Mamaloukos upbeat ahead of opener
Kabelo Boranabi | Friday May 26, 2023 14:49
Mamaloukos is the 2022 BMS Best Rider and will start his championship defence in the 2 Rivers Off-Road Race. The race is to be held in Metsimotlhabe and is the first round of the 2023 BMS National Championship.
Mamaloukos had dominated the 2022 season and will try his mettle against the ‘big boys’ as he moved from the OR2 class to the elite OR1 (450cc engine motorbike).
This season of the BMS championship started later than the usual February/March kick-off period as the BMS was going through a transitional period. During the break, Mamaloukos warmed up his engine in South Africa.
The biker has made two appearances at the Gauteng Xcross Country Club (GXCC) championship. Mamaloukos finished seventh in his first showing while in his second, he finished 16th.
The ‘Flying Sensation’ had crashed through his second outing and lost a significant amount of time to finish outside the top 10. Ahead of tomorrow’s season opener, Mamaloukos is content about his preparations as he eyes to retain his title. “My preparations for the 2023 have been going well. I have been getting some time on the bike and I have done a few races in South Africa.
The only difference from last year is that this year I will be racing OR1 (450cc bike). I am with the big boys now. So it is definitely something new. I am still learning; it is a learning curve for me but I am definitely enjoying every moment of it,” he said. The 19-year-old further said moving to an elite class reduces his chances of a national title defence. He is, however, enjoying the pressure as he said it all goes down to preparations. “Coming from last year, winning the championship, obviously that comes with its own pressure.
However, I am doing my best just to be prepared. I believe that if you are more prepared, the pressure is less on your shoulders because you are more confident that you have everything in check. So I just need to make sure I tick all the boxes and hopefully we will have a good one. I am just going to go out there and do my best. This weekend we have the 2 Rivers and I will be racing on a 450cc. I am looking forward to it and I have been training, so I need to give it my best, have fun and see how it goes,” Mamaloukos said.
The 2 Rivers Off-Road Race is a warm up ahead of the flagship 1000km Toyota Desert Race that is to be held in late June. A star-studded line-up is expected for tomorrow’s race as the country’s elite riders dust off and return to the terrain for the first time this year. Despite a late start, the BMS has promised to have a fully-fledged national championship season.