BMW G 450 X rider Jade Gutzeit is one of the favourites to win this year’s Roof of Africa Hard Enduro.

Where is the bike?

BMW Rider Gears Up for Roof of Africa

With just a few days before the Roof of Africa 2009 gets underway, BMW Motorrad rider Jade Gutzeit has given an insight into what it takes to win the legendary event.

The Roof of Africa is widely recognised as one of the toughest enduro events on the planet, having terrified many experienced riders over its 40-year history. The 42nd annual challenge, held between November 26-28 in the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho, is billed as the toughest yet. It has once again attracted some of the world's most talented off-road specialists, each of whom will bid for overall glory and a chance to etch their names into the history books.

In recognition of the awesome reputation that the 'Roof' holds, BMW Motorrad will be represented by a group of off-road heavyweights. German ace Andreas 'Letti' Lettenbichler, Austrian champion Rudi Pöschl, and South African duo Gray Dick and fellow countryman Jade Gutzeit will all take their place on the starting line. Of all the BMW riders who will descend on the southern African country in less than a week's time, Jade is the most accomplished Roof rider, having tasted victory there in 2003 and finished runner-up in 2008.

He explains why the Roof of Africa has established itself as something of an enigma in the motorcycling world: "The race has been going for many years and becomes more extreme each time," he says. "The Roof is always a special event and generates so much hype simply because it is so tough there. Over recent years there has been more international interest and that's meant that more international riders have been attracted to the Roof, which makes it even more difficult. This year, the organisers have said that it's going to be the hardest ever and having seen the map already, it certainly seems that way."

Over three days, and close to 24 hours' riding, the competitors will face hundreds of kilometres of challenging terrain, from gravel tracks to mountain passes and from flat grasslands to terrifying climbs. Only a small percentage of the competitors can expect to cross the finish line, let alone have aspirations of winning. But having already tasted victory there, Jade knows exactly what it takes to succeed in Lesotho, although he admits that the secret ingredient isn't particularly technical!

"In South Africa we have this word, 'Vasbyt', which basically means never give up and fight to the end," he explains. "That's the attitude you need when you begin the Roof. You just don't stop, keep those wheels turning and that's the only secret to winning the event. Of course, you need to have some luck, but I believe that you make your own luck. If you're fit and strong, you've given yourself the best chance."

Not only will Jade have to battle the elements during the three-day epic, he'll also face some stiff competition from his fellow competitors, not least his BMW team mates. However, he also sees extreme enduro specialist Chris Birch as a potential threat.

"This year BMW Motorrad is sending two European riders, Andreas Lettenbichler and Rudi Pöschl, who are very talented," he says. "Andreas is really good with the GPS and is obviously a great rider, so I think that he might be one to watch this year. Then, of course, you can't ignore what Chris Birch is capable of and he will always be a threat. But I don't really know what to expect this year and neither does anybody else, simply because it's a new course. There are a few sections in the programme that I've ridden before and I know that they are going to be very tough. I'm just looking forward to getting out there and seeing for myself what challenges lie in wait."

Throughout the event, Jade will be relying on his trusty BMW G 450 X motorcycle, which helped him to the South African national Open Class Championship title earlier in the year. Although he accepts that the four-stroke's weight might seem like a disadvantage over the highly technical course, he believes the bike makes up for it in other departments. "This year I'm riding the BMW G 450 X, which has its work cut out against the smaller, lighter two-strokes in some of the tougher sections of the course," he admits. "But the bike provides useable power and plenty of torque, so I hope to use the size of the G 450 X to my advantage."

So with the event just days away, how does the former champion rate his chances in 2009? "I've trained harder than I ever have before, doing a lot of gym work and mountain biking," he answers. "As a result, I feel like I've been getting stronger and I like to think that I've got a chance to do well at the event and, who knows, maybe even win. We'll have to wait and see, but hopefully I'll have some good news to report in a few weeks' time!"

The Roof of Africa gets underway on Thursday November 26^th and concludes on Saturday the 28^th. For more information on the event, includeing the full entry list, visit www.roof-of-africa.com