Our powerhouse team rider Axelle Dubau-Prévôt took her first victory in the French national champion’s jersey at Gravel Burn, the 800-kilometre, seven-day race in South Africa with over 11,000 metres of climbing. Her team-mate and partner Hugo Drechou, meanwhile, also in national colours, took third in the elite men’s race.

Axelle’s path to victory was far from smooth. “Having won the first two stages, then losing more than 10 minutes to a puncture on the 4th day, and upsetting the General Classification on the last stage, it’s been an incredibly emotional week,” Axelle says. “Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m immensely proud to see the name of our team printed on the leader’s jersey at the world’s biggest gravel stage race!”

With men’s and women’s fields featuring some of the world’s best mountain bikers and current and former road pros, including Tom Pidcock, Matthew Beers, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio and Alison Jackson, it was a battle all the way.

This is the first edition of the Gravel Burn, which is organised by the folks behind the legendary Cape Epic mountain-bike race, and it brings their epic knowledge of South Africa’s challenging climbs, rutted farm tracks and tough singletrack to the gravel world. It has instantly become the longest and toughest race on the gravel calendar.

Add to that the weather, including dangerous winds that forced the neutralisation of Stage 6. “We had it all in only seven days: first cold and rain, then heat and dust after. It was an incredible physical and mental challenge,” Hugo says.

Gravel Burn is our last race of the year, crowning a season that has only got better for Numéro 31 par Café du Cycliste. From the breathless pace of the early races, to a podium place at the Traka and disappointment at The Rift and Unbound, to a double victory at the French national championships and now inscribing their names in history at this inaugural Gravel Burn… Axelle and Hugo, Numéro 31 par Café du Cycliste, thank you – it’s been emotional!