ROOI
Race Dog
She really is very nice saw her at runner a few times in the past ,he really did a great job on that .Spared no expenses :thumleft:edgy said:That XR650 of Daan`s is one sweet machine!! :drif:
Is it for sale? >
Roof of Africa 2009
- Thread starter SGB
- Start date
Piston Pete
Teach Peace
Could they not hold a pre-roof or after-roof for the "others" ?SGB said:
I think that they should go back to holding a "comprehensive" Roof. When i rode it was massive and great fun! We rode in the Club or Ullusys (38 - 45) classes,which made use of the National quad route - amazing where those dudes go with 4 wheels!
The entry fees easily cover additional marshals etc! This created an awesome atmosphere where everyone was catered for!
The entry fees easily cover additional marshals etc! This created an awesome atmosphere where everyone was catered for!
scott
Pack Dog
+1 :thumleft:edgy said:
OX
Pack Dog
This is a short report , balance and pics to follow shortly.
About ten days before this years Roof of Africa race it snowed in Lesotho, it was featured on the front page of the Sunday times. That’s crazy, we are almost in the middle of summer . It just goes to show that Lesotho is a place of extremes. The sun came out and showed its teeth, melting the snow and emitting top temperatures in the high thirties for the race weekend. Thursday saw Ruan Roberts win the 125/200cc class of round the houses. This meant that he was first out on the time trail which turned out to be a fast one. Jade Guidziet on his BMW was the fastest for the day which put him against the Maluti’s first on Friday. As the day unfolded and the toughest route yet combined with extreme temperatures began to show it’s colours. Many riders threw in the towel , some getting lost and some from pure exhaustion. The race organisers shortened the end point from Roma to Ramabanta how ever this still meant that the days winner, Chris Birch, spent 10 gruelling hours in the saddle. And he was the fastest ! (one of the best riders in the world) Many riders didn’t even make it back to their crews and slept in the villages. One rider then had to take a five hour Lesotho pony ride back to civilisation where he was reunited with his crew. The route organisers then decided that the riders who made it to the Makhaleng Store refuel at distance 99 km of the total 223 km for the day could start the race on Saturday, they would be classified as finishers but not included in the results. During the night panic set in a so many riders were no accounted for , mothers were crying , fathers driving into the night to try and find competitors. Some pit crews never slept driving the horrific roads at night looking for their riders. Very few places in the mountains have cell signal so communication is very scarce. Race head quarters was a buzz with pit crews and riders trying to find out if they were allowed to start the next day. Some riders who had got to Ramabanta late at night had not been informed that they were able to start the next day, causing much frustration. Saturdays route was shortened again but this seemed to have not much effect on the diffictlty. Chris Birch was first out again, but the marshal at the Friday / Saturday route split was not as his post early enough and Birch missed the split. When he got up bushmans pass and realised the problem he was escorted back to the start and refueled , time zeroed , and set off again at the back of the pack. Saturdays route is traditionally easier than Fridays but this one was almost the same . Some of the sections had never been ridden before the route directors simply took a GPS and hiked into the mountains tracking the route as they went, it was then marked and expected to be ridden by the competitors.
About ten days before this years Roof of Africa race it snowed in Lesotho, it was featured on the front page of the Sunday times. That’s crazy, we are almost in the middle of summer . It just goes to show that Lesotho is a place of extremes. The sun came out and showed its teeth, melting the snow and emitting top temperatures in the high thirties for the race weekend. Thursday saw Ruan Roberts win the 125/200cc class of round the houses. This meant that he was first out on the time trail which turned out to be a fast one. Jade Guidziet on his BMW was the fastest for the day which put him against the Maluti’s first on Friday. As the day unfolded and the toughest route yet combined with extreme temperatures began to show it’s colours. Many riders threw in the towel , some getting lost and some from pure exhaustion. The race organisers shortened the end point from Roma to Ramabanta how ever this still meant that the days winner, Chris Birch, spent 10 gruelling hours in the saddle. And he was the fastest ! (one of the best riders in the world) Many riders didn’t even make it back to their crews and slept in the villages. One rider then had to take a five hour Lesotho pony ride back to civilisation where he was reunited with his crew. The route organisers then decided that the riders who made it to the Makhaleng Store refuel at distance 99 km of the total 223 km for the day could start the race on Saturday, they would be classified as finishers but not included in the results. During the night panic set in a so many riders were no accounted for , mothers were crying , fathers driving into the night to try and find competitors. Some pit crews never slept driving the horrific roads at night looking for their riders. Very few places in the mountains have cell signal so communication is very scarce. Race head quarters was a buzz with pit crews and riders trying to find out if they were allowed to start the next day. Some riders who had got to Ramabanta late at night had not been informed that they were able to start the next day, causing much frustration. Saturdays route was shortened again but this seemed to have not much effect on the diffictlty. Chris Birch was first out again, but the marshal at the Friday / Saturday route split was not as his post early enough and Birch missed the split. When he got up bushmans pass and realised the problem he was escorted back to the start and refueled , time zeroed , and set off again at the back of the pack. Saturdays route is traditionally easier than Fridays but this one was almost the same . Some of the sections had never been ridden before the route directors simply took a GPS and hiked into the mountains tracking the route as they went, it was then marked and expected to be ridden by the competitors.
