The 2023 Roof of Africa, set against the stunning backdrop of the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho and held last weekend, provided one of the most challenging races in recent memory due to the scorching heat and dry conditions.
Unlike the torrential rain of last year’s event, this edition presented a new test for riders, with dehydration and heat exhaustion taking its toll.
It seems Wade Young (27) who rides for Sherco (Powered by Motul) is unfazed by weather and he reaffirmed his mastery over the event by starting with a win on Thursday in the Round the Houses race and a sensible fifth place position in the tricky Time Trial.
The first full day of racing (Day 1) saw him steadily work his way to the front, establishing a commanding 25-minute lead over Matt Green (KTM) and Brett Swanepoel on his Motul backed Trademore Sherco.
Swanepoel’s performance was impressive as it included losing over 20 minutes at the start due to a mechanical glitch, a big crash which resulted in broken toes and later, a head-on collision with an adventure bike.
Day 2 saw a tactical back-and-forth battle between a small group of riders, with lead positions changing multiple times.
While 17-year-old sensation James Moore (Ride KTM Durban) ended up setting the fastest time of Day 2, Young remained in firm contention throughout on his Sherco 300 SEF Factory edition.
He eventually secured a hard-earned victory with a margin of just under 20 minutes from Green, followed by Swanepoel who trailed Green by a mere three minutes in the overall standings. Teenager James finished fourth.
“The last climb on Day 1 broke most of the riders and that helped me build the lead that I worked hard to maintain to the end. I didn’t have the best day today, but I still pushed as hard as I could and I’m happy it was enough to get the win,” said Wade.
“I have to say I have never been this tired at the end of a race in my entire career, the days were just so long and the heat only made it worse”.
There were multiple retirements across all classes. Will Slater (Brother Leadertread KTM) needed to be airlifted out of contention due to heat exhaustion on Day 1.
Travis Teasdale (Husqvarna), another pre-race favorite, also battled with the heat on Day 1 and despite starting out on Day 2, did not make it to the finish.
Sherco celebrated several exceptional performances with podium finishes in Gold with Young (1st) and Swanepoel (3rd) and a commendable sixth for American star Cody Webb, riding his first Roof – and who was astounded by how tough the conditions were.
In the Bronze class, Louis-Bresler Knipe delivered a dominant performance on board his Sherco 500 SEF 4-stroke, securing overall victory with an 18-minute lead over the biggest field in the race.
Sherco also won the Manufacturers title this year and very nearly achieved a triumphant hat-trick across the top three classes.
The top finishing woman was Terri-Lynn Hodge (Trademore Sherco) after Kirsten Landman (ASP Rope Access KTM) retired with mechanical problems early on Day 1.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like the South Coast Fever’s Facebook page
