![\"ccs-62657-0-85284300-1465142876.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-85284300-1465142876.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Tiaan Odendaal clinched his third consecutive crown at the STIHL Karkloof Enduro on the opening day of the 2016 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival at Karkloof Country Club. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/a>To infinity, and beyond! A rider launches off a jump during the STIHL Karkloof Enduro on the opening day of the 2016 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival at Karkloof Country Club. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nOdendaal charged out the blocks on the testing, technical opening stage and as the subsequent runs got smoother so he got quicker as he powered his way to four stage victories and the overall crown.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was really great to get a clear win this year and I was really happy with the gap I opened up over the rest of the guys,\u201d said Odendaal. \u201cWhile I wasn\u2019t focusing on winning my third title coming into the race, it was also cool to win three in a row.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI actually worked quite hard for this win and was pretty broken at the end so it was quite a satisfying result.<\/p>\n
\u201cA big thanks to Brian Bentley for his assistance with a bike and then also to Hylton Turvey and the guys her at Karkloof, the tracks were phenomenal and I\u2019ve never ridden anything so good.<\/p>\n \u201cStage one was quite difficult to get a rhythm with all the rocky, technical sections but stage two was then really fast flowing with all the berms and jumps and that put me in a bit of a happy zone which I looked to stay in until the end,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Odendaal was chased across the line by the experienced Craig Paul and Heiko Redecker while U18 talent Keira Duncan finished fourth and Tim Bentley fifth.<\/p>\n The women\u2019s duel saw a stage one crash by double defending champ Kim Westbrook pave the way for Fourie and junior flyer Sabine Thies to battle it out for the title with the former ultimately getting the better of the emerging star by 21 seconds while Westbrook claimed third.<\/p>\n \u201cI had a knee op six weeks ago and a bad bout of flu in the build up to the race so I\u2019ve just been trying to focus on building again and just trying to keep up with Kim and \u2018Beanie\u2019 (Thies) so I\u2019m really, really stoked to get the win,\u201d said Fourie.<\/p>\n \u201cI do a lot of riding in the area but I haven\u2019t actually ridden those particular trails in a long time so I bounced off quite a few rocks during the first stage and there were quite a few new sections that are obviously still a bit loose so you had to be careful of not sliding out but overall it was just great!<\/p>\n \u201cEnduro is really growing and it\u2019s great to see so many new ladies giving it a go from so many different provinces and other disciplines and hopefully we can see that continue going forward,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<\/a>Brett Hillary charges down the first of four timed stages of the STIHL Karkloof Enduro on the opening day of the 2016 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival at Karkloof Country Club. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>The renowned trails of the Karkloof region were enjoyed by all participants of the STIHL Karkloof Enduro on the opening day of the 2016 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival at Karkloof Country Club. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Kathryn Fourie claimed her first ever Enduro race win when she crossed the line first at the STIHL Karkloof Enduro on the opening day of the 2016 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival at Karkloof Country Club. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span><\/p>\n