Two events. Two very different landscapes. The Lesotho mountains of Southern Africa and the deep sand of Blaxhall. One was round 6 of the Hard Enduro World Championship at one of the sport's most legendary events. The other was the final chapter of a British Motocross season that has delivered some of the best racing of recent memory.
FIM Hard Enduro World Championship - Round 6, Roof of Africa, Lesotho
They call it the Mother of Hard Enduro, and the Roof of Africa earns that name every single year. Three days of racing in the Maloti Mountains of Lesotho. A time trial, a 110-120km mountain day and a final multi-lap race around a 38km loop. Combining GPS navigation, unassisted fuel stops, unmarked terrain and some of the most physically and mentally demanding conditions the sport can produce. This year the format introduced something new: a multi-lap structure for the final day, giving the race an additional dimension that rewarded consistency as much as outright pace.
One notable absence before the racing started. Mario Roman made the decision not to travel to Lesotho after not feeling 100% in the days leading up to the event. It was the first major international race he had missed since 2018. An indication of how seriously he took the decision. "A race of this level requires being at 100% physically and mentally. I think it is the best thing to recover strength and come back stronger." He will return for Sea to Sky in Turkey.
The Riders
James Moore arrived in Lesotho as the defending Roof of Africa champion, and felt the weight of it. The attention that comes with defending a title at your home race is different to anything else in the sport, and James noticed the shift in how the week felt leading up to the event.
Matt Green is as close to a local as the Hard Enduro World Championship has in these mountains. He has raced the Roof of Africa many times and knows the trails in a way that no overseas rider can replicate. After a difficult Abestone, he arrived in Lesotho looking for a result that reflected his true level.
Lenny Geretzky made the trip from Europe as one of the few junior riders to take on the Roof, A calculated decision to collect championship points in a race that many of his rivals would not attend.
Day One - Time Trial
The opening day was a two-lap time trial into the Music Box area, with individual starts at 30-second intervals and the fastest lap counting. James Moore was immediately at home, setting the fastest time by 15 seconds to claim the top spot. Heading into day two he understood the challenge ahead but was clearly still excited. "We've got a big day on the cards but I can't wait for 100+ kms behind the eTrex." The navigation element of the Roof of Africa is part of what makes it unlike anything else on the calendar, and James embraced it.
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Matt Green came through in P6. A strong starting position for the mountain day and exactly the kind of result his experience in these conditions deserves. "Home race vibes are all time right now. My team is my family and friends, the crowds feel much more personal here and the hills are familiar."
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Lenny Geretzky was P13 overall, P5 in the junior classification and P9 in the championship class. A solid start for the days ahead.
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Day Two - The Mountain Day
110 to 120 kilometres through the Lesotho mountains, two unassisted fuel stops, one assisted service point and the kind of terrain that could end a race before it’s really started. Some proper crashes, hectic downhills and fast riding through the mountains for Lenny.
James Moore started the day with confidence and pace and then, nine kilometres in, suffered a mechanical that cost him just over an hour. An hour. At the Roof of Africa. In a race where the day's times count toward the overall. He fought back to P13 overall on the day, P8 in the championship class and P4 in the junior classification. "Very hectic day for me. I had a mechanical 9kms into the day and lost just over an hour. I managed to fight back to 13th."
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Matt Green was the Plews story of day two. P4 overall and P4 in the championship class. His experience in these mountains paying dividends across every kilometre of the stage.
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Lenny Geretzky came through P16 overall, P5 in the juniors and inside the top ten in the championship class, navigating the notoriously unforgiving Lesotho terrain with the composure of a rider building his multi-day racing experience properly.
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Day Three - The Final Day
The new multi-lap format for day three, two laps of a 38km loop with an assisted service point between them, added a tactical dimension to the closing stages of the race. Times counted toward the overall, which meant the fight for final positions was not just about pace but about managing everything accumulated across three days of racing.
James Moore went out on the final day and made a statement. Starting from eleventh position, having lost an hour on day two, he set the fastest time on course by more than five minutes. Not the fastest among the juniors. The fastest overall. He crossed the line first on the road and first in time. "I started 11th and really pushed hard for the entire day. Stoked I could bounce back from an issue that I thought would end my race."
P1 on day three. P1 in the championship class for the day. P1 in the junior classification for the day. In a race he could have written off, James Moore found something that says far more about his character than a win from the front ever could.
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Matt Green's final day was defined by GPS issues that forced him to either wait for other riders to navigate by or rely on track markings and his own considerable knowledge of the terrain to reach the finish. It was a frustrating experience after two days of excellent racing, but he got there and crossed the line. That is the Roof of Africa.
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Lenny Geretzky completed his Roof of Africa race with a P14 on the final day and P5 in the junior classification across the event. His reflection on the week was one of the most heartfelt of the entire season and it had nothing to do with results. "The biggest thank you goes to the Scales family, who treated me like their own child and made everything possible for me. Without this family, I wouldn't have been able to achieve anything here. It was the coolest time of my life." That is the Roof of Africa at its best.