Splash
Race Dog
Off to watch the Roof of Africa - ‘The Mother of Hard Enduro’. Massive expectations for an extreme event. Was not disappointed. Had not grasped the magnitude and implications of the new format - was not the only one. Under no illusion that this was going to be tough, impossible it became for many. Only the best of the best completed it.
The race started on Thursday with a spectator event in Maseru called ‘Round The Houses’. This was immediately followed by a time trail entailed a distance of 69.7km with last year’s runaway winner, Chris Birch, flying through in 1:36:50 at an average speed of 43.2 km/h. He was beaten by Jade Gutzeit on 1:36:19. A sign of a possible close challenge. Another close contender, Andreas Lettenbichler unfortunately missed a marshal point and was penalised by 1:00:00.
Into the second days racing the matter of riding up Bushman’s Pass (service point distance of 26.6km) became a daunting undertaking. The beginning of the end for many competitors. Professional riders not doing too well either. Boiling bikes, launching them in all directions and needing plenty of assistance. Several riders did unfortunately do damage to themselves. Hope they get well soon. Failing this, Setibeng was next, at a total distance of 56.1km. The scene of more frustration and anguish and the final end for many. Did save the trouble of another 44.9km to Makhaleng Store refuel, 49.3km on to Ha Fachane and finally a 20.4km stretch to Ramabanta. The race was stopped at 170.7km, the last 52.3km to Roma scrapped – just too far. Chris took 9:20:40 at an average speed of 18.3 km/h (little faster than running pace). Jade could not match his previous days performance and came in 1:05:45 later. Andreas put on a stellar performance beating Chris by 10:00. Roy Mead was 58:24 off the pace and Darryl Curtis 1:03:00.
A decision was taken to run all the riders on the 179.3km 75% track on the third day. Chris ended up on the wrong route (apparently saw some sheep he fancied), decided to come back and was allowed to restart again. Had a warm-up for his efforts. Did the day in 8:09:38 at a better pace of 22km/h. Keeping his form, he was 1:08:42 ahead of Jade.
Overall Chris cleaned up on a total time of 19:07:08, with a 2:13:45 lead on Rory Mead. Jade Gutzeit just lost a second place finish by 12 seconds. What a shame.
The entrance list consisted of 220 competitors. Of the 95 100% route starters, 3 did not complete the time trail, on the second day 38 were not time barred, finally leaving 24 at the end to officially finish. The 75% route competitors started with 114, 25 going through to the second day, and only 4 making a finish. A handful actually going all the way, by any account, an extreme enduro.
Was this an international event? 30 foreigners competed originating from New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Austria, USA, Romania, Spain, UK, Namibia, Kenya and UAE. 179 local riders participated. Not bad considering the cost of hiring a bike, service crew and travelling / accommodation expenses. Some only slightly used bikes, only ridden for one weekend, must now be on the market. The winner has been a foreigner, New Zealander, for the last two years. This year’s second placed finisher also from New Zealand. Guess they must have a few mountains of their own.
The race was dominated by orange. 128 KTM’s entered, followed by 50 Yamaha. The balance being made up of amongst them Honda (14), Kawasaki (7) and BMW (5). Remarkably, the top three riders represented KTM, Yamaha and BMW. No clean sweep for the Austrian manufacturer this year.
Weather plays a part in this race. This year the competitors were saved from storms and floods. They suffered from heat exhaustion instead. It was dry and draining. Could not get enough fluid. Significant amounts of liquid refreshment consumed at the service points resulting in a chronic shortage of ice. Going to be a top priority for next year’s event.
The days made long by the slow progress of the racers. On the second day, the leading riders were expected at 12:00 at Ha Fochane. Chris eventually arrived at around 15:00. Matters became distressing (including crews) for about 20 bikers who ended up sleeping in the mountains unable to reach Ramabanta. One enterprising individual decided that horseback was the way to go. The weather was not severe and by all accounts all were well looked after by the local villagers. Part of competing in Lesotho.
A large contingency of dual sport rides made the journey this year. Sure that none left disappointed. A magnificent area to tour and with service crews nearby in case of the occasional oops. I did forget how to ride - heat stroke - and did an ungraceful slide in a corner. Nothing serious.
A great trip for me, possibly devastating for some competitors, the nature of this type of race. Sure they will all be back next year. I plan to be.
Pictures:
The race started on Thursday with a spectator event in Maseru called ‘Round The Houses’. This was immediately followed by a time trail entailed a distance of 69.7km with last year’s runaway winner, Chris Birch, flying through in 1:36:50 at an average speed of 43.2 km/h. He was beaten by Jade Gutzeit on 1:36:19. A sign of a possible close challenge. Another close contender, Andreas Lettenbichler unfortunately missed a marshal point and was penalised by 1:00:00.
