FMN News South Africa

SA CROSS COUNTRY BATTLE RESUMES

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What Trademore Feeds SA Cross Country Round 4 Preview
Where Zorg Fliet, Bronkhorstspruit
When Saturday 9 July 2022
Community South Africa National

Swanepoel, Pentecost out to beat Orange Army

It’s all change as the Trademore Group South African Cross Country Championship heads to new territory for its fourth round on Saturday 9 July after a sizeable pause since May.

Originally scheduled for Carletonville, the GXCC-run race will now take place at Zorg Fliet farm in Bronkhostspruit. It is on that spectacular and varied terrain that championship leader Brett Swanepoel and his factory OR2 Husqvarna will be out to avenge defeat last time out at the hands of KTM Orange Army giants Bradley Cox’s OR1 Brother Leader Tread machine and former motocrosser Kerim Fitz-Gerald’s Red Bull OR2 bike.

Both those KTM men however sit behind Brother teammate, Zambian Scott Heygate’s OR2 machine and Tork Craft CIT Kawasaki OR1 rider Mike Pentecost. Cox arrives at Zorg Fliet fourth in the chase ahead of OR3 leader Matthew Wilson‘s Brother KTM, Fitz-Gerald, Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Motul Kawasaki Senior king Kenny Gilbert, and Honda trio, OR3 winner last time out, MCA man Peter Karam and Tork Craft brothers, OR1 rider Gareth and OR3 lad Haydn Cole.

Cox and Pentecost are the men to beat in OR1, but look out for Gareth Cole, JC Nienaber’s Pepson Kawasaki, hot Husqvarna newcomer Michael Docherty, who continues to substitute for the injured Davin Cocker. Swanepoel and Fitz-Gerald will have Heygate, Erik Merry’s Husqvarna and KTM rider Kyle Eggar to worry about in OR2. And it’s Karam versus Wilson, Cole, Taki Bogiages’ Pepson Motul Kawasaki, Honda and John Botha’s Tork Craft. CIT Kawasaki on OR3.

Gilbert has dominated Seniors on his Kawasaki and has Wade Blaauw’s Tork Craft CIT Honda, Marco Cocci’s Yamaha, Ronald Venter and Alain du Toit on a Husqvarna for company. Warrick van Schalkwyk is the Kawasaki meat in a Husqvarna Masters sandwich comprising Greg Nairn, Mielies Le Roux, Wayne Farmer and Martin Poole.

Ross Ramseyer leads the High School 125 chase to Bronkhorstspruit with Rory Donaldson and Derek Karam’s similar machines and Husqvarna trio, Wian Wentzel, Joss Alexander and Cobus Bester on his case. Brandon Clarke’s Husqvarna holds the primary school 85cc advantage over Bruno Niebuhr and Murray Smith’s KTMs and Husqvarna duo AJ Louw and Franco Fourie.

And watch for GJ Coetzee’s Husqvarna, Jake Pretorius’ Kawasaki, Matthew Meyer on a Gas Gas and Liam Scheepers’ Husqvarna in the Interprovincial 65s. Racing starts with a 22 km time trial before racing laps of a 52 km circuit comprising everything from grassy tracks to rocky sections, a little forestry and more.

Issued on behalf of Trademore SA Cross Country

FIM News

BACK INTO ACTION!

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The best riders on the planet fire back into action this coming weekend when round three of the 2022 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship – the TrialGP of Germany – is staged at Neunkirchen from July 8-10.

The venue, around 60 miles east of Cologne, will welcome the series to the country for the first time since 2016 and riders can expect a selection of man-made sections comprising giant rocks and huge concrete slabs as well as more natural hazards plotted in a super-steep wooded valley.


Already with two rounds and four points-scoring days under their belts, the TrialGP, TrialGP Women and Trial2 classes will be joined for the first time this season by Trial2 Women athletes with two days of championship competition scheduled over the weekend.


Toni Bou (Montesa) will start favourite – although the 15-time champion hasn’t had it all his own way so far this year and has already suffered two defeats.


The 35-year-old Spanish superstar is still in control at the top of the TrialGP standings thanks to day wins in Spain and Andorra coupled with a pair of runner-up finishes that give him an 11-point lead over his compatriot Adam Raga (TRRS) who won on the opening day in the Pyrenean principality.


Raga, a two-time world champ, has been runner-up behind Bou since 2007 and would dearly like to complete his hat-trick of titles but the next generation of trial stars – led by Jaime Busto (Vertigo) – is nipping at his heels.


