ERZBERG Rodeo... WTF won?

[LiveInTheOutdoors]

:shock:  :shock:  :shock:

SO Mishmis tells me that Simo Kirso (an awesome rider on a HP2) won the Erzberg.

I wasnt too surprised as he is really good.

Now, I go onto this site, and they tell me KTM won.

Who the freken heck won?

Thanks


http://www.erzberg.at/__C1256EFC003F...klasse2006.pdf

[LiveInTheOutdoors]

Heres something...

1st day (Thursday) was the 2 cylinder  "Koenigklasse/King Class" race. David Knight won on the 950 SE by just a couple of seconds over Simo Kirssi on a HP2.

2nd and 3rd days (Friday and Saturday) are the qualifications for Sunday's big race. Top 500 make it to Sunday's race. Simo leading qualification after 1st run on Friday. David Knight and a few of the KTM riders riding 250s and 300s instead of 950 to qualify for Sunday. I couldn't imagine riding at SE or HP2 on Sunday....

Results here: http://www.erzberg.at

Cool race, wish there where one here is the US like it (open for all to try and qualify).

[shark_za]

Knight won again, they dont ride the big bikes after the two qualifying stages.
Thats all they do well, race the dirt road up the mountain fast.
Then the boys swap to offroad bikes and ride the enduro event.

Knight was riding a KTM 300 ECX 2-stroke.
He won last year aswell.

Lourens Mahoney came 14th this year on a 250 EXC 2-stroke.
He placed high last year too.

39 people finished out of over 1500 starting.

Travis Pastrana finished this year in 11th! Well done to the freestyle guys.
Also see Jeremy Mcgrath there in 29th, with Baja dude Jimmy Lewis trading in his HP2 he used on the time trails for a Gas Gas 250 to finish 27th!

Simo Krissi made checkpoint 3 on the HP2 and Sala got to checkpoint 9 on the 950 Super.
15 check points to the end.

Top riders, lets go to Lourens.
1 DAVID KNIGHT GBR 1KTM 300 EXC
2 ANDREAS LETTENBICHLER AUT 48GAS GAS EC 250
3 CYRIL DESPRES FRA 2KTM 250 EXC
4 GRAHAM JARVIS GB 545SHERCO 450
5 BARTOSZ OBLUCKI PL 24HUSQVAR WR250
6 CHRIS PFEIFFER GER 118GAS GAS 250
7 EYRIES GRÃ??GORY FRA 743YAMAHA WRF 250
8 GERHARD FORSTER GER 466BETA 450 RR
9 RALF DENNENMOSER GER 8BETA RR 525
10 WERNER MÃ??LLER AUT 22KTM 525 EXC
11 TRAVIS PASTRANA USA 7SUZUKI 250
12 ERICH BRANDAUER AUT 23HUSABER FE 550
13 CARL BJERKERT SWE 74KTM 300
14 LOUWRENMAHONY RSA 6KTM 250 EXC

[>Herman<]

I watched the DVD of last year's event. Those guys CAN ride!!!

[LiveInTheOutdoors]

Heres another post from another site:


On the website from Erzberg it says that Sala and Despres did the Hare Scramble on a 950SE  and Kirssi did it on the HP2
If one of these riders can make it to the finish....they are the Hero's


Now kick that!!!!!!!!!!!! Check out the pics to kaka yourself.

A friend ofa  friend came 55th on a standard Africa Twin!!!!!!!




Check this rock out. This guy on a standard 950 made it in top 20 I believe




This is a wee extract of the top 20:

1 DAVID KNIGHT GBR 80 KTM 950 Super
2 SIMO KIRSSI GER 2 BMW HP2
3 CYRIL DESPRES FRA 1 KTM 950 Super
4 GIOVANNI SALA ITA 3 KTM 950 Super
5 CHRIS PFEIFFER GER 4 BMW GS 1200
6 JIMMY LEWIS GER 6 BMW HP2
7 KLAUS MARTINJAK AUT 10 APRILIA RXV 450
8 GERHARD FORSTER GER 12 BMW HP2
9 PETER BACHLER AUT 108 APRILIA RXV550
10 RYAN DUDEK USA 75 KTM 950 Super
11 JONTY EDMUNDS GBR 42 KTM 950 Super
12 JOE LECHNER AUT 8 BMW HP 2
13 KRIS ROSENBERGER AUT 5 KTM 950 Super
14 GABOR GRILLMAYER HUN 46 KTM 950 Super
15 ANDREAS ROTHBALLER GER 18 BMW HP2
16 YANN GUEDARD FRA 43 KTM 950 Super
17 CRISTIAN STOTZ AUT 83 KTM 950 Super
18 ALEXANDER SCHMÃ??LZ AUT 22 KTM LC 8 950
19 JÃ??RG WALCH-JEUNIK AUT 102 APRILIA 450
20 CHRISTIAN WINDHAGER AUT 79 KTM 950 Super


