Italian journeyman cyclist Mattia De Marchi, stormed into the orange leader’s jersey on stage 1 of the 2026 Gravel Burn stage race in South Africa. The former road racing professional, riding his second Gravel Burn, made a telling move with 5km to go, sneaking away with a well-timed attack to clinch the stage by 13 seconds.
De Marchi said his early sensations weren’t good, but as the stage unfolded and his body warmed up, he found his rhythm.
“The feeling wasn’t there at the beginning. Because I knew the route from last year, I knew it would be important to get a gap before the big climb. On the climb I still wasn’t feeling great, but from there I started to feel better and better.”
“At 5 kilometres to go, I decided to push and the guys behind me just stopped; at 1 kilometre to go, I pushed harder and I won. A nice start, huh!”
Mattia De Marchi
Age: 35
Raised: Noale, Italy
Lives: Noale, Italy
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 63kg
Rides for: The Grip
Best results: Gravel Burn stage win (‘26), Tour of China stage win (‘16), 2nd Törökbálint GP (‘17)
(Image credit: James Cameron)
At 5 kilometres to go I decided to push and the guys behind me just stopped; at 1 kilometre to go I pushed harder and I won. A nice start, huh!
Mattia De Marchi
(Image credit: Fahwaaz Cornelius)
Unfortunately, his lead was short-lived as an untimely rear-wheel puncture and a smashed rear wheel on stage 2 scuppered his GC aspirations, costing him 40 minutes. While disappointing, the affable De Marchi stayed hopeful and turned to stage hunting for the remaining six stages.
(Image credit: Fahwaaz Cornelius)
De Marchi switched from Basso to Wilier in early 2026 after joining elite gravel team ‘The Grip’, which also includes Eddy Le Huitouze, a U23 French rider who moved to off-road racing after a stint with Groupama-FDJ on the WorldTour, and Belgian Jordy Bouts. The team’s disruptive ethos is characterised by an eye-catching kit and an even bolder bike livery, the result of which, according to the team, is “preserving the culture, aesthetics, and storytelling of gravel.”
(Image credit: Fahwaaz Cornelius)
While the Italian’s Gravel Burn campaign didn’t play out as he had hoped, his bike caused its fair share of rubbernecking throughout the week’s racing. De Marchi rides a Wilier Rave SLR ID2 outfitted in the V14 The Grip Élite Gravel Team livery – this magenta/purple matte paint design can now be specced as an optional extra at checkout, yours for £400/€400.
(Image credit: Fahwaaz Cornelius)
As a SRAM-sponsored athlete, the Rave is built around a Red XPLR AXS groupset, complete with a X-Sync Aero 48T chainring and 10-46T cassette. He also runs Time XPro 12 SL road pedals and a Hammerhead Karoo 2 – yep, you guessed it, the cycling computer was named after this very region.
(Image credit: Fahwaaz Cornelius)
The bike rolls on a pair of carbon-spoked Miche Graff Pro wheels, pictured here sans decals – replacements for the wheels he broke on stage 2. His mechanics have pushed the tyre clearance boundaries to the maximum here with 2.2in Pirelli Cinturato Gravel RM tyres; Wilier officially recommends a maximum tyre width of up to 2.0in (52mm). De Marchi is using the stock Wilier integrated F-Bar with 110mm stem and 39cm bar (40cm flare), wrapped in Prologo bar tape.
(Image credit: Fahwaaz Cornelius)
An interesting addition is the brace of wireless blips under the bar for easy access to the gears when riding on the tops.
(Image credit: Fahwaaz Cornelius)
The balance of the build includes Elite Leggero carbon bottle cages with elastic bands to ensure bottles aren’t ejected, an Apidura top-tube bag and a Prologo Scratch NDR PAS saddle.
(Image credit: Fahwaaz Cornelius)
Tech spec
- Frameset: Rave D2, carbon monocoque
- Fork: Rave D2, carbon monocoque
- Cockpit: Wilier integrated F-Bar
- Seatpost: Wilier Filanta carbon custom
- Groupset: SRAM Red XPLR AXS
- Wheelset: Miche Graff Pro
- Tyres: 2.2in Pirelli Cinturato Gravel RM
- Saddle: Prologo Scratch NDR PAS
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