Gracing Podcast: Gravel Burn Recap with Clara Koppenburg

In this episode, Thomas discusses some major developments in the world of gravel racing before diving into a detailed recap of the inaugural edition of the Gravel Burn stage race in South Africa.

He is then joined by road professional Clara Koppenburg (Team Cofidis), who shares her unique Gravel Burn experience. She discusses the intense challenge of a self-organized stage race, the camp conditions, and the surprising joy she found in gravel competition.

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🎙️ Episode Segments

• 📰 Gravel News: Major changes to the Gravel Earth Series and Lifetime Grand Prix. [00:06:50]
• 🇿🇦 Gravel Burn Recap: High-level overview of the race and key results [00:17:25]
• 🗣️ Conversation with Clara Koppenburg: Why she signed up, the training, and the race. [00:31:10]

🚀 Topics in this episode

• GES Calendar Overhaul: The Gravel Earth Series shrinks from 23 to 12 races in 2026, dropping monuments like Gravel Worlds and The Rift.
• LTGP Money & Rules: The Lifetime Grand Prix increases its prize money pool and introduces a finisher compensation to incentivize pros to complete the series.
• Frozen Adventure: The brutal conditions on the early Gravel Burn stages —rain, wind, and freezing temperatures—that left bikes frozen and clothing soaked, completely defying expectations for a South African race.
• Gravel is Different: Clara discusses how the race was a needed break from the highly organized (and stressful) WorldTour environment, where she could reconnect with riding.
• The Racing: Analyzing the GC race where Axelle Dubau-Prévot won after Ashley Moolman-Pasio suffered a flat tire on the final stage, balancing the misfortune of the lead.

Featured in this Episode:

• Clara Koppenburg: Clara is a Professional Cyclist, currently on Team Cofidis Women (Pro Tour). Follow her journey into gravel on her Instagram.
• Thomas Euler: Host of the The Gravel Stack Newsletter. Follow Thomas on Instagram.