In a strong field, three local riders dominated – creating a rivalry set to continue throughout the year. Luke rode a hard, smart race and ultimately took second place, at the same time securing his entry for World Champs which will be held in Scotland later this year.
15 April: Saturday’s SA XCO Champs took place at Thaba Trails in JHB. Luke and Johan van Zyl (Computer Mania) quickly left the U/23 pack behind with a strong start. At 2 laps in, Johan opened a gap on Luke and then suffered a mechanical, allowing Luke to overtake him once again. In a tense game of cat and mouse, Johan put in a massive attack on the last lap that saw him go clear for the win. Luke successfully defended his position against a late charge by Jaedon Terlouw (Honeycomb Racing), setting up a thrilling sprint finish with Luke taking second overall.
16 April: XCC is a short track race that consists of several laps around an 800m track. A race built for power and speed, it is also surprisingly technical. Luke managed to cross the line in 5th. This is the first time this event has been held in South Africa.
With this result Luke has secured his position for World Champs which will be taking place in Scotland in August. At the end of the month, Luke heads to Namibia for a Cat1 race, and then on to Turkey for 2 Cat1 races, before heading back to SA for the next SA Cup event.