{"id":71688,"date":"2025-03-18T14:46:20","date_gmt":"2025-03-18T12:46:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/?p=71688"},"modified":"2025-03-25T16:06:35","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T14:06:35","slug":"duncan-and-du-toit-conquer-in-epic-jonkershoek-enduro-national-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/duncan-and-du-toit-conquer-in-epic-jonkershoek-enduro-national-cup\/","title":{"rendered":"Duncan and Du Toit Conquer in Epic Jonkershoek Enduro National Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sunday, 16 March, began with an ominous mist hanging low in the Jonkershoek Valley, setting the tone for what would be an epic day of racing at the first National Enduro Cup of the 2025 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Keira Duncan lay down a near-perfect race to clinch the win on the mighty Jonkershoek Trails. Credit: Eric Palmer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Five stages lay in wait for the riders of the Full Enduro, three for the Lite Enduro, and a bonus Power Stage (technical climb) for the E-Bike Enduro competitors. The trails were rough and rowdy from the hot summer days and countless tyres lapping them up in practice. Top dogs and rookies from around the country were in for a day of massive climbs and white-knuckle race runs!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drizzle and mist made for slick conditions as the first tyres laid tracks down the mountain. Riders could choose to begin with either Red Phoenix (Stage 1), The Plumber (Stage 2), or DH (Stage 3), and the slippery rocks of The Plumber and Red Phoenix caught a few riders out before the sun broke through and turned the day into flat-out, dusty ripping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Matt Lombardi had the pressure of being the local legend going into the race and entered into a tight tussle with the travelling Keira Duncan. Credit: Eric Palmer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With 1,400m of elevation gain for the riders of the Full Enduro, managing the heat, nutrition, and energy levels was all as much a part of the game as carrying speed and getting on the pedals in the stages. Jonkershoek served up a proper test of bike and body. Here is how the racing played out across the stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stage Results – Full Enduro<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stage 1 – Red Phoenix<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Men<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Keira Duncan – 03:06.5<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Matt Lombardi – 03:11.1<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Jason Boulle – 03:14.8<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n

    Women<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Frankie Du Toit – 03:34.0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Eryn Marais – 03:52.8 <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Lillian Bruwer – 05:18.2  <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

      Stage 2 – The Plumber<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      \n
      \n

      Men<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      1. Keira Duncan – 03:01.3<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Matt Lombardi – 03:03.4<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Jason Boulle – 03:10.4<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
        \n

        Women<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        1. Frankie Du Toit – 03:43.1<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. Eryn Marais – 04:05.9<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        3. Lillian Bruwer – 08:34.0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

          Stage 3 – Neutralised due to timing system issues<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Stage 4 – Iron Monkey<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
          \n
          \n

          Men<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          1. Keira Duncan – 03:39.8<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          2. Matt Lombardi – 03:44.0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          3. Keagan Brand – 03:48.4<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
            \n

            Women<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            1. Frankie Du Toit – 04:09.7<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            2. Eryn Marais 04:21.4<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            3. Lillian Bruwer – 06:06.2<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

              Stage 5 – Armageddon<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
              \n
              \n

              Men<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n
              1. Matt Lombardi – 06:11.8<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              2. Keira Duncan – 06:13.0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              3. Jason Boulle – 06:18.9<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
                \n

                Women<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \n
                1. Frankie Du Toit – 06:50.5<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                2. Eryn Marais – 07:08.4<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                3. Lillian Bruwer – 09:12.1<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

                  \u201cA long and tough day out, but it was made worth it for the (as always) insane Jonkershoek trails!\u201d said Frankie du Toit. \u201cWe had a big field but never queued and never got held up, which makes the day go by quickly. A well-stocked water table and post-race beers kept the vibes high and the body fuelled, haha. It\u2019s always tough to gauge your effort over a long day, and I felt like I got the balance right and kept my riding consistent, so I was happy with my performance. We have some fast ladies coming up from the Youth and Junior age groups, and I\u2019m looking forward to many more battles with them!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                  Frankie Du Toit reigns supreme again. The Queen of gravity is showing the next generation what is possible and having a good time whilst doing so! Credit: Eric Palmer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                  Frankie summed it up superbly. The stoke levels from the riders were high as everyone revelled in the experience of pushing themselves against the clock in the big mountains! Du Toit took a commanding win in the women\u2019s field, as she is well known for, with a clean sweep of the stages but acknowledged the up-and-coming girls in the sub-elite categories might be giving her some trouble in the near future!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  Making the trip from KZN for the opening Enduro National Cup, Keira Duncan won all but one stage (where he took a near second) to claim victory in Jonkershoek. Keira has his sights set firmly on the world stage, and this will be a great start to his 2025 season, with many more opportunities to show what he\u2019s capable of ahead. Here is what he had to say about the racing on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                  Young and old, everyone was out to have a great time in the Jonkershoek Valley on Sunday. Credit: Eric Palmer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                  \u201cIt was a big day racing in the Jonkershoek Valley, and the valley certainly delivered an epic day out, no doubt. I couldn\u2019t be more pleased with a solid day on the bike for me\u2014no major issues, and overall the vibe was fired up. Chuffed to take the win ahead of some fast locals. There was an epic selection of stages that provided a solid challenge alongside the monstrous climbs. Cheers to all involved, the event was well organised. See you at round two in a couple of weeks\u2019 time for a showdown in the Karkloof.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  You can find the overall results below. The next National Cup will take place in Karkloof, KZN on 5-6 April. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  Follow @wc_enduro<\/a> on Instagram for news on upcoming events. To check out some POV and video footage from the event, you can watch Jason Boulle\u2019s VLOG below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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