Due to Extreme Weather: 6th Stage of Nedbank Gravel Burn Neutralized

Extreme weather on the track led to the "neutralization" of today's 6th stage of the Nedbank Gravel Burn. This means that the times of the riders on the 144-kilometer stage in the Eastern Cape province – from the Merino Farm near Cradock to Gwanishi – will not count towards the overall standings. The riders were surprised this morning by extremely strong winds and subsequent rain. At one point, for safety reasons, they had to be evacuated from their lapas and brought together in a central area of the Burn Camps. Subsequently, it was decided to delay the originally planned 7 a.m. start by an hour and to neutralize the race up to the first refreshment point, "Padstal 1" at kilometer 46. This decision was welcomed by the riders. Unfortunately, Swiss professional rider Andri Frischknecht crashed in a section with extreme crosswinds – around kilometer 36 – during the neutralized phase and had to be taken to the hospital with a concussion and shoulder injury. The wind continued with strong gusts, making a safe race impossible, and temperatures rose to around 35 °C during the day. At the request of the leading professional riders, the race commissioner decided to neutralize the entire stage.