Riders put to the stress at Pilgrim’s Rest
It is Saturday February 29. I am on my way to Pilgrim’s Rest to cover the Gold Rush enduro - the clouds are hanging low - it is going to be a wet and cold enduro. What was going through the minds of the competitors, I wondered? Tyre choices will be critical!
Was it too late to turn around and head home? No – not these hooligans. Who would miss out on riding around in an area offering such natural beauty and wonderful challenges?
Robin Flores and Mark Galliers did extensive work to develop and prepare the track. The preparation started back in early February. Of course, Robin and Mark know the Pilgrim’s layout, since they have done this before.
Robin had the devil whispering in his ear, telling him to not spoon-feed the competitors with an easy track. No, he needed to present them with something that would make
them cry!
So, they found an old cocopan track where the competitors had to crisscross the tracks four times. They proudly named it “Snakes and Ladders”. But, before the cocopan tracks, competitors had to climb Jason’s Hill, and with the wet conditions, it was extremely challenging. To top it off, they then had to fight their way through a bottleneck of competitors.
What goes up, must come down. Coming down might sound easy, but holding on to the handlebars takes a lot out of your arms and makes it very difficult.
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Speaking to Brett Stevens, who rode in the master class, he said he had sworn at the people who built the track, and then went down the chain of people also responsible for his pain. Right at the top was Mr Ramkat Flores.
The riders had to conquer climbs, called Reduction Works, Lovers Lane, Highway to Hell and Soapstone. These are some of the names that would give the competitors shivers. But these mental problems would be forgotten once they were in the pits with something cold in their hands.
Well done, Robin and team, for putting a well-designed track together.
