adminMermaid Pools and according to one of its organisers, Martin Steenkamp, they have received 10 entries from South Africa and Botswana, and 11 from Zambia.
In fact, countries from all over Africa, namely Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana and Kenya will be competing for the team trophy and it is expected that Morocco, the Ivory Coast and Uganda will also send teams.
“The event is a motor bike endurance race where the riders will compete for five hours and cover an expected 250km over very rough terrain, cross rivers and ride up very steep rocky mountains.
“The bikes will depart at one-minute intervals starting at 9am and the winner is the person that complete the furthest distance in the shortest time,” Steenkamp said.
Meanwhile, the South African Off-Road Motorcycle team is gearing up for tomorrow’s event in Shamva.
The South African riders, who will be competing under Neil Gailey as the captain are: Rob Ramos, Louw Schmidt, Jaycee Nienaber, Darren McLeod, Bradley Nortje, Kenny Gilbert, Dillon Inggs, Vincent Crosbie, Nick Brits and Toni Jardin.
Jardin will be the first female rider from Motorsport South Africa (MSA) to compete as a team member.
MSA licence holder Ian Dykes, although not part of the team, will be competing individually.
Captain Gailey won the South Africa National Masters Off-Road Motorcycle Championship last year and also captained the team to Botswana last year.
Known as a consistent competitor, he is also the route finder for some of the events in Botswana.
For the 2012 season, he recently changed his beloved Yamaha for a KTM and races for the Naledia/Wesbank Team.
Neil McCann, president of MSA’s Off-Road Motorcycle, Quad and Enduro Commission, wished the team well and trust they will be back with the laurels.
Short information on the South African riders:
Kenny Gilberts is possibly one of South Africa’s best riders and spent the last few years in the USA riding in the GNCC events. He is currently lying sixth in the SA National Enduro Championship and second in the SA National Off-Road Championship and is known as one of the top contenders at the Roof of Africa annually.
Dillon Inggs was the 125cc South African Off-Road Motorcycle Champion in 2008, and was awarded SA National Colours for his participation in the Continental Championships in 2008 in Zambia. He is described as a determined demon and currently lying 2nd in the 250cc Class in the SA National Off-Road Championship and 19th in the SA National Enduro Championship. He rides a KTM for the Naledi/WesBank team.
After putting his dream to compete aside in order to complete his education, Vincent Crosbie returned to racing in 2011. This talented youngster has not had the
opportunity to prove himself yet, as injuries sidelined him in 2011. An awesome time trial last weekend proved that he is indeed one of the top 20 riders in Off-Road Racing.
Rob Ramos, a 19-year-old part time Architectural Draughting student from Pretoria, has been racing since the age of 15. He currently competes in the SA National
Off-Road Championship and on a Yamaha YZ250F. Because of his consistency he has always finished top 6 in his class every season.
17-year-old Jaycee Nienaber won the Northern Regions Junior Off-Road Championship last year and ended fifth in the SA National Junior Off-Road Championship. He rides for the Manhand Racing Team.
The rose in the team, 19-year-old Tony Jardine, became the first female last year to compete in the notorious Roof of Africa as well as being the only female to finish the Kei National Enduro. She is off to Spain and Portugal in May to compete in the first two rounds of the International Women’s Enduro Cup on a KTM 250F.
Ian Dykes, is a typical “nomad” rider. Born in Botswana but with Kenyan nationality, he also holds a MSA competitor licence and will either ride for Kenya or as an individual competitor.
He hopes to go overseas next year to try Enduro racing over there.
He has represented Kenya in Motocross since 2002, and in 2011 he represented SA in Kenya. He currently leads the OR4-class in the SA National Off-Road Motorcycle Championship and is lying 3rd in the combined OR3 & OR 4 class. He also rides for the Naledi/Wesbank team.
Online Reporter