South African Showdown in Rugged Natal
NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY SEASON OPENER WORDS & PHOTOS COURTESY OF KTM AND HUSQVARNA
Battle drums were beating as South Africa ’ s top riding talent gathered in Jolivet , KwaZulu-Natal , over the weekend for the start of the National Cross Country Championship . In what would be one of the most competitive races the series has seen , riders faced five demanding loops through Natal ’ s iconic sugarcane fields and demanding forest trails .
All eyes were on Rockstar Energy Husqvarna ’ s Brett Swanepoel , who lined up as the reigning 2020 champion in not only the prestigious OR1 Class , but overall .
In what the rider describes as one of the most memorable races of his career , he found himself in a barto-bar battle with the likes of Wade Young , Scott Bouverie and Bradley Cox .
ON THE PEGS // PAGE 26