Into the second days racing the matter of riding up Bushman’s Pass (service point distance of 26.6km) became a daunting undertaking. The beginning of the end for many competitors. Professional riders not doing too well either. Boiling bikes, launching them in all directions and needing plenty of assistance. Several riders did unfortunately do damage to themselves. Hope they get well soon. Failing this, Setibeng was next, at a total distance of 56.1km. The scene of more frustration and anguish and the final end for many. Did save the trouble of another 44.9km to Makhaleng Store refuel, 49.3km on to Ha Fachane and finally a 20.4km stretch to Ramabanta. The race was stopped at 170.7km, the last 52.3km to Roma scrapped – just too far. Chris took 9:20:40 at an average speed of 18.3 km/h (little faster than running pace). Jade could not match his previous days performance and came in 1:05:45 later. Andreas put on a stellar performance beating Chris by 10:00. Roy Mead was 58:24 off the pace and Darryl Curtis 1:03:00.
A decision was taken to run all the riders on the 179.3km 75% track on the third day. Chris ended up on the wrong route (apparently saw some sheep he fancied), decided to come back and was allowed to restart again. Had a warm-up for his efforts. Did the day in 8:09:38 at a better pace of 22km/h. Keeping his form, he was 1:08:42 ahead of Jade.
Overall Chris cleaned up on a total time of 19:07:08, with a 2:13:45 lead on Rory Mead. Jade Gutzeit just lost a second place finish by 12 seconds. What a shame.
The entrance list consisted of 220 competitors. Of the 95 100% route starters, 3 did not complete the time trail, on the second day 38 were not time barred, finally leaving 24 at the end to officially finish. The 75% route competitors started with 114, 25 going through to the second day, and only 4 making a finish. A handful actually going all the way, by any account, an extreme enduro.
Was this an international event? 30 foreigners competed originating from New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Austria, USA, Romania, Spain, UK, Namibia, Kenya and UAE. 179 local riders participated. Not bad considering the cost of hiring a bike, service crew and travelling / accommodation expenses. Some only slightly used bikes, only ridden for one weekend, must now be on the market. The winner has been a foreigner, New Zealander, for the last two years. This year’s second placed finisher also from New Zealand. Guess they must have a few mountains of their own.
The race was dominated by orange. 128 KTM’s entered, followed by 50 Yamaha. The balance being made up of amongst them Honda (14), Kawasaki (7) and BMW (5). Remarkably, the top three riders represented KTM, Yamaha and BMW. No clean sweep for the Austrian manufacturer this year.
Weather plays a part in this race. This year the competitors were saved from storms and floods. They suffered from heat exhaustion instead. It was dry and draining. Could not get enough fluid. Significant amounts of liquid refreshment consumed at the service points resulting in a chronic shortage of ice. Going to be a top priority for next year’s event.
The days made long by the slow progress of the racers. On the second day, the leading riders were expected at 12:00 at Ha Fochane. Chris eventually arrived at around 15:00. Matters became distressing (including crews) for about 20 bikers who ended up sleeping in the mountains unable to reach Ramabanta. One enterprising individual decided that horseback was the way to go. The weather was not severe and by all accounts all were well looked after by the local villagers. Part of competing in Lesotho.
A large contingency of dual sport rides made the journey this year. Sure that none left disappointed. A magnificent area to tour and with service crews nearby in case of the occasional oops. I did forget how to ride - heat stroke - and did an ungraceful slide in a corner. Nothing serious.
A great trip for me, possibly devastating for some competitors, the nature of this type of race. Sure they will all be back next year. I plan to be.
Pictures:
Outhere
Race Dog
Few pic from kzn owes
Started in Hilton
To Bergville
Up beziudenhouts
Through Border at Monsanta Qwa Qwa
Lesotho
Out at Fouriesburg
Camel Rock Lodge
Next day at round houses
Roma bridge timetrail
View from Ramabanta
After the storm
Roof of africa
Our rooms
Back to Roma
Tar to Taba Seka
Orange River
To Sani
Home sweet home
777 Maiden Sani decent
Tar to howick Meet Lancesa edgy bigdom throtlejocky dazed and a few other dogs great to chat
Thanks
Cheers till next time in the grand LESHOTHO
Started in Hilton
To Bergville
Up beziudenhouts
Through Border at Monsanta Qwa Qwa
Lesotho
Out at Fouriesburg
Camel Rock Lodge
Next day at round houses
Roma bridge timetrail
View from Ramabanta
After the storm
Roof of africa
Our rooms
Back to Roma
Tar to Taba Seka
Orange River
To Sani
Home sweet home
777 Maiden Sani decent
Tar to howick Meet Lancesa edgy bigdom throtlejocky dazed and a few other dogs great to chat
Thanks
Cheers till next time in the grand LESHOTHO
Awesome pics and great to meet you! :thumleft:
LanceSA
Race Dog
It was a great pleasure meeting you, Outthere, you must be the King of the Zumo, never met anyone as good on it as you.
Yip,made it home....very impressed with the abuse the Dunlop908RR took(5000km)!
SGB
Race Dog
Outthere said:
Was good seeing you there, nice pics - thanks for posting. :thumleft:
