As the sun slipped behind the jagged Karoo ridgelines and the dust of the Nedbank Gravel Burn Stage 3 finally settled, the inaugural Night Burn roared to life – a Chase-the-Fox-style nocturnal criterium that turned Blaauwater Burn Camp into a glowing carnival of lights, fire and the right kind of chaos.

Part celebration, part showdown, the Night Burn was a chance for riders to swap endurance grit for pure, high-octane, elbows-out fun. Headlamps flashed, lasers danced, fire drums roared, bikes gleamed in the darkness and laughter mixed with the buzz of freewheels as amateurs lined up to try stay ahead of the ‘chaser’ – none other than Tom Pidcock, one of the world’s most electrifying multi-discipline cyclists. The night time frenzy became an instant classic.

Forty riders qualified through the Red Bull KM sprint on Stage 2 at the 60km mark. Their sprint positions were compared with their general classification standing after Stage 2 and those showing the greatest improvement were issued a limited-edition Assos jersey, bike lights and glow sticks and asked to line up for the Night Burn. Riders further back in the field thus scored a rare chance to take centre stage, and race against cycling royalty, in one of the week’s headline spectacles. 

Overall sprint bragging rights went to South African powerhouse Matt Beers, who steamrolled the kilometre at a blistering 43.5 km/h in 1 minute 22 seconds. In the women’s field, German age-group rider Lena Ronge stunned the pros with a 1 minute 34 second effort – edging out Cofidis rider Clara Koppenburg, the only professional to crack the women’s top five.

The Night Burn kicked off with a legends exhibition race – a high-wattage spectacle featuring some of the biggest local and international names in endurance sport who, it turns out, aren’t all that used to four-lap sprints on a 700-metre dirt oval. In the dark. With fire.

Olympic triathlon double gold medallist Alistair Brownlee surged into the lead in what was supposed to be an easy recce before a high-speed rolling start on lap 2. Brownlee proved that his competitive flame still burns white-hot as he sliced through the darkness with surgical precision to take the win, grinning as he crossed the line ahead of a field stacked with household names.

Cameron Wurf, the Australian WorldTour rider and elite Ironman triathlete living his best life at the Nedbank Gravel Burn looked right at home in the short-track melee, bumping shoulders and cracking jokes mid-race while hurtling through the dust to claim second. American gravel star Payson McElveen, instantly recognisable in his Red Bull helmet and signature moustache, added flair and finesse to the lineup and claimed third.

But it was Brownlee who had the final word, escaping the unsuspecting bunch early, and had the crowd roaring under the Karoo stars.

Finally came the handicap “Chase-The-Fox”, where Pidcock – two-time Olympic mountain-bike champion, Tour de France stage winner and cycling phenom – was released last to chase down the field of glowing amateurs scattered like fireflies around the circuit. It was a spectacle of wattage and wild cheering as he picked off riders one by one in a blur of lights and laughter.

The last riders to resist his charge – and earn the loudest ovations of the night – were Jamie Ryder in the men’s and Cherise Willeit in the women’s. Both winners earned a once in a lifetime flip with Red Bull pilot Pat Davidson.