![\"Andrew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/andrew_lesperance_belgian_waffle_ride_ariz_2025_01.jpg\")
<\/a>Andrew L\u2019Esperance at the 2025 Beligan Waffle Ride Arizona. Image: Belgian Waffle Wide Photo Pool\/@dhughes101\nGravel Burn and the South Africa return<\/p>\n
While the Gravel Burn is new, far flung and late in the year, it\u2019s attracted quite the start list. Alison Jackson, Haley Smith, and L\u2019Espy 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\u2019s 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\u2019Esperance is looking forward to.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not like the Cape Epic, where we use Air B\u2019n\u2019B\u2019s because its simpler. That\u2019s not really even an option where we\u2019re going. It\u2019s just motor homes or camping,\u201d L\u2019Esperance says. While rustic, it has advantages. \u201cIt\u2019s a more or less an even playing field with everyone during the race.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gravel Burn, which starts October 26, is organized by Kevin Vermaak, one of the founders of the Cape Epic.<\/p>\n
L\u2019Esperance and Britton\u2019s Cape Epic debut<\/p>\n
That classic stage race is where L\u2019Esperance started his 2025, racing with fellow Canadian Rob Britton.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had such a good time at Cape Epic,\u201d L\u2019Espy says of himself and wife Haley Smith, \u201cWe signed up for Gravel Burn pretty much right after.\u201d<\/p>\n
Most people don\u2019t describe eight gruelling days of Cape Epic racing as a \u201cgood time.\u201d Even among the top pros, the punishing mix of long miles and rough terrain takes its toll. L\u2019Esperance 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 with teammate Filippo Colombo, with Simone Avondetto and Luca Braidot, all World Cup heavyweights, in second.<\/p>\n
\u201cRob crushed it. He rode out of his skin and did super well,\u201d L\u2019Espy says, giving full credit to his teammate for crossing disciplines at one of the world\u2019s hardest XC races. \u201cBut there\u2019s just a level that\u2019s not possible when you\u2019re going up against some of the best mountain bikers in the world\u201d<\/p>\n
The Canadian\u2019s finished 22nd, a couple spots ahead of Greg van Aevermat and his teammate.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got to experience the Cape Epic not being on the absolute limit every day, which likely helped me come out of it \u2013 both physically and mentally \u2013 in a very positive way,\u201d L\u2019Espy says. Adding, \u201cMountain bike stage racing is pretty much my favourite way to race bikes. Since 2017, when Haley and I went down and did the eight-day Croc Trophy in Australia, it\u2019s been my favourite. And there\u2019s really not that many opportunities throughout the season to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
While L\u2019Esperance is already planning his way back to the Cape Epic for 2026, the his focus after the \u201825 edition was on this side of the Atlantic. For the past four years, he\u2019s raced the Life Time Grand Prix. With an ever-changing qualification system for the big-money gravel and XC series, L\u2019Esperance had to race his way in as a \u201cwild card\u201d entry for 2025.<\/p>\n With big finishes at Sea Otter and Unbound Gravel (where Britton won the XL edition in a staggering time<\/a>), L\u2019Espy did just that. But he didn\u2019t stop there. The Canadian didn\u2019t finish outside the top 10 at a Life Time event all season. That incredible consistency culminated in a podium at Little Sugar, part of an Arkansas back-to-back race week that wraps up the Life Time GP. It\u2019s also arguably the only true, singletrack heavy, mountain bike event of the series.<\/p>\n \u201cI surprised my self at some of the others where I wasn\u2019t expecting to do that well. But it was nice to go into a race like Little Sugar and be fairly calm, and confident that I knew what I had to do to have a good day. You still need a little bit of luck to succeed at that race, just with the rain and the super sharp rocks.\u201d L\u2019Esperance did that, walking away with third. \u201cIt was sweet to have a clean run at it and turn that into a solid performance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf I\u2019m being really honest, in a lot of the Life Time I don\u2019t really get to express my mountain bike skills as much as I\u2019d like. There\u2019s a lot of subtle things that I get to use them for, but, at Little Sugar, you really get to use them\u201d L\u2019Esperance admits, giving his third at Little Sugar added weight.<\/p>\n<\/a>L\u2019Esperance crosses the line at Unbound Gravel 2025 12th. Image: Marc Arjol Rodriguez
\nWild card leads to a successful season at Life Time Grand Prix<\/p>\n