Round 3 of the Gauteng Enduro Series, presented by Suzuki, returns to the trails of Grootfontein, Pretoria on Sunday 28 August and it promises to deliver a fierce battle as riders contest valuable points in what has now become the most popular provincial Enduro series in the country.
More than 200 riders have competed in the Gauteng Series this year and with the XCO season now complete, it’s likely to grow as more riders give the increasingly popular gravity discipline a bash. Since Gauteng lacks venues with significant gradient, many of the Enduro events can be tackled on a XCO bike, especially Grootfontein.
Willie van Eck (pictured above at Round 1), runner-up at Round 1 of the 2022 Gauteng Series, stands out at the favourite in the men’s field. The 22-year-old is Mpumalanga’s top Enduro racer and powerful on the pedals, so is sure to find the gentle gradient stages to his liking. Others sure to challenge for the overall podium include Mpumalanga’s Jo Bester and Gauteng’s Inus du Preez.
Gauteng’s leading Elite female Enduro racer, Julia Kotze, will start as favourite in the women’s field, but she will be wary of Limpopo Junior, Lilian Baber and strong Youth racer, Arielle Behr, who have both been regular podium visitors in events they have contested this year.
There are seven stages set for the event, with a new first half of Line 3 and a completely new Line 9, which crosses over the Flow Line via a new wooden bridge, delivering a fresh challenge that’s tight and twisty at the top, straightening up somewhat in the second half.
Six of the seven stages finish past the main gravel road, which requires some hard pedalling for the final 50-100 metres of each leg. Conditions are expected to warm and dry which should see riders having to manage loose-over-hardpack surfaces in their quest for traction. There are a number of new berms since the previous Enduro event at Grootfontein, but for the rest of the turns, flat-cornering skills will be tested.
There is also a Lite option, which will include four stages. This will be contested by those new to Enduro and the Sprogs and Nipper categories.
Full Enduro
Stage 1 (Line 1)
Stage 2 (Line 9)
Stage 3 (Line 3)
Stage 4 (Line 4)
Stage 5 (Line 5)
Stage 6 (Line 8)
Stage 7 (XCO line)
Lite Enduro
Stage 1 (Line 1)
Stage 3 (Line 3)
Stage 4 (Line 4)
Stage 5 (Line 5)
All the usual CSA categories will be contested as will an eBike category for 19 years and older racers.
Entry is online only and closes at midnight on Friday 26 August 2022. Racing starts at 09h00 on Sunday. Entry is via the Cycling South Africa portal here or via the CSA app.
For more information, join the Gauteng Cycling Gravity Group on Telegram, here; or contact Paola Damilano on 0832523752 or paola.damilano@me.com
“This year’s series is the first year that riders will be able to earn Gauteng Colours for Enduro,” said Series Organiser, Paola Damilano. “Riders need to complete at least three of the four rounds (75%) to qualify. The winner of each category will qualify for provincial colours, as will positions 2 and 3 provided they finish within 3% of the winner’s average series time. Minor adjustments apply if a category has fewer than five riders.”
Suzuki is the presenting sponsor the 2022 Gauteng Enduro Series. Other brands that have invested in the sponsoring the Gauteng Enduro Series are EcoLogic (bike wash products), 100% (eyewear products), 32 GI (performance supplements), Med Guys (medical support) and SHRED (media partner).
