What Trademore Feeds SA Cross Country Round 3 Preview
Where Ganyesa, Northwest Province
When 20-21 May 2022
Community South Africa National

A Change of Scenery in the Trademore SA Cross Country Chase

The Trademore Group South African Cross Country Championship emerges from a lengthy break with a total change of scenery from the opening rounds. Far from the rolling verdant hills of KwaZulu Natal, competitors head to the arid semidesert of the Northwest Province for round 3 at Ganyesa, 70 kilometres north-west of Vryburg on Saturday 21 May with one question on any observer’s mind. Will that favour the upcountry riders? Time will tell!

That question is particularly pertinent considering that a trio of KZN riders sit in the overall top three, and two KZN riders won the opening two rounds. Brett Swanepoel stormed to victory at a tough Dalton, KZN second round aboard his OR2 Husqvarna to take charge at the top of the title log. Fellow KZN OR2 rider Scott Heygate was second in Dalton aboard his OR2 KTM to move to second in the chase, with Mike Pentecost’s OR1 Kawasaki third.

OR3 leader Matthew Wilson is the top upcountry rider in fourth in his KTM. He has two more KZN riders on his tail for good measure. Round 1 winner Bradley Cox missed Dalton due to an injury sustained racing abroad and he will certainly want to be back with a bang. Gareth Cole’s Honda sits seventh ahead of the next Gauteng men, Seniors leader Kenny Gilbert’s Kawasaki and Kerim Fitz-Gerald’s KTM in ninth and tenth, from Hayden Louw’s Yamaha and Ryan Pelser on a KTM.

A slightly different picture emerges in the classes. Michael Pentecost’s gritty season so far and a round 2 win aboard his Franchise Co. CIT Kawasaki has earned him the open 450cc class lead over the plucky Gareth Cole’s Sleepover CIT Honda, Hayden Louw’s Yamaha and Wade Den’s Pepson Plastics Motul Kawasaki. That leaves fifth placed round 1 winner Bradley Cox with it all to do to stem that Japanese tide aboard his Austrian Brother Leader Tread KTM.

It’s the other way around in 350cc OR2 where Brett Swanepoel’s Husqvarna has a perfect score over Scott Heygate’s Brother Leader Tread KTM, Kerim Fitz-Gerald’s Red Bull KTM and Dylan Cox’s Yamaha. Round 1 winner, Brother Leader Tread rider Matthew Wilson leads the 250cc OR3 class from fellow KTM rider Ryan Pelser and Haydn Cole’s Sleepover CIT Honda. Husqvarna rider Davin Cocker sits fourth ahead of Taki Bogiages’ Pepson Plastics Motul Kawasaki.

Second round OR2 winner Davin Cocker has however opted to sit out the rest of the season to recuperate from a knee injury and will be replaced by SA international motocross and rally raid Husqvarna rider David Goosen. OR1 Kawasaki man Wade Den will also sit this one out after hurting his knee off the bike.

Kenny Gilbert leads Seniors after winning the class in both opening rounds aboard his Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Motul Kawasaki. He leads Sleepover CIT Honda man Wade Blaauw, Pepson Kawasaki teammate Wyatt Avis’ Kawasaki and Marco Cocci’s Yamaha. Second in both opening rounds Greg Nairn’s Husqvarna leads the Masters over round 2 winner Carel Le Roux’s Franchise Co. CIT Kawasaki opening round winner Kobus Jonck’s KTM and Wayne Farmer on a Husqvarna.

In junior action, opening race winner Matatiele lad Ross Ramseyer leads the 125cc High School chase on his Durban KTM from Wian Wentzel’s Husqvarna, Rory Donaldson on a KTM, Joss Alexander’s Husqvarna and Daniel Peckham on a Sherco. Also keep an eye on round 2 winner Luke Walker’s KTM. Double 80cc Junior winner Brandon Clarke is the kid to beat on his Spherical Holeshot Husqvarna and he will have Bruno Niebuhr, Murray Smith and AJ Louw’s KTM on his case.

KTM leads the Trademore Group South African Cross Country Championship maker’s chase to Ganyesa on 307 points from Husqvarna’s 255 and Kawasaki on 186 points. Yamaha and Honda are a point apart in fourth and fifth. The Ganyesa race also reverts to a two-day format with the time trial Friday afternoon before the main race on Saturday.

Issued on behalf of Trademore SA Cross Country