By Kevin Rademeyer, Sports Journalist.
Photo: Nedbank Gravel Burn.
Travis Stedman and Alison Jackson delivered sprinting masterclasses on Stage 4 of the Nedbank Gravel Burn, winning fast paced finishes in the Great Karoo as the race’s general classification battles tightened.
Stedman, riding for Toyota Specialized Imbuko, timed his late attack to perfection on the 61km stage, crossing the line in one hour, 28 minutes and eight seconds. RoadCover SunGod’s Ryan Gibbons finished two seconds behind, with Cole Davis of Speed Studio taking third.
The stage featured just 550 metres of climbing and produced the highest average speeds of the event so far, but the relatively straightforward route did little to calm the racing. Repeated attacks failed to break the leading group, setting up a tactical showdown in the closing kilometres.
Stedman had already tested the group on the Klein Visrivier climb and attacked again with 15km remaining, only to be caught. He waited until the final kilometre before making his decisive move, using the corrugated gravel to his advantage. “I knew that the corrugations would make it hard to come around me,” Stedman said. “I am really glad to take the stage win!”
It was his second stage victory at the event, following his win on Stage 7 in 2025.
Gibbons, a former WorldTour sprinter who had targeted the stage, said the early racing was aggressive, with several attempted breakaways before a group of riders established an advantage. The leading selection eventually swelled to around 15 riders, with the contenders watching each other closely before Stedman struck.
The Pro Women’s race delivered an equally close finish, with Canadian Alison Jackson of St Michel Preference Home Auber93 using her experience from road racing’s cobbled classics to claim victory.
Jackson crossed the line in 1:55:13, with Larissa Hartog of Canyon DT Swiss ATR and Nathalie Eklund of 58&fam recording the same time. Jackson’s victory was her first stage win at Nedbank Gravel Burn.
After crashes and mechanical problems affected her earlier stages, Jackson said she had remained determined to fight for a result. “You never give up,” she said. “I know I can sprint. A sprinter can always sprint at the end; it doesn’t matter how tired you are.”
Hartog had attempted to split the group with an attack inside the final 10km, but the move was neutralised, leaving the race to be decided in the sprint.
The results brought little change to the overall leaders, although every second remained significant. Matthew Beers of Toyota Specialized extended his advantage over Filippo Colombo of SCOTT SRAM by one second. He leads by 32 seconds, with Tristan Nortje third, 51 seconds off the pace.
In the women’s general classification, Nele Laing of Canyon DT Swiss ATR lost two seconds to Hayley Preen of ChemChamp Honeycomb. Laing retains the lead by 56 seconds, while Clara Marie Koppenburg sits third, four minutes and 14 seconds behind.
Canada’s Nickolas Zukowsky claimed the lead in the Toyota Power Climb competition after recording the fastest time on the Klein Visrivier ascent, aided by teammate Marcel Camprubi. Fabiano Cellini and Lena Ronge topped the men’s and women’s Red Bull KM rankings, with Ronge recording the fastest women’s time for the second time. The 1km speed challenge offers the top 30 riders access to the Night Burn on Stage 6.
Stage 5 now presents a different test. The 128km route through the Great Fish River basin features rolling roads and a sharp climb at the 107km mark, with the potential for long range attacks from riders seeking a stage win.
With fatigue building and the overall standings taking shape, the leaders will have to decide whether to chase breakaways or conserve energy for the remaining stages. After a day dominated by raw speed, the next challenge will be endurance and tactical judgement.