The increasingly popular discipline of Enduro will culminate in a celebration of another year of growth when the who’s who from around the country meet for what promises to be a thrilling showdown at the 2022 South African Enduro Champs, presented by Bike Market, in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga on Saturday 17 September.
The event is also Round 4 of the 2022 Mpumalanga Enduro Series and it has been awarded Enduro World Series qualifier status.
Defending Elite men’s champion, Johann Potgieter (pictured above) has confirmed his participation, as has fellow Western Cape racer, Matt Lombardi, the 2019 national Elite champion. Winner of the inaugural SA Elite Enduro title in 2018, Keira Duncan, from KwaZulu-Natal, will also be lining up, as will Mpumalanga’s top racer, Willie van Eck, runner-up behind Duncan in all three Enduro SA Cup rounds in 2022.
In the women’s field, defending champion, Frankie du Toit is unable to make the trip, but South African Downhill champion, Beanie Thies from KwaZulu-Natal, has confirmed her participation, as has rising gravity star, Zandri Strydom, who’s home province is Mpumalanga and Limpopo’s ace junior racer, Lilian Baber.
The Junior Men’s field is strong and deep and includes SA Downhill champion, Keagan Brand of KwaZulu-Natal, 2021 Youth Enduro champion, Philip van Schalkwyk from the Western Cape, Limpopo’s Tyron Anders and Ruan Janse van Vuuren and Gauteng’s Eugene Kriek.
The racing will be contested over six stages, which offer a wide variety of terrain and gradient and will require excellent allround skills, power and fitness to shine brightest.
Stage 1 – Pipeline to Friends Café
A low-gradient, smooth surface stage mostly dug into a twisty donga with a few short pedally sections.
Stage 2 – Fried Egg
Natural cow tracks over rocks with loose over hardpack surfaces and some off-camber. The most pedally stage of the event.
Stage 3 – Red Alert Drop Line
Sections of large rock make this stage somewhat technical, but the rocks are large, smooth and stable and just require good line choice.
Stage 4 – Det Collector
A brand-new stage with incredible views, Det Collector is steep and rocky, but relatively short. This has been declared a blind stage, although walking of the stage beforehand will be permitted at organiser’s instructions.
Stage 5 – Blue Cheese
Because of its length and gradient, Blue Cheese is one of South Africa’s most iconic descents and will surely be the Queen Stage for this event. A mixture of natural trail and manicured features that guarantees arm pump due to its steepness and length.
Stage 6 – Red Alert Lowers
Similar to Red Alert Drop Line, Lowers takes in some large rock sections, but has more pedalling towards the end.
“I haven’t race there before, so I’m looking forward to what the trails have in store. I feel at home on the steep, technical terrain, so I think the pedally stuff is going to throw in a bit of extra work, but I’m looking forward to giving it horns,” said Duncan, who is the 2022 Enduro SA Cup Series champion, after winning all three rounds.
“I didn’t realise there would be so much pedalling, but it is what it is and I will race it as it comes. I have just returned from the World Champs in Les Gets and a World Cup in Val di Sole, so my riding is at a pretty high standard currently. I’m not unfit. If there’s pedalling, I’ll take it as it comes,” said Potgieter the defending SA champion.
“I’m keen to race in Nelspruit again. I raced there last year in a round of the SA Cup Series and enjoyed the stages,” said Lombardi, who won the event there in 2021 and has been racing in Europe for the past few months.
“Although not all entered yet, we know that pretty much most of the top Enduro racers in South Africa have confirmed they will be racing, which adds great prestige to the event,” said Schalk Potas, of Trail Awareness Crew, the event oganisers.
“Enduro racing in Mpumalanga has been growing steadily and it’s one of the provinces gifted with great gradient and discerning trailbuilders. Hosting the SA Champs and an Enduro World Series qualifier really raises the level further and helps establish the region as one of the best there is when it comes to Enduro racing,” he added.
Entrants pre-riding the stages this week need to purchase a trails pass here to gain access at R50 per rider per day or buy online here for discounted day rates:
Thanks to the following companies and organisations for their support:
Bike Market https://bikemarket.co.za
Oasis Water https://oasiswater.co.za/
Pyga Bikes https://www.pygamountainbikes.com
TrailTech Cycles https://trailtechcycles.co.za
Valencia Cycles https://www.vbike.co.za
Squirt https://www.squirtcyclingproducts.com
The Organic Athlete https://www.theorganicathlete.co.za
OPI http://onpointindustries.co.za
Culture Collective Photography http://culturecollective.co.za
Cycling South Africa https://www.cyclingsa.com
Pronto Computers https://prontocs.co.za
Devil’s Peak Beer https://www.devilspeak.beer
Friend’s Café https://www.friendscafe.co.za
Casterbridge Hollow Hotel: https://www.casterbridgehollow.co.za
Gravity Hub https://www.gravityhub.bike
Leatt https://leatt.com/za/
Rush Sports https://rushsports.co.za
Trail Awareness Crew
Trail Worx
SHRED Media https://www.treadmtb.co.za
Registration closes on Tuesday 15 September and entry is done online here.
For more information, contact: Schalk 071 6724198 or Jaco 083 7897780.
