Fast, rolling hills: the roads trend down towards the Klein-Visrivier valley, then gradually upwards again, back to Merino Burn Camp for another night.
Tucked into a natural amphitheatre beneath towering mountain ridges, Merino’s dirt road carries only the farm’s own traffic for most of the year. When fourth-generation sheep farmer Willie Jordan first heard the idea of a global cycling community descending on his remote farm, it seemed almost impossible to imagine. Now, as the sun drops behind the mountains, Merino comes alive, and thousands of stars light a sky so vast that the Burn Camp seems to disappear beneath it.
The Route
Stage 4 is a midweek “break” that gives some extra recovery time: a relatively flat 61-kilometre loop. Riders set off on a fast, rolling course and by midday should be showered and settled into Burn Camp, cold drink in hand. The headline moment is the Red Bull KM: 1,000 metres of pure gravel speed and power, and a shot at the Night Burn.
The Racing
Stage 4 is sure to bring the fastest average speeds of the week. With few selective climbs on the route, a group of top professionals is likely to arrive at the finish together, which favours the sprinters.
“Merino is one of our more remote Burn Camps. You’re in this natural bowl surrounded by mountains with zero light pollution. And the beauty of this stage is it allows for a later start and really experiencing the Burn Camp.”
The Red Bull KM
A fast, rolling loop
Merino’s neighbours
Zero light pollution at Merino
Map and profile
Loading the map…
Burn Camp
Race route
Padstal
Summit
PCToyota Power Climber
KMRed Bull KM
Technical descent
River crossing
Railway crossing
Finish
Paved
Gravel
Liaison
We’d like to use cookies to see how our website is used (Google Analytics) and to show our ads on Instagram and Facebook (Meta). Cookie policy
Padstal
Summit
Technical descent
River crossing
Railway crossing
Finish