16 May 2017

Botswana’s representative at the last Dakar Rally, Vincent Crosbie did what many expected of him as he bagged the top spot in the inaugural Mantshwabisi 400km off-road bike and quad race over weekend.

Crosbie was, however, not without pressure in the 200km race, as he was given a run for his money by other bikers, including one of the most promising and upcoming local bikers, D’Artagnan Lobjoit.

The race, which was organised by Gaborone Motor Club in collaboration with the Mantshwabisi Village Development Committee, was meant as a training opportunity for the Toyota 1 000km Desert Race to be held next month.

The race was graced by a total of 14 quads and 22 bikes. Crosbie, being the favourite from the start, did not disappoint as he romped to victory in the over 200 km race which was divided into four laps of about 50 km each.

In an interview after the race, the chief marshall, Koziba Lebala said they were forced to cut the race by half looking at the fact that the race was still in its first year and they did not have many sponsors for the event.

“You must note that this is our inaugural event and we haven’t yet had many sponsors for the event. It would have been costlier to run the whole race, and instead of cancelling it, we decided to cut it short. We expect that starting from next year we will be able to complete the whole course,” he said.

Lebala said the race was organised to keep the bikers in shape for the Toyota 1 000 km Desert Race, and said they found no better place to hold the event than Mantshwabisi where the original desert race started.

He also said they wanted to give upcoming local riders a chance to get exposure. Lebala said they were, however, satisfied that the shortened version of the race still gave the bikers a good practice.

Crosbie reiterated Lebala’s view that even though the race was cut short, it gave them a good training opportunity ahead of the Toyota Desert Race.

“The loop had good obstacles and the terrain was similar to what we are likely to encounter at the desert race, and it also gave me a good opportunity to try my new bike ahead of the race. Personally Mantshwabisi is like home to me because this is where I did my training ahead of the Dakar Rally last year, so it feels good to be back here once again,” he said.

Crosbie also thanked his sponsors and spectators for making the race spectacular.

One of the upcoming local bikers, Lobjoit also appreciated the effort by the organisers for giving them a good training opportunity.

“I raced in South Africa the previous day under very different conditions as it was raining there, and travelled straight here and hopped onto my bike, so I didn’t have enough time to rest,” he said, admitting that he could have done better under different circumstances. He nevertheless said he was happy with his team’s performance.

For his part, Kgosi Mokopi Kodima of Mantshwabisi also appreciated the organisers of the race for bringing it back to its original place.

He said the race gave the villagers an opportunity to make some money and piece jobs, as most youth were engaged to assist in security areas as well as to clean the area.

He, however, advised the organisers that resources such as firewood should also have been procured from the locals, as they had the firewood ready to sell to the campers.

“We, however, understand that this is the first event and like every thing in its infancy, it cannot be without hurdles,” he noted. ENDS