Camps Bay High School Grade 11 learner, Morgan Louw, participated in the first round of the SRAM 2021 South African National Downhill Championships held in Paarl on Sunday.
The field of participants included top riders from all over the country. Morgan took part in the Junior Men’s Category, riding the Downhill race on an Enduro bike, and against some fierce competition, managed to finish the event in Third Place.
As stated on Western Cape Downhill’s website: www.wpdownhill.co.za, “Downhill Mountain Biking (DH) is an ever-growing sport which has seen tremendous progress over the last couple of years in South Africa. DH is for the advanced and extreme rider whose love for speed brings them blazing down the roughest single-track descents through rock gardens, massive drops and gnarly root sections. Downhill riders will need a good sense of balance to navigate through the toughest terrains under high speeds.
Downhill races are very intense and exciting to watch, with one rider racing down a defined downhill section, in the fastest time possible. The continuous course is defined on each side by a strip of tape. Depending on the format, riders have a single or double attempt to reach the finish line as fast as possible, while remaining between the two tapes designating the course.
Downhill bikes are heavier and stronger than other MTB bikes and feature front and rear suspension to enable the rider to glide quickly over rocks and obstacles. Full-face helmets are a must, coupled with goggles to block out rock deflections and dirt from the eyes. It is recommended to wear additional body armour such as chest and backplates.”
Round 2 of the Downhill Cup is set to take place in Paarl on 10 and 11 April 2021. It is quite the spectator sport so worth making the trip to Paarl and supporting Morgan at the same time!
Pictures supplied