Beers and Rollins continue to shake things up with Gravel Burn stage 4 wins
After a cold and wet start to the inaugural Gravel Burn stage race in South Africa, riders are now facing wind and heat with just three stages of racing left. Stage 4 traversed a 111 km loop through the heart of the Great Karoo and saw Matt Beers (Specialized Off-Road Toyota) regain the top spot in the men's race, with Melisa Rollins (Liv Racing Collective) shaking up the women's GC with her first stage win.
Beers edged out Switzerland’s Simon Pellaud (Tudor Pro Cycling) in another tight sprint finish at Blaauwater Farm near the Compassberg. Belgian rider Lawrence Naesen (Next Level Racing: Rapha – Orbea) rounded out the podium in third.
Beers now leads the pro men's general classification by just 57 seconds over Pellaud, with Germany’s Lukas Baum (Orbea x Leatt Speed Company) in third. With three stages remaining before the finish at Shamwari Private Game Reserve, the race remains wide open.
The women's field saw mechanicals, punctures, and crashes. Rollins held off Hayley Preen (ChemChamp Honeycomb 226ers) in a fast downhill finish. Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Insurance Soudal) finished third and now leads the pro women’s general classification, after former leader Axelle Dubau-Prevot (Numéro 31 par Café du Cycliste / Pinarello) lost time with a puncture.
