Gravel Burn stage 6 neutralized due to extreme weather
In the penultimate stage of the inaugural Gravel Burn race event in South Africa, strong winds, rain, and heat have caused finishing times to be neutralized. Thus, riders’ times on the 144 km stage in the Eastern Cape - from Merino Farm near Cradock to Gwanishi - will not be counted towards the overall standings.
The day began with crosswinds and rain, which later turned to strong gusts and heat of around 35°C / 95° F. According to a press release from the organizers, "At one stage, riders were evacuated from their Lapa’s to a central meeting point in the Burn Camp for their safety. It was decided to delay the 7 am start by an hour and neutralise the racing to Padstal 1 - water point - at 46km on the route."
Even during the neutralized segment, Swiss professional rider Andri Frischknecht crashed in crosswinds at about 36km, and had to be taken to the hospital with a concussion and a shoulder injury. According to the release, founder Kevin Vermaak said: “This is an obviously unfortunate turn of events, and we would like to thank the positive spirit in which riders have approached it and the event crew for their hard work throughout the day.”
There is still one stage left tomorrow in the race from Gwanishi to Shamwari Private Game Reserve. It is currently expected to proceed as planned.
