Summarize

It’s all change as the Trademore Group South African Cross Country Championship heads to new territory for its fourth round on Saturday 9 July after a sizeable pause since May. 

Originally scheduled for Carletonville, the GXCC-run race will now take place at Zorg Fliet farm in Bronkhostspruit. It is on that spectacular and varied terrain that championship leader Brett Swanepoel and his factory OR2 Husqvarna will be out to avenge defeat last time out at the hands of KTM Orange Army giants Bradley Cox’s OR1 Brother Leader Tread machine and former motocrosser Kerim Fitz-Gerald’s Red Bull OR2 bike.

Both those KTM men however sit behind Brother teammate, Zambian Scott Heygate’s OR2 machine and Tork Craft CIT Kawasaki OR1 rider Mike Pentecost. Cox arrives at Zorg Fliet fourth in the chase ahead of OR3 leader Matthew Wilson‘s Brother KTM, Fitz-Gerald, Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Motul Kawasaki Senior king Kenny Gilbert, and Honda trio, OR3 winner last time out, MCA man Peter Karam and Tork Craft brothers, OR1 rider Gareth and OR3 lad Haydn Cole.

Cox and Pentecost are the men to beat in OR1, but look out for Gareth Cole, JC Nienaber’s Pepson Kawasaki, hot Husqvarna newcomer Michael Docherty, who continues to substitute for the injured Davin Cocker. Swanepoel and Fitz-Gerald will have Heygate, Erik Merry’s Husqvarna and KTM rider Kyle Eggar to worry about in OR2. And it’s Karam versus Wilson, Cole, Taki Bogiages’ Pepson Motul Kawasaki, Honda and John Botha’s Tork Craft. CIT Kawasaki on OR3. 

Gilbert has dominated Seniors on his Kawasaki and has Wade Blaauw’s Tork Craft CIT Honda, Marco Cocci’s Yamaha, Ronald Venter and Alain du Toit on a Husqvarna for company. Warrick van Schalkwyk is the Kawasaki meat in a Husqvarna Masters sandwich comprising Greg Nairn, Mielies Le Roux, Wayne Farmer and Martin Poole. 

Ross Ramseyer leads the High School 125 chase to Bronkhorstspruit with Rory Donaldson and Derek Karam’s similar machines and Husqvarna trio, Wian Wentzel, Joss Alexander and Cobus Bester on his case. Brandon Clarke’s Husqvarna holds the primary school 85cc advantage over Bruno Niebuhr and Murray Smith’s KTMs and Husqvarna duo AJ Louw and Franco Fourie. 

And watch for GJ Coetzee’s Husqvarna, Jake Pretorius’ Kawasaki, Matthew Meyer on a Gas Gas and Liam Scheepers’ Husqvarna in the Interprovincial 65s. Racing starts with a 22 km time trial before racing laps of a 52 km circuit comprising everything from grassy tracks to rocky sections, a little forestry and more.