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| Denzel Torlage played it safe rather than sorry to end behind the legend of Alfie Cox at the first leg of the nationals. |
ENDURO legend Alfie Cox made a welcome return to MotoX during
Champagne Valley Liquorland National Enduro last weekend, claiming the masters
podium ahead of reigning champ Denzel Torlage.
The event was the first round of the 2014 Liuqorland National
Enduro Championship and took place at Four Rivers Adventures in the Central
Drakensberg in Champagne Valley last Saturday.
The local club had put a lot of effort into this race, creating a
spectator-friendly 45 km loop that competitors had to complete three times in 2
hours 30 minutes. Torlage, who is aiming for the seventh consecutive Master
Class Championship, played it rather safe than sorry and finishing second in the
class.
“There is still a long season ahead and you have to make sure you
start well,” the experienced Torlage said after the race. “The first points are
on the scoreboard and the next test will be a real tough one for both the rider
and his bike,” he said.
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| Wade Young (18) |
The Brother KTM Factory team introduced their 2014 Enduro team,
headed up by reigning National Enduro champion Wade Young (17) from Paddock, who
is planning on piloting his KTM 250 XC-F machine to further success in the E1
class.
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| Travis Teasdale (17) |
Pietermaritzburg’s Travis Teasdale (16) on his KTM 250 XCF-W will
be breathing down Young’s neck for the E1 title and 2014 should probably see the
most exciting racing between them yet.
On Saturday Young posted the fastest times on most specials to win
the E1 class and claim overall victory at Champagne Valley.
Teasdale secured the second spot, just behind Young: “It took me a
while to warm up, but I had great fun around the track. The terrain was more
like the Roof of Africa terrain, nice and technical, which suited me. My bike
was set up perfectly and my times got faster throughout the day,” said
Teasdale.
The next enduro is the Ashton National Enduro on 21 and 22 March in
the Western Cape. This event will form two rounds of the Liquorland National
Enduro Championship and will test riders on two consecutive days.
