The Fast KTM Mountain Madalas breaks the record for Offroad Enduro rider entries with over 460 riders across their many route options

Clarens, Maderia farm 12th Feb

Enduro World organizers are certainly doing something right for their popular Fast KTM Mountain Madalas event in Clarens this last weekend as their rider entry grows for each event.

“Like many of the other organizers they are doing everything right, good venues well organized, excellent routes and the huge class options,” said Ryan Hunt co-sponsor of the Mountain Madalas events. My son and myself love this event and it looks like many other riders also prefer this sort of event, again well done to the Enduro World team for another great event.”There was some rain on Thursday and Friday night, just enough to make the route a bit wet and slippery on Saturday morning. This all changed like magic the sunshine was there for race day It turned out to be a lovely warm day with the routes drying out during the day. All the riders said they had great traction all day with minimum dust and really enjoyed the route and ride

“It was lovely to watch the riders come in from the routes to the finish with big smiles and happy faces, which is a big reward for us,” said Denise Forsyth Administrative & Marketing Assistant for Enduro World. We also got to see the Legend Ryan Hunt going full taps at the end showing us his MX skills and speed as he came into the finish on Saturday afternoon. He certainly has not lost any of his riding talent.”

“The Madalas format is quite different to a race being a fun event. We have three routes (Red – extreme, Blue – Normal Madalas route, Green – beginners’ short route) to choose from and the riders can choose which route they would like to ride and can mix the routes. They can do one of each or just stick to the red and do as many laps as possible before the cut off time. We had most of the rider’s finish. Their points add up for the routes and those points count towards a medal,” said Forsyth

Enduro World is also well known for the colourful events they organize these include races, fun rides, and training camps. For more information. Visit www.torkcraft.com & www.enduroworld.co.za

National Motocross Championship - Zone 7

It was a riveting start to the 2022 National Motocross Championship for Red Bull KTM. The first round of the season took riders to Cape Town’s Zone 7 track on Saturday, where the orange team blazed their way to three overall victories.

Star rider Tristan Purdon was untouchable in the MX1 Class and in a perfect winning streak took back-to-back victories to defend the red plate. Purdon mentions feeling most confident on the ‘whoop section’ of the track – a section of evenly spaced bumps that the rider cashed in on, affecting most of his overtaking maneuvers in this sector. Purdon set off with a blistering pace to secure yet another heat win in the first moto of the MX2 Class. An unfortunate crash in the second moto, however, narrowly kept him from securing the victory overall. He commented: “I feel confident when it comes to whoops, so I used that section of the track to make most of my passes. I’m really happy to have taken the MX1 win! Unfortunately, I ran out of time to make up enough ground in MX2. I had a bad start and fell at one point, which is something I’ll work on before the next round.”

The MX2 victory was snatched up by fellow Red Bull KTM rider Cameron Durow. Having only narrowly missed out on winning the championship last year, the young gun has entered the new season swinging. Undeterred by a third-place finish in the first moto, Durow lined-up for the final heat with more determination to win than ever. He said: “I had a much better start than in the first moto and pushed to get up front early into the race. I worked hard to take the lead and created a decent gap with five minutes to go. I’m super excited to take the red plate going into the next round!” 

It was a more demanding day in the saddle for Durow in the MX1 Class. He was off to a slow start by his own high standards but managed to charge through the pack to make his way back up to second. In the final moto Durow had a technical issue that kept him from pushing the pace up front, but after doing some damage control secured fourth place to finish in third overall. It was a big day for the team’s rising star Jonathan Mlimi, who made his MX2 debut after a highly successful season in the High School Class. While the rider admits that he felt nervous to line up with the competitive class, he also felt more ready than ever to step up to a new challenge.  

“After spending time getting used to the KTM 250 SX-F, I felt comfortable enough on the bike to ease my nerves. The first heat went well – I never stopped pushing until the end and managed to finish in fifth, which is something I was really proud of,” said Mlimi. 

The rider was off to a blistering start in the second moto and found himself battling it out for a podium spot. While he only narrowly missed a third place finish in the final moto, to push the pace with the front runners in his new class was a massive confidence boost. “To battle it out with the ‘big boys’ was such a cool experience. It made me realize that I have what it takes to fight for the championship. I know I’m a rookie, but that doesn’t mean anything. I will push to win because I train to win,” said Mlimi. 

