Enduro fans are rallying up for the start of the National Enduro Championship. In what looks to be one of the most competitive season openers the series has seen, South Africa’s top riders will battle it out for glory at Titans Extreme Enduro, Hartbeespoort, this weekend.
The event marks the return to racing of South Africa’s Enduro queen, Kirsten Landman. The Brother Leader Tread KTM star spent last season on the side-line after sustaining a shoulder injury. After almost a year of recovery, Landman is ready to take on the Gauteng track renowned for its unforgiving trails and technical terrain on her KTM 250 EXC TPI.
“I think the track is going to be physically demanding and hard on the body! We’ve made some changes to my suspension and set up on my bike, so I’m really looking forward to getting back out there. I’m not 100% sure where my pace is at because I haven’t raced in so long, but this will be a good starting point to build on. At the end of the day, I’m just grateful to be healthy, fit and racing again,” said Landman.
While Charan Moore is a familiar face on the Enduro scene, the rider will line-up on Saturday for his debut E2 Class race having committed to the full championship this season. With Lesotho’s technical terrain as his training ground, Moore is undaunted by the demanding route in store: “I like the diverse feel of the championship with races all around the country. Kicking things off in the Gauteng area is awesome – I think it’s a similar feel to my training ground at home so I’m really excited,” he commented.
As he prepares to take on a talent-stacked field of riders, he added: “This is the first time in a few years that I have committed to the full Enduro Championship so I’m really keen to see where I stack up against the rest of the field. I think the E2 Class has such a deep field of talent and I’m just looking to see where we are at after the first round and then to build on that going forward.”
Rounding out the orange squad this weekend is multi-disciplined star Bradley Cox. Having kicked off the National Cross Country season in victory, the rider enters the Enduro season opener with a fresh sense of confidence on his new KTM EXC-F.
“The season started a bit later this year, which I’m grateful for because it gave me a chance to get used to the new bike. I’m really enjoying the 4-stroke at the moment and feel a bit more consistent. The format is changing this year and the track is supposed to be less technical and slightly more flowy, so we will see what that’s like.”
As a runner up in the E1 Class last season, Cox will undoubtedly pull out all the stops in his quest for national glory. As the team prepares for battle, KTM South Africa’s Louwrens Mahoney shares his thoughts: “Really looking forward to kicking of the Enduro Championship! The team has put in all the hard work and with a great line up of riders we have faith for a great year of racing.”
Published by: Louwrens Mahoney – KTM Motorcycles SA