UCI Gravel World Series – Hailey Hunter Smith goes solo after keeping company with a zebra to win Safari Gravel Race

Haley Hunter Smith leads Claudette Nyirahabimana during 2025 Safari Gravel
Haley Hunter Smith leads Claudette Nyirahabimana during 2025 Safari Gravel (Image credit: Safari Gravel / Salt Lake Lian)

Hailey Hunter Smith (Trek Driftless) claimed the women's elite victory at the Safari Gravel Race with a solo sortie, while Lukas Malezsewski (Scott) triumphed in a sprint at the UCI Gravel World Series race in Kenya.

The 111km event, which wound through the Hells Gate National Park after starting in Sulmac Village on the south side of Lake Naivasha, played out in dry and dusty conditions.

Defending champion Hans Becking got away with Malezsewski, Charles Kagimu and Lukas Baum in the men's race, with the Belgian claiming victory in a sprint ahead of Kagimu and Baum.

Malezsewski said the race was special as it was his first UCI Gravel World Series event victory. He next heads directly to the four-day Migration Gravel Race, also in Kenya.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Men's top 3

Position

Rider

1

Lukas Malezsewski

2

Charles Kagimu

3

Lukas Baum

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Women's top 3

Position

Rider

1

Hailey Hunter Smith

2

Claudette Nyirahabimana

3

Svenja Betz

Simone Giuliani
Australia Editor

Simone is a degree-qualified journalist that has accumulated decades of wide-ranging experience while working across a variety of leading media organisations. She joined Cyclingnews as a Production Editor at the start of the 2021 season and has now moved into the role of Australia Editor. Previously she worked as a freelance writer, Australian Editor at Ella CyclingTips and as a correspondent for Reuters and Bloomberg. Cycling was initially purely a leisure pursuit for Simone, who started out as a business journalist, but in 2015 her career focus also shifted to the sport.

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