Pellaud and Stephens keep it interesting with Gravel Burn stage 3 wins
With Matt Beers (Specialized Off-Road - Toyota) and Axelle Dubau-Prévot (Numéro 31 par Café du Cycliste / Pinarello) winning the first two stages of the inaugural Gravel Burn stage race, Simon Pellaud (Tudor Pro Cycling) and Lauren Stephens (Aegis Cycling Foundation) have flipped the script, taking the top spots in Stage 3.
With the weather trending warmer and drier from the opening stage's cold and wet conditions, Stage 3 took place in the Karoo region of South Africa, on a 90 km course from Graaff-Reinet to Blaauwater. The men's race saw another exciting sprint finish with Pellaud besting challengers Hugo Drechou (Numéro 31 par Café du Cycliste) and Travis Stedman (Specialized Off-Road - Toyota), who were each just three seconds behind.
The women's race also came down to a tight finish, as Stephens crossed the line only one second ahead of Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal) and Hayley Smith (Trek Driftless).
Despite Pellaud and Stephens' stage wins, the Gravel Burn GC standings were not disrupted. Matt Beers and Axelle Dubau-Prévot both retain their leader jerseys heading into Stage 4.
