First Stage, first Victory for Cyril Despres
Day 1: Prologue, Bukarest - Sinaia
3. Red Bull Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye, 13.-19. August 2006
This year's Red Bull Romaniacs hard Enduro rallye kicked off in the city centre of the Romanian capital Bucharest, on a spacious area where former Dictator Ceausescu planned to have an opera built. Ten hectares of foundations were the perfect stage for the 85 participants in the 3rd Red Bull Romaniacs rallye. Two times Romaniacs winner Cyril Despres from France was the man of the prologue. With his unique performance the Frenchman made the audience sweat. With 35 Celsius in the shade one does not need race clothes to get dripping wet.
It took the organizers almost a month to clean the prologue area and build a location which combines natural ground with artificial obstacles like dirt jumps, kickers, tyre-section and step ups. Adding their personal touch the riders in Quad/ATV, hobby and experts class had 15 minutes for their show. The chicken line (easy line) was not really paid attention to because everybody wanted to optimise his and her time for the starting line in the following leg to Sinaia and, moreover, wanted to prove worth being called a Romaniac. Thousands of spectators watching the spectacle were happy for the entertainment show in the very heart of the 2.5 million city of Bucharest.
In the pro class not only one Frenchman presented his spectacular riding skills along the sections between the foundations and along the embankments, but another one attracted people's attention - Michel Gou. Two times winner and countryman Cyril Despres has already mentioned Gou's professionalism the day before. Third in the starting line for the leg to Sinaia was the South African Darryl Curtis, 3rd place finisher of the rallye in 2005. In 1 minute cycles the first stage was started according to the positions of the prologue in Coada Izvorului, some 65km from Bucharest.
After his first place in the prologue, Cyril Despres was the first to start into the second part of today's race. In his well considered manner, the Frenchman had to fight some smaller problems but passed the finish line ahead of all the other riders: "Just as expected the track is demanding, but the landscape is really great. As I have known the organizer Martin Freinademetz for quite a while now I know that the race is going to be hard. If I think about my hands, which hurt after only three hours of riding, my prophecy is going to prove right! Additionally I have had some problems with my GPS, however, I found the way in time". As the winner of the first leg it's easy to joke, but the red spots on the palms prove right.Immediately after serial winner Despres his Italian challenger Giovanni Sala made it into second place. The five times Enduwo World Champions thinks to be in disadvantage because this is his first participation in the Red Bull Romaniacs, but the second place after the frist day is quite promising.
A twelve kilometer ride along farm tracks opened the offroad part, followed by a rapid ride through desiccated riverbeds towards the foothills of the mountains of the Prahova valley. From there, the course lead through forests and dirt sections until it reached the first stop, Sinaia. Not all of the participants had an easy day like today's winner on the pro track. Not just one motorbike was found ownerless on the track; some riders' fuel gauge was dangerously blinking. For some of the riders the race day ended not before midnight. Standings after Day 1
3. Riian van Niekerk (RSA)
1. Moto Verde I - Romeo Dunca/Francois Vouillet (ROM/FRA)
2. Motothek KTM - Lisi Mucha/Thomas Flbl (AUT)
3. Team Gotech - Patrick Boissy/Aron Gorog (ROM)
1. Enduromania - Ulrich Denzer/Michael Holtz (GER)
2. Enduromania Schweiz - Roger Walker/Beat Haldimann (SUI)
3. Condor Team - Misu Ioanitescu/Nedecu Laurentiu/Sorin Cristea (ROM)