The third round of the National Cross Country Championship took Husqvarna Racing to the Scholtz farm near Vryburg. Davin Cocker put on an exceptional performance, battling it out for the lead throughout the day with Scott Heygate.
Cocker started out front and maintained a fierce competition and battling it out with Heygate. Despite a pit stop pass and an unfortunate tumble in the thorns during the fourth lap, Cocker displayed impressive fighting spirit. Though uninjured beyond a sore finger and a few thorns, he still managed to claim a strong second place in class as well as a second overall.
“I had a good battle with Scott,” commented Cocker. “Just unfortunate that I couldn’t catch up to him due to all the dust. I was really happy with my ride and my performance, and I’m looking forward to the next round.”
Fellow Husqvarna rider Luke Walker had a rough start to the day, experiencing two crashes during the time trial. This setback unfortunately positioned him further back for the main race. Walker adapted his strategy, focusing on avoiding injury in the dusty conditions and navigating the close competition, just missing the podium and claiming fourth place for the day in the OR3 class.
“I tried to preserve myself and not get hurt due to all the dust and riders being quite close to each other in the first lap,” explained Walker. “I pushed a bit after gaps started to form. I am happy with my day as I managed to get a few points and not fall too far behind in the championship. I know what I need to work on and am excited to get to the next round.”
Team Manager, Kerim Fitz-Gerald added, “We’re proud of the way Davin battled today. He had a solid race and showed great determination and pace. Luke also showed good fighting spirit after a tough start. We’ll be working on some things to get both riders even stronger for the next round.”
Published by: Megan Prinsloo
Photography by: Sage Lee Voges – ZCMC Media
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