Enduro News

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LESOTHO ENDURO
TO PROVIDE WORLD'S BEST RIDERS WITH DEMANDING ROUTE
Saturday, 19th March.

The names on the list of entrants for the upcoming Lesotho Enduro, the opening round of the 2011 Liquorland SA National Enduro Motorcycle Championship that takes place on 19 March, forebode only one thing - a tough battle between some of the world's best enduro motorcycle riders.

The list is top heavy with names of South African riders that are synonymous with the world's toughest enduro races while two international riders will also be competing. The defending national enduro title holder, Jade Gutzeit (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha) has won this event last year, but will have to fend off his Roof of Africa archrival, the Kiwi Chris Birch (Comsol Alfie Cox KTM Racing) who is living and competing in South Africa this year.

Birch has won the Baboons Lesotho Sun Roof of Africa for the last three years and will have his eye on more race victories in Lesotho. Gutzeit and Birch will not have it all their own way and a gaggle of experienced riders will go all out to claim victory. Team Brother Broadlink KTM is pushing a tough contingent into the field that include another international rider, Lionel Seydoux, who has been competing in the enduro championship last year as well. Also in the team are the former Roof of Africa winner, Darryl Curtis; former enduro champion, Altus de Wet and former off-road champions, Riaan van Niekerk and Gray Dick while Scott Scheepers and Tyron Miller will also aim for a place in the top ten.

The Orange (KTM) and Blue (Yamaha) Battle has been raging this year and Proudly Bidvest Yamaha's Louwrens Mahoney, who has also won the Roof of Africa three times before, would like to bring the trophy home for himself and the Blue Team. The 2010 E2 (200cc) Class champion, Marc Torlage (Mr Price Yamaha) as well as Charan Moore (Leo Racing Yamaha), who has literally grew up in the Lesotho mountains and his team-mate, Wynand Badenhorst, who finished in the top ten at the Roof of Africa last year, will all be joining forces while Torlage's young team-mate, the scholar Scott Bouverie, who also finished his first Roof of Africa last year, and Ruan Roberts (Full Throttle Yamaha) are all possible top ten finishers.

Brian Capper (Full Throttle Red Bull KTM) will be back in action and has regularly finished between the front runners last year while Kargo Racing's Bradley van Aswegen (Yamaha) and Wynand Delport (KTM); the Pienaar brothers, Darren (Yamaha) and Nicholas (Kawasaki) and youngsters Timothy Young (Honda Wing Race Nation) and Dominic Mantle (Comsol Alfie Cox KTM Racing) will fancy their chances on good results.

In the Senior Class, defending champion, William Gillitt, now racing under the Comsol Alfie Cox KTM Racing banner, will have his hands full with former E1 (Open) Class rider, Stephen Landman (Team Liquorland Gas Gas) and regular top five finishers like cc Gallery Gateway KTM's Gary Bostock and Calvin Wright; Otto Horlacher (Yamaha) and Graydon Ilderton (Nomadik Tents KTM).
The 2010 runner-up in the Senior Class championship, Gary Sox Smith, is now Gillitt's team-mate and has moved to the Master Class where he will come face to face with the 2010 Master Class champ, Denzil Torlage (MR Price Yamaha) as well as the runner-up, Mark du Plessis (Habitat KTM Cape Town) and Dave Estment (KTM) and various other experienced competitors.

The race will take place in the Thaba Khupa area south-east of Maseru from where competitors in the E1 (Open) and E2 (200cc) Classes will have to complete the 45km lap, that include sections of the 2010 Baboons Lesotho Sun Roof of Africa, four times while Senior Class and Silver Challenge riders will do three laps and competitors in the Master and Novice Classes will do two laps.

The race will start at 08h00
More information is available on www.lora.co.ls