YOUNG WINS 50th
ROOF OF AFRICA RALLY
W
ade Young overcame three days of
brutal racing to win the 50th edition
of the ‘Mother of Hard Enduro’ – the
Motul Roof of Africa in Lesotho.
The South African raced into the
history books after claiming his third
victory in the event, leading home fellow countryman
Travis Teasdale and British legend Graham Jarvis.
Young said: “To get back on the top of the Hard
Enduro podium and do it at home in the 50th
edition of the Roof of Africa is very special.
“It’s been a tough three days of hard racing. Travis
kept me honest all week. I managed to break him on
one of the climbs and kept it together until the end.”
Riders had to navigate isolated mountain trails
and contend with a mixture of rocky terrain and
unpredictable weather conditions including blisteringly
hot sunshine one day, and unseasonably heavy snowfall
the next. The epic race brought a close to the Red Bull
Hard Enduro season with Jarvis, who was aiming for
a fifth Roof of Africa title, winning the overall World
Series. He said: “With the riding so fast it was tough
to catch the leaders. They had a big lead and were
just better than me on the open fast stuff this year.
“It’s always nice to be on the podium and with
consistent wins this year ending 2017 as the
overall champion is the icing on the cake.”
Sandra Gomez also entered the record books by bringing
her Husqvarna home in 30th place to become the
highest ever female finisher in the history of the race.
1. Wade Young (Sherco) 10:41:28
2. Travis Teasdale (KTM) 10:52:34
3. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 11:04:06
4. Blake Gutzeit (Yamaha) 11:06:36
5. Alfredo Gomez (KTM) 11:13:15
30. Sandra Gomez (Husqvarna) 14:19:51
KIWI RIDER 21