2025 is wrapping up the same wild way it started for Andrew L’Esperance, mixing a new race, some success, and a little uncertainty.
The Canadian World Cup-racer turned gravel and endurance athlete kicked off his year at the Cape Epic, his first time at the iconic mountain bike stage race, before putting in two big results at the Life Time Grand Prix to earn his way back into the series via the new wild card system. Eight months of racing later, L’Espy wrapped up Life Time with a podium at Little Sugar and a surge up the series standings over a wild weekend at Big Sugar before jetting of back to South Africa, where he’s due to start the first-ever Gravel Burn stage race.
Gravel Burn and the South Africa return
While the Gravel Burn is new, far flung and late in the year, it’s attracted quite the start list. Alison Jackson, Haley Smith, and L’Espy are part of the Canadian contingent taking on a roster that includes Lachlan Morton, Matt Beers and a mix of other top mountain bike, road and gravel racers. It’s also incredibly remote, running across the Cape on a new route designed to show off the wild side of South Africa. That kind of adventure is something L’Esperance is looking forward to.
“It’s not like the Cape Epic, where we use Air B’n’B’s because its simpler. That’s not really even an option where we’re going. It’s just motor homes or camping,” L’Esperance says. While rustic, it has advantages. “It’s a more or less an even playing field with everyone during the race.”
Gravel Burn, which starts October 26, is organized by Kevin Vermaak, one of the founders of the Cape Epic.
L’Esperance and Britton’s Cape Epic debut
That classic stage race is where L’Esperance started his 2025, racing with fellow Canadian Rob Britton.
“We had such a good time at Cape Epic,” L’Espy says of himself and wife Haley Smith, “We signed up for Gravel Burn pretty much right after.”
Most people don’t describe eight gruelling days of Cape Epic racing as a “good time.” Even among the top pros, the punishing mix of long miles and rough terrain takes its toll. L’Esperance admits that 2025 was a bit of a recon year for him and teammate Rob Britton. While Britton is accomplished on the road and in the world of gravel, and has done well at races like BCBR, Cape Epic is on another level. Nino Schurter won…
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