After a tough day on Stage 4 at the Nedbank Gravel Burn, where Axelle Dubau-Prevot (Numéro 31 par Café du Cycliste / Pinarello) lost her overall lead due to some over-enthusiastic descending that resulted in lengthy puncture repair, it was a return to composure for the French rider on the event’s 137km Stage 5 from Blaauwater Farm to Merino Farm near Cradock in the Eastern Cape.

On the hilltop finish up the Swaershoek Pass, Dubau-Prevot calmly rode away from the lead group in the Pro Women’s race to take the win ahead of American rider Lauren Stephens (Aegis Cycling Foundation).

Overall leader of the Pro Women’s race, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Insurance Soudal), crossed the line in third, with Hayley Preen (ChemChamp Honeycomb 226ers) and Melisa Rollins (Liv Racing Collective) fourth and fifth respectively. Rollins sits second in the GC, 4:20 behind Moolman-Pasio, with Preen in third. 

The racing on Stage 5 for the Pro Women’s field was steady throughout. Headwinds and crosswinds kept the entire Pro Women’s peloton together for large portions of the day, with the only significant attack coming from Canada’s Alison Jackson (EF Education-Oatly) around 110km into the stage. Jackson built up a lead of two minutes over the group, but she was caught at the base of the final climb. 

Moolman-Pasio said the pace was slower than expected, but put it down to the individual nature of gravel racing. “It was a little bit slow at times, which I guess is unique to gravel racing. In road racing, we have teams for a reason, so that when someone is tired, someone else can go to the front and push. In gravel, we are all individuals, so if there isn’t a collective decision to push the pace, it doesn’t seem to happen.”

Lauren Stephens (Aegis Cycling Foundation) was the first to attack on the final climb with around 10km to go, but both Dubau-Prevot and Moolman-Pasio were able to respond. “All credit to Lauren and Axelle,” said Moolman-Pasio. “They really started to push the pace at the end. I am suffering from a bit of a head cold, but I was able to go with them for a while.”

Moolman-Pasio then had a minor crash while looking for the smoothest surface, allowing Dubau-Prevot to inch ahead. The French rider did slow down to ask Moolman-Pasio how she wanted to finish the race; Moolman-Pasio told Dubau-Prevot to keep racing. She did just that and claimed the win, a hilltop high after a disappointing Stage 4. Stephens passed Moolman-Pasio at the last to finish second, with the GC leader in the Pro Women’s race finishing third on the day. 

“I still feel so good – maybe I even feel too good, and that’s why I got too excited yesterday,” said a considerably happier Dubau-Prevot at the end of Stage 5. “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. 

I am learning every day from my colleagues here how to be a strong but also smart athlete, especially from Lauren and Ashleigh. I am not that young in age, but I am young in stage race experience, and they are showing me how to do it. 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.”