44th Roof of Africa Extreme Enduro

[swazi_matt]

Next Friday is the start of the Roof of Africa Extreme Enduro and I am going to be there and can provide updates if anyone is interested.
I have seen some photos of the route and it is going to be TOUGH!!

There will be a good compliment of top international extreme enduro specialists like Graham Jarvis, 3 time winner chris birch, letti, Hemingway brothers, Paul Bolton and a bunch of new zealanders (only one smart enough to be on a GG!)

Will post some pics later

 

[einsteingarage]

I am cheering for Chris Birch. In the videos I have seen, he seems like a really cool, down to earth guy. At Erzburg, he even got off his bike and helped his competition. Top notch guy in my book.

Post some pics Swazi if you can.

 

[Fred1956]

Looking forward to your reports Matt

 

[noobi]

Go KIWIS !!!
Iv had rider coaching with Chris and he really is a nice, down to earth guy.
Mitchell Nield, the gasgas rider, had lessons from him, also a really friendly guy.

 

[swazi_matt]

I am rooting for chris as well (and poss pitting with him as well), but this year with jarvis is going to be his first real test. Last year he just stuck with jade for the first 2 days and the hit it for day 3 (even drowned his bike!)
Jarvis (and letti Bolton hemigways etc) will not let a mistake go unpunished, but he does have the advantage of knowing what to expect from the race and having lived in SA for the year he has made a few training trips to Lesotho

 

[swazi_matt]

I am rooting for chris as well (and poss pitting with him as well), but this year with jarvis is going to be his first real test. Last year he just stuck with jade for the first 2 days and the hit it for day 3 (even drowned his bike!)
Jarvis (and letti Bolton hemigways etc) will not let a mistake go unpunished, but he does have the advantage of knowing what to expect from the race and having lived in SA for the year he has made a few training trips to Lesotho

 

[gasmonkey]

Go Birchy.The mans a machine.

 

[chucky]

Hey Matt , I will see you there , sorry but I am supporting Letti - think he is gonna do it this year providing he does not get lost again.

Hope Toni Jardine does well aswell , hope she finishes - she should have been on a Gasgas200

 

[swazi_matt]

Hey Matt , I will see you there , sorry but I am supporting Letti - think he is gonna do it this year providing he does not get lost again.

Hope Toni Jardine does well aswell , hope she finishes - she should have been on a Gasgas200

no a yz125 will handle this much better!!

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm22/rovermcc/SatSilver07952.jpg

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn219/woodsy254/MankalubaPass.jpg

 

[chucky]

Why do yousay that ?

 

[swazi_matt]

Why do yousay that ?

the sarcasm was lost over the web!! ;-) will be seeing you in lesotho, leaving tomorrow AM

 

[Pepperami]

Jarvis all the way!!!

 

[swazi_matt]

Arrived in Maseru yesterday to find the Alfie Cox team (and foreign rentals) already established with a relaxed and fit chris birch walking around and a Happy Letti riding around on a crisp sounding husky

looks like the weather will be ok, 30% chance of showers.

will update it as i get a chance

 

[swazi_matt]

action starts in about 10 hours, but seems like GJ has arrived from Oz today, guess he will be a bit sleepy tomorrow

[/IMG]

 

[swazi_matt]

he eventually arived, and i saw him pull some impressive moves through the short enduro x section

round the houses, a tradition that normally determined your start of time trial, this time it is only the winner that gets a cash prize and then TT is started at your leisure, nice way to involve the city in the event

today was not too technical, more to split riders according to their ability, not to kill them (that happens on saturday!!)

unofficial results are:1. Marc Torlage 2. Jade Gudzeit 3. Kenneth Gilbert 4. Graham Jarvis 5. Chris Birch 6. Brian Capper 7. Wynand Badenhorst 8. Ben Hemmingway 9. Adrian Werner 10. Darryl Curtis

 

[swazi_matt]

official results TT:

http://www.roofofafrica.org.ls/ttres.htm

 

[swazi_matt]

wow wow wow!!! I will enter this next year for sure!!

for those who want to follow the action as it happens (New Zealanders are doing well):

http://www.e-dirt.co.za/site/forum_topics.asp?FID=71&title=roof-of-africa-2011

 

[swazi_matt]

Ok i have been slack here in doing a report on this race, just had too many other things to do and also do not know where to start, but here are some great videos of the race that will give an idea of the event:

Graham Jarvis showing us how useless we are on a bike, before the round the houses race (he continued showing everyone how useless they are on bikes for the rest of the weeekend!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxKmLWyb6ho&feature=digest_sat

First part of the race (worth subscribing to this guys youtube vids, does some good work!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrjHZrzlsfs&feature=digest_sat

some footage of chris birch and GJ:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k2EC-81F34&feature=g-all

and lastly some helmet cam footage from a back marker doing the bronze route:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nowKqMYm5k

 

[swazi_matt]

And some really nice photos of the event:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10150443603756812.390792.135907071811&type=3

 

[jgas]

Great thread! Thanks. This is one of my dream events that I'll probably never get to do. I rode with Elmer Symons several times who won it more than once. He said it was one of the toughest events but was also one of the most fun.

Jeff.