Omaruru enduro tests riders’ limits

The third leg of the national enduro championship recently moved to the dry and warm Omaruru terrain, offering riders a distinct shift in scenery. Omaruru dished up savannah and grasslands alongside miles of thick sandy stretches – a stark contrast to the rocky, mountainous and hard riding surfaces of previous legs. This soft, uneven terrain made the course considerably more technical, forcing riders to work extra hard to manage their bikes compared to riding on solid ground. Vincent ‘Bobby’ Griebel (63), the event’s organiser and a senior rookie rider, was tasked with laying out the 85km track. To compensate for the lack of challenging rocky surfaces, his team introduced an obstacle course. Riders could either conquer the obstacles or face a 20-minute penalty. Since every second counts toward the final results, senior and more experienced riders braved the ditches, sand heaps and wooden pallets, much to the amusement of spectators. The most gruelling segment proved to be the long stretches in the river. This section took its toll, leaving several riders tasting the dirt and returning to base with a few scratches on themselves and their bikes. However, no serious incidents were reported to Crisis Response, the track medics for the day. Griebel says the Omaruru track was less about technical skills and more about endurance, featuring about 1 000 turns that demanded the utmost concentration. “Riders have to be awake the whole time,” he says. Having celebrated his 63rd birthday on the day of the enduro, he describes his participation as a source of peace and enjoyment. Quinton van Rooyen, who won the Pro Open Class, describes the track as “quite fast” and says the enduro went much better than anticipated. “It’s fast-flowing stuff and there are a lot of sandy rivers. It’s not something we ride often. We normally ride the more technical mountain climbs, and there’s too few mountains in this, which was a nice break,” he says. Looking ahead to the Karibib leg, Van Rooyen says its rocky terrain is typically his comfort zone. Cornelia Burger, who competed in the Women Development Class (WDC), took a tumble right in front of the camera, but smiles when asked about her encounter. “As a first-timer on the enduro tracks it was terrible and brutal as the sand took me out,” she says. Burger says she did not mind her “soft landing” being captured on camera, noting that such mishaps are par for the course in motorsport. Like a pro, Burger picked up her bike and continued the race. Results: Class 2 (Pro Open): 1. Q van Rooyen; 2. O Stranghöner; 3. K Hamm. Class 5 (Senior Pro): 1. J Greiter; 2. G Bahr; 3. R Kritzinger. Class 7 (Intermediate): 1. D Wiese; 2. J Venter; 3. A Barnard. Class 10 (Rookies Junior): 1. B Griebel; 2. A Steinfurth; 3. M Heigan. Class 10 (Rookies Senior): 1. B Griebel; 2. W Hough; 3. F Steenkamp. Class 11 (Beginners): 1. C Wilkens; 2. L van der Westhuizen; 3. J van der Westhuizen. Class 12 (WDC): 1. M Steyl; 2. S Gräber; 3. B Steyl. The post Omaruru enduro tests riders’ limits appeared first on The Namibian .