South Africa’s Travis Teasdale made his winning intentions for the 50th edition of the Roof of Africa perfectly clear by topping the leaderboard at the end of day one.
A rising talent in Hard Enduro, KTM rider Travis Teasdale was on a charge today in challenging conditions as he bids for his first taste of glory in the Hard Enduro World Series.
Not alone in his challenge for a home win, Teasdale wasn’t the only South African in the top three with Blake Gutzeit and Wade Young – winner of the Time Trial – hot on his heels.
Defending champion Graham Jarvis sits quietly just outside the top three in fourth, with Alfredo Gómez fifth.
Mother Nature drops a snow bomb
Known as the Mother of Hard Enduro, the legendary Roof of Africa puffed her chest out on day one with riders greeted to unseasonably heavy snowfall high in the mountains.
The blisteringly hot temperatures of 24 hours previous were a distant memory as competitors lined up for the traditional Round the Houses blast. Thankfully, snowfall hadn’t reached downtown Maseru, but conditions were tricky. Some favoured caution, others not so much.
Eager to set his stall out for the days ahead, Teasdale grabbed the holeshot and put in a near start-to-finish victory in the three-lap dash.
Perfectly managing the slippery dirt and asphalt sections of the high speed course, Teasdale led home fellow countryman Scott Bouverie, with Alfredo Gómez – 2016 runner-up – in third.
But the Round the Houses race was only half the battle on day one as they headed into the hills for the 40km Time Trial. With conditions improving, snow only stayed settled on the highest of peaks, resulting in near-perfect riding conditions.
© Tyrone Bradley/Red Bull Content Pool
After an uneventful morning, Young came out swinging in the afternoon, letting his riding do all the talking. Battling head-to-head with Gutzeit, Young beat his rival by just one second to snatch the win.
Stopping the clocks six seconds behind the leading duo, Teasdale did enough to end day one fastest on corrected time. For defending champion Jarvis, his bid for a fifth title went to plan on day one ending his day fourth overall, with Gómez in fifth.