New King of the Roof crowned

James Moore (18) was crowned Roof of Africa champion after three days of high-octane racing, navigational drama, and more.
With multiple past champion Wade Young not being able to enter the race due to an injury, it was all to race for for the likes of Moore, plus a bunch of world-class international riders.

Riders were challenged not only by the brutal terrain, but also by the navigational requirements – an element where many of the South African riders, more familiar with both the landscape and GPS tracking, held a distinct advantage.

Moore (Brother Leadertread KTM/Rigo Racing) opened the final stage, but suffered a major setback when his GPS failed, costing him significant time and positions as he got lost in the mountains.

After the first loop, the standings at the DSP saw Teodore Kabakchiev (Sherco Factory Racing) and his teammate Mario Roman looking strong, with Matthew Green (F61 Racing) also maintaining a good pace with the leading group.

Both Billy Bolt (Husqvarna Racing) and Mani Lettenbichler (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) were aggressively pushing to close the gaps and position themselves for podium contention.

Moore arrived outside the top 10 after Loop 1, putting his bid for the title on shaky ground.

However, the young rider, leveraging his lead from the previous day and demonstrating a tenacious spirit, dug deep and finished the final day in an impressive sixth position.

This critical finish was enough. Moore, who was also recently crowned the Junior Hard Enduro world champion, was officially crowned the new 2025 Roof of Africa Champion. The Mother of Hard Enduro has a new title holder.

Meanwhile, Lettenbichler crossed the final finish line in second place for the day, a result that secured his overall season victory. He was subsequently crowned the 2025 Hard Enduro world champion.

Sandra Gomez (Gomez Racing Team) won Top Performing Woman in the HEWC, a huge accolade in hard enduro racing.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Like the South Coast Fever’s Facebook page