'I have been suffering all year. I don't want to suffer here' - Tom Pidcock earns a stage victory at Gravel Burn while Matt Beers holds lead with two days to go

Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) made his presence known at Nedbank Gravel Burn on Thursday's stage 5, attacking on the 17km gravel ascent to the summit finish at Swaershoek Pass in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Matt Beers (Specialized Off-Road Toyota) retained his overall lead, having won three of the opening five stages and placing fifth behind Pidcock.

On the women's side of the seven-day stage race, Axelle Dubau-Prevot (Numero 31 par Cafe du Cycliste/Pinarello) matched Beers with her third stage win, but it was not enough to regain her early GC lead, now held by Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Insurance Soudal) who finished third on the day.

Gravel Burn makes a debut on a crowded global gravel calendar this year crossing South Africa from the Western Cape into the Eastern Cape as a seven-day stage race, October 26-November 1.

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With the UCI Gravel World Championships, Gravel Earth Series and Life Time Grand Prix having concluded by mid-October, the 786km stage race, with 10,360 metres of climbing, attracted a full field of top contenders for the new challenge, which offers a $150,000 prize purse for the pro category, split equally among the top 10 women and top 10 men.

Pidcock, the two-time mountain bike Olympic champion who also has world titles in MTB cross-country and cyclocross, added the race late in his season. His road season was packed with a third place on GC at the Vuelta a España then 10th place at UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda. He went on to finish sixth both Il Lombardia and UCI Gravel World Championships, a weekend doubleheader in Italy and the Netherlands, then had two weeks to prepare for his second trip to the African continent.

“It looked to me to be the easiest stage, with only one climb to do. That’s why I thought I would have a go," Pidcock told organisers at the finish of the 137km stage 5. "Everyone has been saying to me, ‘you should try to win a stage’, but the riding is tough. I have been suffering all year. I don’t want to suffer here!”

He was pushed to try the attack by fellow British rider, Alistair Brownlee (TrueFuels), during the stage. "He persuaded me... Right at the end of the stage, he told me to go for it, so I did."

The stage win moved Pidcock into the top 30 of the GC, one position behind Brownlee, but the pair have nearly two hours between them and elite men's leader Beers. The South African, who was born in Knysna where the seven days of racing began on Sunday, holds a 33-second advantage over Simon Pellaud (Tudor Pro Cycling) with two stages remaining before the finish at Shamwari Private Game Reserve. Hugo Drechou (Numero 31 par Cafe du Cycliste/Pinarello) holds third overall, 6:42 back.

Dubau-Prevot lost her GC lead in the elite women's division on stage 4, which was marked by wind, crashes and mechanicals. Melisa Rollins (Liv Racing Collective) rode to a solo win on Wednesday, with a pair of South African riders making the podium, Hayley Preen (ChemChamp Honeycomb 226ers) 20 seconds back in second and Moolman-Pasio (AG 29 seconds back in third.

Dubau-Prevot suffered a puncture on a descent and had an extended delay to make the repair. She finished inside the top 10, but the overall lead to Moolman-Pasio.

"I thought nothing could happen to me today, the way I was feeling. But yes, it happens. I am a bit sad now," the French rider said."I punctured at 65km, then had to ride to the end alone, so it was tough out there. I had to keep myself calm and just focus on finishing. It was a terrible day for me.”

She fought back on stage 5 with an attack on the final climb to catch and pass Lauren Stephens (Aegis Cycling Foundation). Moolman-Pasio was able to react with the French rider's move for a time, but crashed looking for a smooth surface to ride, which allowed Stephens to regain ground and take second place on the day.

“Today I decided to do what I do best, and that was just concentrate on riding well. I honestly feel like I am a new rider every day, like I am starting a new race every morning and not in the middle of a stage race," Dubau-Prevot said after stage 5.

"I am learning every day from my colleagues here how to be a strong but also smart athlete, especially from Lauren and Ashleigh. Yesterday was a big lesson for me, so today I was feeling strong, but I knew I had to be smarter. I just rode and waited for my opportunity.”

Moolman-Pasio holds a 4:20 GC lead over Rollins and another 2:11 over Preen. Stephens is fourth, 7:02 back, while Dubau-Prevot is fifth, 8:54 back.

Friday's stage 6 brings the longest day of racing, 144km from Merino to Gwanishi. There are two gravel climbs in the middle of the stage, accounting for most of the 1,700 metres of elevation gain, but river crossings and 2,500 metres of descending will be the main adversaries.

Gravel Burn concludes Saturday with a rolling 112km stage 7 from Gwanishi to Shamwari, passing through the Esperant Game Reserve and the Swartwaterspoort Gorge.

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