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Flying Kiwi takes Lesotho Enduro

MASERU, Lesotho – Temporarily nesting Kiwi Chris Birch, in South Africa to compete in local racing, has won the 2011 Lesotho Enduro, the opening round of the National Enduro championship – a follow-up to winning the Roof of Africa three times.

He’s racing with Alfie Cox’s KTM outfit.

Birch started the enduro from the 14th row because he hadn’t competed in the championship but eventually beat defending champion Jade Gutzeit (Yamaha) by a marginal 67 points. He won the last of the three special racing stages with Gutzeit and third-placed Marc Torlage (Yamaha), who also had to tackle the race from the middle of the field, each winning a timed stage.

BENT DISC

Birch and Gutzeit, the latter still recovering from a broken foot, scored the first two places in the E1 (Open) Class while Torlage (2010 E2 champion) won this class again.

Former enduro champion Louwrens Mahoney (Yamaha) was fourth overall (third in E1), a mere five points (seconds) behind Torlage. Three members of the Brother Broadlink KTM team followed – Darryl Curtis was fifth overall; Altus de Wet claimed the second place in the E2 (200cc) Class after losing time on the final racing stage when a bent disc caused him to race without a rear brake and Swiss rider Lionel Seydoux was seventh.

Riaan van Niekerk lost time during the second special stage when he stopped to remove a broken chain guard and had to settle for 15th.

The rest of the top 10 consisted of Brian Capper (KTM) who was 15 points behind Seydoux; Bradley van Aswegen (Yamaha) and 17-year old, Scott Bouverie (Yamaha) who became one of the youngest finishers of the Roof of Africa race in Lesotho in 2010 and is competing in his first National Enduro season.

THE WINNER: New Zealander Chris Birch came from way down the field to win the 2011 Lesotho Enduro.

The route used sections from the 2010 Baboons Roof of Africa race and included various steep and rocky climbs and descents; recent rain ensured lots of traction for the 150 entrants, a healthy number for the first race of the season.

Mark Fox (KTM) finished 11th overall, followed by another youngster, Birch’s team mate Dominic Mantle (KTM) with Gray Dick 13th after the moose in his KTM collapsed on the last lap and cost points for not completing the section in time.

Wynand Badenhorst (Yamaha) was 14th; Paul Carrick (KTM) 16th and Stefan Oosthuysen (Husaberg) 17th overall. Dick’s team mate Scott Scheepers had to settle for 18th after knocking the gear-shifter off on the last lap and losing time with only first gear at his disposal; CJ Blackman (KTM) was 19th and veteran racer Alex Vowles (Yamaha) rounded off the top 20.

2010 Junior National Off-road champion Tyron Miller (KTM) completed his first National enduro – even if he was 35th... and last.

The Senior Class was won by a newcomer, Mike Morris (KTM), who beat defending champion William “Wild Will” Gillit (KTM) by 815 points. Morris’ team mate and regular podium finisher Gary Bostock was third and another newcomer, Stephen Landman (GasGas), was fourth. Peter Jung (KTM) rounded off the top five.

Competitors in the Senior Class had to complete two of the timed racing sections and 17 of the 28 entrants made it.

AWARD FOR YAMAHA

The technical route and hot weather were hard tests for Master Class competitors (46 and over). Like the 2010 season, the battle was again between 2010 champion Denzil Torlage (Yamaha) and runner-up Mark du Plessis (KTM) who again finished first and second in the class. Graydon Ilderton (KTM) was third; Barrie Barnard (Honda) fourth with Dave Estment (KTM) fifth for the day.

Like the Senior competitors, the 31 entrants in the Silver Challenge Class had to try to post their fastest times in two of the timed stages. Here junior rider Blake Gutzeit (Yamaha) comfortably beat Dricky Morkel (Yamaha) and Simon Warne (KTM) was third.

Yamaha won the Manufacturers’ Award.

The race was described by most riders as “a real enduro” with an enjoyable though technical route and the racing action set the scene for an exciting season.
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