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Overall Results
Matt Green: P4 overall, P4 in the championship class. His most consistent multi-day performance of the season, built on genuine familiarity with the terrain and a level of experience in these mountains that very few riders can match. A result he can carry into the final two rounds of the championship with real confidence.
James Moore: P5 overall, P5 in the championship class and P1 in the Junior Championship. The mechanical on day two cost him what his pace throughout the event suggested should have been a genuine podium challenge. His day three performance proved exactly that. We most certainly believe he has proven that and can still be very proud of his performance. With the evidence of what he produced in Lesotho, the sport will be hearing a lot more from James Moore at the Roof of Africa in the years to come.
Lenny Geretzky: P5 in the Junior Championship across the event, building his multi-day experience in a race that demands navigation and mental resilience as much as technical ability.
Championship Picture
Two rounds remain in the 2026 Hard Enduro World Championship. Sea to Sky in Turkey, and the season finale at Hixpania in Spain. Mario Roman will return for both. James and Matt have championship points to build on. The second half of the season is very much alive.
Motul ACU British Motocross Championship - Round 8, Blaxhall
The final round of the 2026 Motul ACU British Motocross Championship took place at Blaxhall. Deep sand, a fast flowing track and the last chance to leave a mark on the season's results. Charlie Heyman was already champion, confirmed with a round to spare at Duns, and arrived at Blaxhall wearing the number one red plate. All riders ran the Hawkstone paddle rear paired with the Matterly front across the weekend. A combination that performed well in the demanding sand.
MX1 Class
The story of the MX1 class at Blaxhall was not just about the round, it was about a new arrival. Evgeny Bobryshev joined the SC Sporthomes team for the final weekend, racing for the first time in the British Championship in almost four years. He qualified P5 in his first session back, an immediate statement of intent from one of the most experienced riders on the start line.
Race one delivered exactly what you would hope from a rider of Bobryshev's quality. He had not been on the 450 for a couple of weeks following a finger injury, but with 15 minutes to go in the race he found a second wind and crossed the line in P3. A podium on his return. He reflected that on this kind of track you do not always feel fast, but if you get your lines right and ride efficiently rather than flat out you can make up significant time. The wisdom of experience speaking clearly. Race two ended with a DNF, leaving him P11 overall for the round, but the race one performance had already made its impression.
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Charlie Putnam had a weekend that captured the character of his entire season. Determined, consistent and always pushing despite the challenges. A crash in qualifying at Blaxhall hurt his start position, but he came back for P15 in race two and overall finished the championship in approximately P13. His best season yet from start to finish. "There was some tough competition and some fast riders this year. From the start to the finish he improved and he's happy with the result."
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Syd Putnam had another positive weekend, finishing P20 and P16 across the two races for P20 overall on the day.
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Team Manager Neil Prince's reflection on the season was warm and honest. Syd has progressed massively throughout the year, visible in the results week by week. Charlie Putnam has been consistent. And Bobryshev lit the team up on his return. "He showcases that the Husqvarna 450 is still a great bike. He lights up the team and would be a good fit for the new season." One to watch for 2027.
MX2 Class
Charlie Heyman arrived at Blaxhall as champion and raced like it. All the pressure gone, able to simply enjoy the track which, as it happens, is very similar to his everyday training environment. He was running in the top five in race one before getting his foot peg caught in another rider's wheel with four laps to go, losing ten seconds and a string of positions. He finished P13. Race two brought an injury, a shoulder problem that had been building was aggravated in a practice fall, and he was forced to DNF. The shoulder will be assessed and looked after. It is, as Neil Prince said simply, "that's life." The championship goal: winning the MX2 title, was achieved. Charlie Heyman finishes the 2026 British MX season as champion with 308 points and a 26-point margin over P2. The number one plate suits him.
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Sotirios Fotakis rounded out his season with P26 and P31 across the two races. Points scored at round 6 represent his championship contribution for 2026. P45 in the overall standings, but with a full season of learning at this level now in the bank.
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125 Class
Joel Winstanley-Dawson ran the Hawkstone paddle with a standard 100 mousse. By all accounts the tyre choice of the season, with Syd reporting he thinks he changed only two Matterly tyres all year. The setup clearly worked at Blaxhall. Joel came home P4 in race one and P5 in race two for P5 overall on the day and sealed a P2 finish in the 125 Championship standings.
Take a moment with that. Joel Winstanley-Dawson. His first year in the 125 class, second in the championship. With his best results coming at rounds 5 and 7, the rounds where it mattered most. From the big wheel 85s to a championship podium in his debut senior class season. That is a career being built properly.
Chad Prince ended his season on a high note at Blaxhall. P12 and P14 across the two races for P13 overall on the day. No crashes in either race, consistent riding and a best-of-season result on the final weekend. Neil Prince confirmed he will race 125 again next year with a target of top 10 finishes. The foundations are being laid.
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2026 MXGB Final Championship Standings
MX2: Charlie Heyman - Champion, 308 points
125: Joel Winstanley-Dawson - P2 in Championship
MX1: Charlie Putnam - P15 in Championship | Syd Putnam - P21 in Championship