The 24-year-old from Bilbao in the Basque region of Spain won on the opening day of the championship at L’Hospitalet de L’Infant to claim just his second career-win and despite finishing off the podium on both days in Andorra – and, as a result, already trailing Bou by 15 points – he remains a genuine title threat.


Jeroni Fajardo (Sherco) started slowly in Spain until a pair of third-placed finishes in Andorra helped him build momentum but he’s 14 four points adrift of Busto while Jorge Casales (Scorpa) sits fifth – another point off the pace – and is still looking for his first podium of the season.


One of the biggest stories to come out of the opening round in Spain were the performances of Miquel Gelabert (GASGAS) and his brother Aniol (Beta). On day one Miquel was third for just the second time in his career since graduating to the premier class in 2016 and Aniol, who at 21 is three years younger than his brother, was an incredible fourth on his TrialGP class debut.


Both could very well feature at the sharp end in Germany, as could their fellow Spaniard and 2019 Trial2 champion Gabriel Marcelli (Montesa) who separates the siblings in seventh in the standings.

After losing her title last season, TrialGP Women favourite Emma Bristow (Sherco) has her sights set on an incredible eighth crown and is in pole position with just a second-placed finish on the opening day in Andorra spoiling the British rider’s perfect record in 2022.


Her main opposition should come from Spain’s Berta Abellan (Scorpa) – who inflicted Bristow’s sole defeat this year – who is six points behind in second but 2020 Trial2 Women champion Naomi Monnier (GASGAS) from France, Andrea Sofia Rabino (Beta) from Italy – Trial2 Women champion last season – and Norway’s Huldeborg Barkved (GASGAS) could all be in the mix.

Spain’s Pablo Suarez (Montesa) claimed a dominant double win in Trial2 at the opening round but the 21-year-old stuttered in Andorra with 3-6 finishes while Billy Green (Scorpa) and Italy’s Lorenzo Gandola (Beta) shared the wins between them.
As a result, Suarez’s championship lead has been cut to just one point ahead of super-consistent Norwegian rider Sondre Haga (Beta) who has yet to finish off the podium.
Green is another seven points behind in third before a big gap to his fellow British rider Jack Peace (Sherco).

With 2021 queen Rabino moving up, the way is clear for a new Trial2 Women champion and – at least on paper – the front runner has to be Sara Trentini (Vertigo).


Series runner-up last season, the 31-year-old Italian will face stiff opposition from British rider Kaytlyn Adshead (TRRS) who was third in 2021 and Germany’s Sophia Ter Jung (TRRS) but we will know a lot more after this weekend.


The action at Neunkirchen kicks off at noon on Friday with official practice before the first of two scoring days gets under way on Saturday.

For regular updates check out our social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – just search for TrialGP.

For more information go to TrialGP.com

Picture Caption: Pablo Suarez heads Trial2 © Future7 Media

FMN News South Africa

STELLAR SHOW FOR RED BULL KTM IN THE SAND OF PE

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Red Bull KTM – Motocross National Championship Round 4

Red Bull KTM put in a stellar performance in the sand of Rover MX track this weekend when the fourth round of the National Motocross Championship took place in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.

First mention has to be standout performance from Tristan Purdon as he stormed to the overall victory in both MX1 and MX2 classes in a near-perfect run only finishing in second in one of the four respective heats. Purdon clearly on high after his wins commented: “It was a great day on the bike, bring on the next round”.

Cameron Durow who was only ten days post-op after suffering a broken collarbone proved he was tough as nails by deciding to ride still and try consolidate some points to stay in contention for the overall championship. Visibly in pain, he still managed third in both MX1 and MX2 classes. “I went into the day not expecting anything really, I qualified first in MX2 and second in MX1 with my collarbone holding up well” he said. He went on to say: “I made a big mistake in the first moto where both my feet came off the pegs landing on the bike that hurt me quite bad and had to manage the pain and effort from there.”

It was a case of “what could have been” for Jonathan Mlimi after getting a great start and leading the race had the bad luck of a red flag coming out after some riders crashed hard forcing a restart. Mlimi’s second start was not relatively as fast and he had to fight back only to suffer a significant crash that sent him to hospital calling a harsh end to his day.

Luke Grundy has been untouchable in the high school class and executed another flawless event with 1st place in both moto’s securing yet another 1st overall.

Trey Cox was a sensation in the sand securing top spot overall after a superb show throughout the day. “PE did not disappoint, I wasn’t feeling it but after getting a good start I managed to control the race” Cox commented. Cox crashed on the second lap of the last moto but after a heroic comeback still managed to catch and pass Neil van der Vyver to take the overall win.

Published by: KTM – Grant Frerichs

Photography by: Justin Reinecke – ZCMC Media

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