Darkness engulfs Roof of Africa
Roof of Africa rally has claimed its first life when a South African Willie-John Le Hanie died en route to Bloemfontein Hospital.
The Lesotho Off-Road Association (LORA) spokesperson Mr Keketso Malebo indicated that Le-Hanie crashed descending a steep hill in the Bushman’s Pass area on Friday and was rushed to Tšepong Hospital, which in turn transferred him to Bloemfontein and died on the way.
“The Lesotho version of Roof of Africa is the longest and toughest and it is also called the Mother of all Hard Enduros for good reasons. It is unfortunate that we lost a life at a time we were seeing progress and a lot of interest from many riders around the world.” Mr Malebo added that LORA conveyed their condolences to the family.
During the award giving ceremony, the passing of Le-Hanie was announced and there was a moment of silence observed in his honour. He was in the bronze category.
Meanwhile, the English rider Graham Jarvis defended his fourth crown as the gold category champion beating a Spaniard rider Alfredo Gómez.
The only Mosotho participant, Joseph Motenane won a medal for being the first and only Mosotho rider to complete this race in the bronze category.
He indicated that this route was the toughest and most challenging for riders. He said he was in front of Le-Hanie and the organisers did not disclose the news until they had crossed the finish line on Saturday.
He maintained that his fellow riders suspect Le-Hanie had missed crucial route markings and plunged where it was dangerous. “The route was so tough that anybody could sustain such injuries where he was off-course or not.”
Motenane disclosed that next year he will be competing in the silver category having obtained valuable experience since he started racing in 2015. “I think I will try the silver because the route is the same but its just a bit longer and I think I can manage.”
The race was mainly sponsored by a French oil company Motul and Red Bull and it was televised and watched by more than 30 million households in Europe, reported Mr Malebo. “This race is so interesting to riders around the world and we play to advertise the country.”
Mr Malebo indicated that they have already spotted next year’s route and they want the finish to be more spectacular and tough.
