Local sportSport
Tough start for Nienaber at nationals
Benoni rider Jaycee Nienaber, riding for the D&H Engineering Yamaha Team, competed in the first round of the Totpak National Off-Road Championship recently.
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2015/03/10-BT-SPORTS-JAYC-_545861016.jpg)
The event took place just outside Carltonville, at Rysmierbult, where extreme weather conditions, heavy rain and wind, were a challenge.
The riders started with time trials to determine their starting positions.
It was a 350km race and, in the end, the time trials were included in the total race distance.
Nienaber battled with fellow competitors from the start, for first position on his Yamaha 250 in the OR2 Class.
In the last lap, he had a crash and lost petrol, but still managed to finish second in class and fourth overall.
The next national off-road event will be held in Swaziland, on Saturday, March 21.