MASERU — Roof of Africa will next Thursday celebrate its 44th anniversary with a record of 26 international riders expected to add more fun and stiff competition into the race.
The race will take place in Maseru from November 24 – 26.
New Zealander, Chris Birch, is expected to defend his title which he won in three consecutive races between 2008 and 2010.
Birch will be among the top 26 international riders from New Zealand, Germany, UK, Portugal and South Africa who are expected to take part in the race.
“While the group of organisers for this year’s event have been hard at work engineering the 44th running of this event, the final entry list brims with 234 entries that include the names of 26 international competitors from Australia, New Zealand, Germany, the UK and Portugal,” Lesotho Off-Road Association (Lora) said in a statement.
Lora said it has already engaged a group of experienced riders to map the route in an attempt to ensure that this year’s competition is a success.
“A group of experienced riders, who will not be competing, plotted the route this past weekend and it sounds like the routes for this year’s Roof of Africa race will ensure this race to be described with one word: EPIC!” Mike Glover from Red
Cherry Adventure said.
“We really wanted to create a route that would not only challenge all of the competitors in the bronze, silver and gold classes, but also expose them to awesome new areas and some of the most beautiful riding scenery anyone could hope for,”
Glover said.
The Roof of Africa, dubbed the Mother of All Endures, will kick-start on Thursday with a traditional street race (Round the Houses) at Maseru Club before heading off to Thaba-Bosiu for a Time Trial section the same day.
“The expected massive crowd will experience the first change with the Round the Houses street race running in reverse while a Romaniacs type obstacle where riders will have to tackle some man-made obstacles before continuing on tar, will add to the excitement of the racing section in town,” the organisers said.
The riders will then head off to Roma on Friday where the riders’ starting order will be determined by the time they each clocked during the Time Trial Section.
Saturday is expected to be the most spectacular and challenging day with riders exploring the most dangerous places between Roma and Setibing.
This is the day where men are expected to be separated from the boys and only riders with endurance and experience will be awarded with gold medals for finishing the race.
