On Saturday, 27 July, multiple national champion Louwrens Mahoney stormed to victory that cross country fans had been waiting for. The rider walked away with the OR1 win at the fourth round of the championship in Lesotho.

It’s been a journey to the top step of the podium for Mahoney, who made his long-awaited return to the OR1 Class at the start of the 2019 season. As a multi-disciplined star, the rider reached a total of six National Cross Country and Enduro titles before taking a sabbatical in 2016.

He returned to racing the following year and signed up for the OR2 Class. It wasn’t long before Mahoney was back to his winning ways, and he seemed unbeatable as he chased down the OR2 Championship in 2017. Unfortunately, the rider fell short of glory when he broke his collar bone in Koue Bokkeveld.

At the start of the 2019 season, Mahoney made the decision to follow his heart and make the move back to the OR1 Class. He explained, “As much as I enjoyed my time in the OR2 Class, it was also a frustrating season for me. When I came back to OR1 I knew it was where I belonged. Being able to chase down the overall title with guys like Ross Branch really fires me up!”

After his Lesotho victory, Mahoney has taken the championship lead by three points ahead of competitor and fellow Brother Leader Tread KTM teammate Ross Branch. The final stop on the Cross Country calendar will take riders to Vryburg, North West, in November and will serve as a double-header round.

With a championship that could go either way, fans are in for one of the biggest showdowns of the season as battle drums beat for Branch and Mahoney…

Published by: KTM Media

Photography by: http://www.zcmc.co.za