Race Report: WP Gravity Enduro South Africa
The Enduro scene is growing nicely here in Cape Town (and in South Africa) and it’s great to see so many new faces enjoying racing and having fun.
Jonkershoek has been a home away from home for mountain bikers since the early 90’s where steel framed hardballs were thrown down the gravel jeeptracks by Lycra clad “downhillers” with narrow bars and skinny tyres. It offers some of the best trails in South Africa, validated by the fact that many top Europeans base themselves here in the off season, and the hot summer’s conditions make for some nice powdery dust.
It was therefore fitting that the inaugural WP Gravity Enduro was held in here, 20 years after we raced the first WP Downhill event. In total, 122 riders attended the event, kicking the Western Province Gravity Enduro series off on a very positive note
The race consisted of only 3 special stages, each with a gradient of -11%, and a total liaison of 15.1km – to separate the men from the boys. SS1 was pretty technical and tight with a rad natural wall ride feature.
SS2 was a lot of new trail combined with an old gravity run which ended with a nasty short climb before the final flow trail. SS3 consisted of flowing trails through amazing pine forests with more than some pedaling required. All in all a great balance of riding.
“I had smooth runs and tried to carry as much speed everywhere without pushing too hard. The Pyga 140mm 650b with Mavics Crossmax wheelset performed flawlessly. Thanks to all the organizers for a super day out!” ~ Myles Kelsey
“Loved the race. Had to ride smart in the loose conditions… push hard while keeping it tidy. Great day on the bike.” ~ Gary Barnard
Top Ten
- Gary Barnard
- Darryn Stow
- Daniel Dobinson
- Mark Hopkins
- Myles Kelsey
- Theo Elangsen
- Dane Olsen
- Duran Van Eeden
- Rupert Von Tutschek
- Adi Van Der Merwe
Words: Myles Kelsey, Gary Barnard, Edwald Sadie | Pictures: Ewald Sadie
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