South African motorcycle star Alfie Cox, racing for the Red Bull Natro Freight Nashua KTM Team, made a stunning start to the 4,375km Australian Safari international cross country rally through rural New South Wales by winning the Prologue. Earlier in the week a media release by the organizers read: ”Octagon is delighted to advise that South African factory KTM rider Alfie Cox will be competing in the Australian Safari. Alfie has a long and successful career in cross-country rallying including the Paris-Dakar and will no doubt be at the pointy end of the field.” –
– The location for the 2002 Australian Safari Prologue was at the Bathurst Showground on the Great Western Highway, right on the verge of the City of Bathurst. The Panorama Motorcycle Club was responsible for setting up the Prologue course, which formed the first stage of the event on Sunday morning, which will ensure there is plenty of activity in and around Bathurst. –
– Cox, runner-up in this year’s Paris-Dakar rally, emerged fastest among the 37 riders in the Motorcycle Division by covering the 2km Prologue course in a time of 1-min 49-secs on a Red Bull KTM 660 Rallye. –
– “I stayed in the middle of the course and made sure I was braking early to keep a smooth corner speed,” said Cox. “It can be good to start first because you don’t have the dust, but at the same time you are making tracks for the others to follow and stay close to you.” –
– Northern Territory’s Stephen Greenfield, riding a Honda XR650, was second fastest in the Prologue with 1-min 51-secs, followed by another former Safari winner, Andy Haydon, of Adelaide, with 1-min 52-secs on a KTM. The 2001 and 2001 champion Andy Caldecott was sixth fastest on another KTM. –
– “The grass was slippery because I was first out on the course, and I messed up a couple of corners,” said Caldecott. –
– The 38-year-old racer from Cato Ridge in KwaZulu-Natal earned the right to start from the front position in the first long stage on Sunday 25 August over a distance of 421km from Bathurst to Condobolin. –
– Cox will focus on international events over the next 3 months building up to the 2003 Paris Dakar race.