The Enduro season will wrap up on a high note for three provinces this Sunday when the Provincial Enduro Championships for Gauteng, North West and Limpopo, presented by Suzuki and Balwin, take place at Thaba Trails, Johannesburg. It’s the final round of the 2023 provincial series for each province too, so there’s a lot at stake.
Now in its second year, the Gauteng Enduro Series has given the discipline structure and helped grow the number of participants in a region where good gradient is relatively scarce, but highly appreciated. While its descents are fairly short, Thaba Trails has become a reliable Enduro race venue for the region and Sunday’s event offer six challenging stages.
Stages 1 (The Alps) and 2 (The Andes) make a return. They’re both rockfests which are devoid of flow but offer segments of steep gradient and are challenging for all riders. The dry winter has left bigger gaps between the rocks making suspension and tyre pressure setting even more important at this venue.
The Stage 3 (The Prairie) route is unchanged from the SA Cup in February, although it is wider in places on the steeper first third. It’s the most pedally stage with a series of flat turns near the end to challenge cornering skills and tyre traction… Stage 4 (Little Pink) also has a high volume of rocks, but does deliver some flow in the first half.
Stage 5 (Cracker Jack) has been extended to include the Bulldog rock-roll used in the high-profile XCO races there this year. It’s the stage that offers the most flow and really is fast and fun. The B Line at the Bulldog section carries a big time penalty so it’s best to learn to face the rocks, which come almost at the very end of the stage, if you’re looking for an edge.
Stage 6 (Foeva) also has some changes, mostly after the Matt’s Way rock steps where it also tracks onto the XCO course and includes a very short, but nasty little kicker of a climb. The good news is that the longer climb in the middle has been reduced to much shorter pedal on the entry to Matt’s Way.
In terms of riders to watch for the overall podium in the women, Julia Kotze will be both defending her Gauteng provincial title and gunning to win the 2023 Series. She’s sure to be challenged by Youth category ace, Arielle Behr of Gauteng and Limpopo Junior, Tashane Ehlers.
In the men, North West’s Wade Prinsloo (intro picture) starts as the favourite after a strong series which saw him finish fifth at Round 1, first at Round 2 and second at Round 3. His challengers are likely to be Gauteng Sub-veteran speedster, Bryce Munro and Gauteng Veteran ace, Danny Fowler. Top Junior, Divan van Straaten of Gauteng is also sure to be a challenger for the overall top step on his home course.
“We are combining the final round of all three province’s series as well as each provincial championships on Sunday. It’s a big undertaking, but it’s essential if we are to grow Enduro nationally and recognise the achievements of the committed racers,” said Paola Damilano, MTB Director at Cycling South Africa and provincial series organiser.
“We’re also upping the fun level a bit by adding a 100% Hot Seat. As riders clock in after completing their stages, we will put the fastest Princess, Prince, Queen and King of Stage 6 onto the 100% Hot Seat. Princess and Prince will be Youth and younger, while Queen and King will be Junior and older,” added Damilano
On Sunday at Thaba Trails, all the usual CSA categories will be contested. Entry is online only and closes at midnight on Friday 4 August. Racing starts at 09h00 on Sunday 6 August with registration from 0h730. Entry is via the Cycling South Africa portal here or via the CSA app.
Suzuki is the presenting sponsor the 2023 Gauteng Enduro Series. Other brands that have invested in the sponsoring the Gauteng Enduro Series are EcoLogic (bike wash products), 100% (eyewear products), 32GI (performance supplements), Med Guys (medical support), Complete Cyclist (technical support) and SHRED (media partner). Timing will once again be done by Send It, which records down to 1000th of a second.
For more information, join the Gauteng Cycling Gravity Group on Telegram, here; or contact Paola Damilano on 0832523752 or paola.damilano@me.com
