Fi across the entire Burn Camp courtesy of Herotel, NTT and Fortinet.
Rules and fire safety
Read the race rules before you arrive, or at least the 10 most important ones at the top. There's a strict no-personal-fires policy in every Burn Camp and the motorhome park: only Camp Masters light the one fire per Lapa.
Night Burn
Qualify in the Red Bull KM on Stage 4 for the Night Burn at Shamwari on the penultimate night, after Stage 6. How it works
Spectators at Shamwari
During race week the Burn Camps aren't open to the public, and there are no spectator points on the route, to keep the race remote and the rural roads quiet. But family and friends are welcome at the finish at Shamwari Private Game Reserve on Saturday 31 October, and entry is free or with hospitality options for a fee.
Saturday 31 October: watch the finish or collect your rider
To stay for a drink or a meal, book a Spectator Hospitality ticket. Tickets are limited and must be booked in advance, and every vehicle must be registered, including for pick-up-and-go. This is the one day of the year that Shamwari allows entrance to day visitors.
| Option | Price per person | Access for registered vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| Pick-up-and-go | Free | 10:00–18:00 |
| Lunch ticket | ZAR 490 | 10:00–18:00 |
| Lunch and Burn Celebration dinner ticket | ZAR 990 | 10:00–midnight |
Allow plenty of time to get in: every vehicle goes through biosecurity sanitisation at the gate.
Friday 30 October: rider collection only
If you're staying off-site on Friday night, email the Race Office at info@gravel-burn.com in advance to register the vehicle collecting you. This applies to private vehicles and shuttle companies alike. Friday access is strictly pick-up-and-go, 10:00–18:00: Shamwari only hosts day visitors on the final day of the race.
Weather and daylight
In late October, temperatures range from about 10 °C (50 °F) in the early morning to about 29 °C (84 °F) in the afternoon. The sun rises at about 05:30 and sets at about 18:40.
Packing
Off the bike, bring sturdy shoes, a good headlamp, a sleeping bag and a pillow. See the full recommended packing list and the bike and kit guide.
Photographer and adventure rider Craig Kolesky shows how he'd pack for the race, with his own gear choices and practical tips, from one of our test events. (Not a sponsored video.)
Biosecurity
Foot-and-mouth disease has been reported in parts of the Eastern Cape. The race goes ahead as planned, 25–31 October 2026.
- It doesn't affect people. Foot-and-mouth disease affects only cloven-hoofed animals, such as cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, pigs and warthogs. You can't catch it by riding, camping or eating local food, and you need no vaccination or treatment. (It isn't hand, foot and mouth disease, which is a human virus.)
- Why biosecurity matters. The virus spreads on tyres, shoes, clothing and vehicles. The route crosses working cattle and Merino sheep farms and, in the final stages, land where farming and conservation meet, near Shamwari. An outbreak means movement restrictions and lost markets for the farmers who host us.
- What we ask of you. We're working with the authorities, landowners and Shamwari on the measures. Expect simple steps, such as clean bikes, shoes and kit between farms and camps, and vehicle sanitisation at Shamwari. Final instructions come in the Karoo Post and on this page.
- Travelling and taking your bike home. South Africa is open to visitors: check your government's travel advice and entry requirements as usual. After the last stage every bike gets a wash with disinfectant. Bike import rules differ by country; if you're unsure, ask your airline and your home country's customs or agriculture authority.
- If anything changes, we'll update this page and email registered riders. As always, take out travel insurance and check your medical cover includes cycling events. Questions: info@gravel-burn.com or the chat on this site.
Last updated 26 September 2026.
Rider Evening
Every August, registered riders are invited to a Rider Evening at Nedbank's offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg, for race information and answers to all their questions. The Johannesburg evening is streamed live, so international riders can ask the team anything too. Watch the 2026 recording:
Rider badge and graphics
Show you're riding: download your rider badge, and graphics to share with your community. The Nedbank Gravel Burn logo is reserved for sponsors, so please don't use it on your kit.
Your rider badge
The Nedbank Gravel Burn logo itself is reserved for our sponsors, so please use the rider badge rather than the logo on your kit.
“I'm riding” graphics
These graphics mark your commitment to Nedbank Gravel Burn 2026. Share them with your community and on social media, or keep them as a reminder of the months ahead. There are formats for Instagram Stories and posts, and plain overlays to put over your own photo.
Instagram Stories
Instagram posts
Overlays for your own photo
Rider forum and community
Rider forum
Riders meet on Escape Collective's community forum: ask questions, compare bikes and kit, share travel plans and connect with other riders before race week.
Strava club
Join the club to follow other riders' training in the build-up to race week. Nedbank Gravel Burn on Strava
Ride for a cause
Fundraise on GivenGain for your own cause or for our official charities: the Shamwari Foundation, the SA College for Tourism and VulPro.
Questions
What bike support is available?
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.
What will I find at the Padstals?
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.
How does luggage transport work?
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.
Can supporters join me along the route?
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.