Making his Red Bull KTM debut in the High School class was Luke Grundy. It was an incredible first moto for the rider who stormed to take the holeshot and lead for most of the race. The crowd held its breath when he was overtaken and later crashed, but Grundy managed to get back up in time to regain his lead and take the moto win. 

After yet another holeshot in the second moto, Grundy had an unfortunate collision that damaged his KTM 125 SX. The rider was forced to ride the rest of the heat in third gear and finished in 10th overall for the day. A cherry on the top of a memorable day for the orange squad was a victory from South Africa’s rising motocross star Trey Cox. It was the first time that the rider took the overall win in the Pro Mini Class, something he describes as a massive confidence boost for the season ahead. 

Despite a slow start in the first moto, Cox pushed his way from eighth to second place. After a much better start in the second moto, he made his attack to take the lead and didn’t look back. He commented, “I’ve been waiting to win the overall for so long, so it was really cool to get that out the way at the first race of the season. I feel so ready for the next round to come! This weekend is a race that I will never forget,” said Cox.

As the start of the 2022 National Motocross season approaches, Red Bull KTM is more ready than ever to unleash its star-studded line-up of riders. The Western Cape is set to host the season opener at Zone 7 on Saturday, 19 February. 

After an unforgettable year of racing, Tristan Purdon steps into the new season with two red plates to defend. Purdon stormed to double national glory with a title in both the MX1 and MX2 Class respectively last season. The rider lines up armed a KTM 450 SX-F and 250 SX-F as his weapons of choice. He commented: “I’ve been riding for a very long time and nothing compares to my KTM racing bikes. The suspension couldn’t be dialled in better, which makes life so much easier for me when I’m racing.” Having spent the off season at his parent’s farm, the rider feels as ready to get back behind the gates as ever. He added, “Coming from the high of winning the MX1 and MX2 Championship, I’m feeling very excited to get out there again. The goal is obviously to defend the titles, but I know the competition just keeps getting stronger and that I have to work harder than ever to stay on top. I have spent most of the off season back at the farm – a place that allows me to spend more time on the bike, focus on my weak points and keep my fitness up.” Joining him in the fight for both national titles is Red Bull KTM teammate Cameron Durow. The youngster was recruited by the orange team at the start of last season and entered a bar-to-bar battle for the MX2 Championship with Purdon. Having only narrowly missed the top step and gained invaluable experience, Durow will certainly come back swinging this season. “We’re fighting for the MX1 and MX2 Championship this year – I’m so excited to have the opportunity to compete in both classes. The off season has been good, I have really enjoyed spending time on the 2022 KTM 450 SX-F and 250 SX-F – they feel incredibly fast! I’ve also been conditioning myself for longer motos to not only prepare for racing in both classes, but also for my plans to race overseas this year. I think this kind of training will give me an extra edge when it comes to fitness,” said Durow. Fresh off his High School Class victory, the talent-stacked Jonathan Mlimi will make the leap to the MX2 Class this season. Having shown immense talent, the rider is ready to step up to a new challenge. He will now join his teammates on a KTM 250 SX-F, something he describes feeling very excited about.

“The level of competition is going to be really high because I’m racing against guys with a lot more experience than me, but that’s how I’m going to learn and grow as an athlete. The power of my new machine is the thing I’ve enjoyed the most! I’ve stuck to my training programme, but managed to add in some running this time – something I’ve struggled to do after my leg injury in 2019. I’m very excited to see how that will give me an extra edge with my fitness this year,” said Mlimi. Joining the fray on the motocross scene is Luke Grundy. The young gun will represent the Red Bull KTM team in the High School class in 2022 aboard a KTM 125 SX with his sights firmly set on being crowned the National Champion.

Grundy lives in Amanzimtoti, Durban, and has done the large majority of his off season training at Cato Ridge, Thundervalley and Hammersdale. The prodigious young talent has represented South Africa at the FIM Junior World Championships in Italy in 2019 and attributes his already lengthy list of successes to a relentless work rate.Grundy expressed his immense admiration for the Red Bull KTM team and admitted that he is honoured to race for what he considers the best racing team in the country. Grundy will bring a massive dose of youthful energy and pace to the team and he will be frothing to fight for his first holeshot for his new team. 

Rounding out the team is young gun Trey Cox. The rider came painstakingly close to snatching up the Pro Mini Championship last season after a nail-biting three way battle. Having taken his place as a frontrunner in the class, Cox will line-up with more confidence than ever as he chases down the seemingly elusive Pro Mini title.