Summarize

The South African Cross Country Motorcycle circus heads north to Modimolle in the Limpopo Province, where it will tackle the second round of the 2021 National and GXCC Regional Championships. Local upcountry competitors will be looking for revenge after Natal riders stormed the Jolivet, KZN season opener. Conditions may well favour local riders in the race through virgin Cross Country territory around the town once known as Nylstroom.

Not that any of the above should deter the likes of KZN trio, double SA Cross Country and Enduro champion Brett Swanepoel's Rockstar Energy Husqvarna, OR3 champion Brad Cox’s OR2 Brother Leader Tread KTM, or overall winner last time out at Jolivet, Travis Teasdale’s open class TT Racing Gas Gas.

Teasdale took the OR1 trophy from Swanepoel, Scott Bouverie’s Gas Gas, Jarryd Coetzee on a Brother Leader Tread KTM and D’artagnan Lobjoit a fine fifth on Pepson Plastics Kawasaki Motul Racing's national debut. Others to keep an eye out for in the open class include Bradley Engelbrecht’s Roost KTM, Craig Alcock on a Pepson Motul Kawasaki, Motul Sherco rider Ruan Smith, Hayden Louw, Jaycee Nienaber, Hein van Niekerk and Devan Smith.

Brad Cox is the man to beat in quarter-litre OR2, where he will be up against Ian Rall’s MCA Dragon Husqvarna, motocross star Kerim Fitz-Gerald’s Red Bull KTM, Kyle Eggar on a Roost KTM, Brendan Kotze and Miguel da Silva. Perhaps the most competitive class in Cross Country motorcycles is quarter-litre OR3, where Zimbabwean Davin Cocker is the form man on his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna following a great win at Jolivet.

Cocker will have a target on his back up in Limpopo however, with the likes of Scott Heygate on an Alfie Cox Fuchs KTM, Dylan Cox’s RBS Yamaha and KTM Durban duo Haydn Cole and Stefan van Deventer, Matthew Wilson’s MCA Husqvarna and Taki Bogaiges’ Pepson Kawasaki among those taking aim. Add Kyle McKenzie’s Kawasaki, Matthew Wilson, Wian Wentzel, Peter Karam and Stefan van Deventer to the mix and its war in OR3.

Wade Blaauw is keen to pick up on his epic start to the Senior season aboard his Roost KTM. He will have Deon du Toit's Franchise Company CIT Husqvarna and Lee Thompson’s Pepson Motul Kawasaki in chase. Seniors is another hard-fought class with a full pack of machines including Marco Cocci, Zimbabwean Brad Clarke, Pieter Mussmann, Timmy Dreyer, Sarel Coetzer, Ronald Venter, Zack da Silva and Pieter van Rooyen in the chase.

Husqvarna rider Greg Naim won the Masters race last time out, but he took advantage of Biker’s Warehouse Husqvarna man Wayne Farmer suffering a tummy bug in Jolivet. Both of them will have to keep an eye on wildcard 2018 champion Peter Holl’s Pepson Motul Kawasaki this weekend, while Carel le Roux is out on an Alfie Cox KTM, with Ernst Slabbert and Martin Poole also in the mix.

The junior classes will deliver their usual testosterone-fuelled action, where Jolivet winner, KTM Durban rider Dylan Jones will be the lad to beat in the High School class. Damon Cox’s RBS Yamaha and Franchise CIT Husqvarna kid John Botha will be out to stop him off their podium finishes last time out. Also keep an eye open for Derek Karam’s Roost KTM, Rory Donaldson, Dylan Jonker, Branden Swanepoel and John Botha among this lot.

Two primary school classes will round off the national action. Cobus Bester and Thomas Scales will be chasing the Senior 85 cc win with Franco Fourie, Brandon Clarke, Johnny Luck, Tshimollo Mazibuko and Nathan Hartley Sinclair in the Junior 85cc hunt. 

Modimolle’s second round South African National Cross Country Motorcycle race runs in tandem with the second round GXCC regional on Saturday 27 March. The brand new, fast, twisty and sandy route will race through the Limpopo bushveld thicket with some more technical rocky sections through the foot of the local hillside to add to the challenge. Is that enough to stop the KZN gang from smashing it? Time will tell...