Lisa Bone’s gravel dominance continued in Swellendam on Saturday, 1 August 2026, with a commanding solo win at Around the Pot.
The Cycle Nation rider won the UCI Gravel World Series round over 161 kilometres. The route included about 1,760 metres of climbing and more than 90% gravel roads.
Bone completed the demanding course in 4 hours, 35 minutes and 41 seconds. She finished more than 16 minutes ahead of her closest rivals.
Chloe Bishop took second place, while Catherine Kruger completed the elite women’s podium in third. Both riders finished 16 minutes and five seconds behind Bone.
The result delivered one of the clearest wins of Bone’s standout 2026 season. It also secured her qualification for the 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships.
Lisa Bone gravel win delivers UCI qualification
Around the Pot joined the UCI Gravel World Series calendar in 2026. The race also served as South Africa’s second qualifying event in the series.
The event started and finished in Swellendam. Riders raced across the gravel roads and farmlands around the Overberg town.
Bone’s winning margin underlined her strength across the long course. The race combined distance, climbing, and sustained gravel sections.
Her performance also adds another major result to an already impressive year. Bone won the Cape Town Cycle Tour earlier in 2026.
She also finished second at the South African Road Championships. She then claimed second at the South African Gravel Championships.
Those results sit alongside several other prominent road and gravel podiums during the season. Together, they highlight her consistency across disciplines.
The Swellendam victory further strengthens Bone’s position among South Africa’s leading gravel racers. It also marks another significant result for Cycle Nation in women’s cycling.
Around the Pot elite women’s top five
Bone’s winning time placed her well clear of the rest of the elite women’s field. Bishop and Kruger finished on the same time gap behind her.
Danielle Du Toit placed fourth, 17 minutes and 49 seconds back. Zanri Rossouw rounded out the top five at 33 minutes and 33 seconds.
- 1. Lisa Bone 4:35:41
- 2. Chloe Bishop +16:05
- 3. Catherine Kruger +16:05
- 4. Danielle Du Toit +17:49
- 5. Zanri Rossouw +33:33
World Championships place secured
The UCI Gravel World Series gives riders a pathway to the discipline’s world championships. Bone’s victory confirmed her place for the 2026 edition.
The 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships will take place on 10 and 11 October. Bone will head there after a season built on repeated high-level performances.
Her Around the Pot ride also showed the depth of her form on longer gravel terrain. The course demanded endurance, climbing strength, and control over extended gravel sectors.
For Cycle Nation, the win continues a growing presence at the top level of women’s racing. For Bone, it adds a major international-series victory to a powerful 2026 campaign.
Related Cycle Nation stories
- 2026 Amashova: Mellett and Bone Fight Back as Grove Doubles Up
- Lisa Bone Secures Second Overall as Garden Route Giro Concludes
- Lisa Bone Battles Through Queen Stage at Garden Route Giro
- Lisa Bone Holds Firm in GC Battle After Stage 4 of Garden Route Giro
- Mariëlle Trouwborst Garden Route Giro 2026 Stage 3: Wins Women’s Race and Takes Overall Lead