Mediclinic and ER24 Support Inaugural Gravel Burn Cycling Event

Mediclinic and ER24 deliver expert medical support for the 800km Gravel Burn cycling event from Knysna to Shamwari, ensuring rider safety and care.

Limiting the Burn of the inaugural Gravel Burn event

Gravel Burn – the inaugural cycling gravel event will take riders from Knysna to finish at Shamwari Game Reserve, covering 800km in 7 days. This multi-stage event, starting on 26 October, will feature many local riders and also showcase the best international riders, including some with Olympic and national honours.

Expert support

“While this event is brand new, Mediclinic and ER24 are no strangers to servicing such high-profile events. Multi-stage events take careful planning, detailed logistics and medical experts who can think on their feet. And we have these talents at our fingertips,” explains Tristan Manning, Event Risk and Disaster Management.

“No event is a replica of another, so it is vital that our team takes time to consider elements such as route, number of participants, time of year and the relative challenges of each day’s route to ensure we keep the riders in their seats, happy and healthy!” Manning continues.

He outlines that when supporting a new event, it is essential to first gain a comprehensive understanding of the event itself. This includes determining what the event is, where it will be held, when it will take place, and the type of participants involved. Based on this information, the team can conduct a preliminary risk assessment to establish an initial indication of the medical and operational requirements.

Subsequently, this assessment is expanded by analysing additional factors such as available resources beyond the dedicated allocations (e.g., extra ambulances or nearby hospitals), expected transport times, potential conflicting events in the vicinity, and historical weather data for the area where the event will occur.

Field medicine at its best

For this event, the team will be taking care of 600 riders as well as support staff across the event. Manning explains, “What was challenging about Gravel Burn, is that the event takes place in a remote, rural setting with significant distances between locations. The primary challenge is identifying appropriate centres capable of providing definitive patient care. Although there are several public sector hospitals along the route, these facilities are generally rural and may lack the full range of specialised services required for complex cases. It is also important to understand the resource limitations these facilities face in their daily operations to ensure that our activities do not place undue strain on their capacity or negatively impact the communities they serve.”

With medical points at each “Padstal”, and a race hospital based at the riders' “Burn Village”, Mediclinic ensures that their expertise is within easy reach of riders. For the more unfamiliar spots, ER24 will be on site with 4x4 vehicles to ensure care arrives swiftly.

Choosing the team with the right temperament

When considering the staffing requirements for an event such as this, Dr Darren Green, Event Chief Medical Officer, explains, “I consider the sporting code and nature of the event when selecting Doctors. We prioritise clinical expertise, niche sports medicine skill sets, as well as individual temperaments and leadership styles that facilitate efficient teamwork and consistently high standards in patient care.”

To ensure the necessary skills across the event, nurses are recommended to have specialised experience in trauma, ICU, wound care, strapping, as well as competency working in high-pressure environments. Green highlights, “It’s not everyone’s cup of tea to work in remote medical facilities – we build up and break down treatment centres daily, work long hours and have to adapt to the terrain at short notice. Put simply, we need creative problem solvers, not just problem finders. And we are proud of the specialised problem solvers we have on hand for this event.”

Compliance is more than just protocols

Compliance is another key element of these events. Dr Green explains that there are multiple international and local federations that govern the various sporting codes, each with its own guidelines. “We consider these for each sport, such as the UCI, World Rugby, World Athletics and WADA. Our teams need to be aware of the required processes and protocols pertaining to elite athletes, especially those related to banned substances. Regular updates and detailed briefings are key in preparing our team.”

Bringing the science to event medicine

But Mediclinic and ER24 have more than just expert medical experts. During the upcoming event, they will deploy their customised eventing medicine app for accurate record keeping and live updates on all aspects of medical consults on the event. This allows for real-time reporting and strategic resource planning.

The inclusion of a dedicated sonographer with high-resolution ultrasound and off-site specialist radiology reporting adds great value to the event as the team can quickly assess musculoskeletal injuries. “In addition, we rely on point of care onsite pathology laboratory testing for crucial medical conditions such as kidney failure, dehydration and heat stroke. Finally, the renowned bum-clinic brings much comfort and reassurance in treating saddle sores during multistage events,” Green concludes.