Roof of Africa day two summary

* Darryl Curtis (AGA LG KTM) is leading the national motorcycle category. * Brendan Badenhorst (ATV Powersport Yamaha YFZ450 Laeger) is leading the quad category.

The last day of the event will start on Saturday, November 27, at 06h00 and the winners are expected at 13h00.

LESOTHO MOUNTAINS TOOK ITS TOLL ON OFF-ROAD BIKERS

The 38th Roof of Africa, this year sponsored by Vodacom and Lesotho Sun, took its toll on the 350 competitors and drew first blood when Riaan van Niekerk (Tyrolit KTM), the second motorcycle rider to start the event, crashed within the first hour and hurt his back. This was the start to an event that will be recorded as the "toughest Roof of Africa in the last few years."

It was Darryl Curtis (AGA LG KTM) who is on his way to his second Roof of Africa victory after he started and finished the race in the first place. But there was a lot of action in between as Curtis got straned without fuel. His team-mate and the leader of the 125cc Class, Lourens Mahoney, helped him out of his dilemma, but later he ran out of fuel and had to watch as rider after rider raced past him.

Spencer Kriel (Alfie Cox Adventures/Natro Freight KTM) eventually helped him and Mahoney finished sixth overall and have the 125cc Class Championship in sight as he will be the leading rider in this class when they tackle the last day of the event on Saturday.

Spencer's younger brother and team-mate, Barry, was the second motorcycle rider home and is leading the 200cc Class while Geoffrey Wolhuter (Miller Moore KTM) raced home in the third place overall and is leading the 250cc Class. If he wins this class, he will be the champion for the second consecutive year.

The rest of the top ten riders home were Errol Dalton (Open Class KTM); Gerhard Forster from German who competes in the Open Class; Quinton Milton (200cc KTM); Dom Fennis (250cc KTM); Jason Krause (200cc KTM) and Kenneth Gilbert (125cc Enzo Chiocchi KTM).

In the national quad category, Brendan Badenhorst (ATV Powersport Yamaha YFZ450 Laeger) was the first four-wheeler out of the starting blocks and also the first rider to make it to the finish lilne. But there were a lot of action in between as all the quad riders ended up on the wrong route - the route for the two-wheelers which was apparently so narrow that their quads barely fitted on the ledges.

The quad competitors were then re-routed to the servoce point at Roma where they started the race all over again. Badenhorst and last year's winner, Jacques "Boesman" Struwig (Southern Yamaha YFZ450) raced together for most of the time, but Struwig experienced some problems and Badenhorst finished first just ahead of the Frenchman, Christoph Kuhnl (Bombardier Speed Quad).

Struwig was the third quad rider home followed by Hendrik Potgieter (Bombardier Speed Quad) who has his first overall national quad in sight. He was followed home by Hanru Fourie (Speed Bike Bombardier) and Ricky da Silva (Yamaha YFZ450), who is on his way to finish his debut Roof of Africa.

Dallie Terblanche (CIT Honda TRX450R) delivered a good first day result for the new Honda quad while Hennie Michau (Bombardier) was the first Senior Championship rider home and just behind Terblanche. Sipho Mhlanga from Swaziland on his Bombardier was ninth and was followed by Stefan Coetzee (VLS Africa) who is competing in his first Roof of Africa. Zane Davidson (Perry Yamaha YFZ450) was 11th overall and will try to score enough points to keep his third place in the overall championship - Struwig is also in line for this podium position.

The 2004 Vodacom Lesotho Sun Roof of Africa will start at 06h00 on Saturday when Curtis will tackle the 304km route while Badenhorst will attack the 364km quad route with a vengeance. The winners are expected to finish the event at 13h00 at Matsieng.

-www.roofofafrica.co.ls