[/img]

[shark_za]

Dont get confused with the results. There is a prologue and then the enduro.

Anyway, what sort of competition is a 10 minute sprint.

Thats the time trial prologue results, the actual enduro/hare scamble only had 39 finishers, and definately none of those were big 950 or HP2's
Despres was on a KTM 250 2-stroke in the race. I dont think the 950 would get over the rocks and obstacles, you must see what they ride through. In stages you almost have to push and carry the big bike over rocks.
All the prologue does is determine the starting order for the main race and there the big bikes with big HP put in quick times.

All under 10 minutes, not quite the enduro so anyone finishing top 50 in the times can have a chance at the main race.

Some of the dudes used Honda Transalps and AT's to qualify, but the qualifying is totally different to the race.

Last year SA's Jade Gutzeit (leading the 200cc class in SA this year) crashed and broke his knee and Travis Pastrana has technical issues while lying 2nd.  Other SA factory KTM boy van niekerk came 4th I think and Daryl was also top 10.
This we had 3 in the top 13 riders.

All finishers were heros, damn what a test. But if Despres used a 950 in the main race and not a 250 as listed in the official results, damn thats intense.

[LiveInTheOutdoors]

I tell you what kind of race that is. INTENSELY DIFFICULT!

I saw the rocks and cant believe someone would tackle it with any heavy bike. Its ridiculous

I aint confused, I have a good idea now whats going on. Kings class, (over two days) and then the mission de la creme the third.

Saw the DVD, extraordinary.

Makes me drool............

Well, its nice to see the new bikes kicking ass and having fun.

Huge Respect to rider on the AT type bike and doing well.

Amazing

[shark_za]

No this year they had this keonigsklass on the thursday, sort of curtain raiser, lots of media etc.
Then friday and saturday was the prologue to the main race.
Then sunday the race.

On thursday to saturday they dont ride over rocks. They race up the dirt road of the mine.
Only on Sunday do they ride offroad. To bring Michnus topic into this one.

[tsiklonaut]

Such a shame, Simo did a braking error on firs't day 2-cylinder Kings Class special and bad enough to lose vital seconds, he was technically the fastest rider no doubt. He a did bloody fast attack again after the mistake to colse counter and finished just 2 seconds behind.

Exacly like last year when he had a fall, and also was forced to finish second.

That's a sad side of sports - unluck that strikes. Altough i'm sure the BMW is very proud of second place too, but i'm guessing Simo's personally probably is not.

Simo's known as a late attacker also on Cross Country race series, he needs time to get warm.

But indeed, he got what he deserved on two prologues, when he was finally "warm" handed. No 950 Super Enduro or what ever came close to the current uber-boss of 2-cyl offroad riding arts: he win the first and on the 2nd prolodue he was almost half a minute faster then the second comer, that's a complete age of time in terms of the tight competition like that   and it was not just those few 2-cylinders, there were more than 1000 bikes on the same track, it was a real competition. Top talent!!!

Few pics:


HP2 boys


Sala and Pfeiffer

 
 
 

Pfeiffer in action

 
 
 

Simo Kirssi

 
 

 
 
 


 Kirssi boy in action on 2nd run of Prologue where he kicked everybodys arse 2nd time even more badly (as a personal revenge of his Kings Class mistake?) - as you can see his curve taking style with the full 115 Newtonmetres of torque fully in use
 
 


 
 
 

Kirssi boy after the two wins. He's one of the youngest racers on the track btw.
 
 
 
 

The �¼ber-superstars from left to right: Cyril Despres, Jimmy Lewis, Giovanni Sala, dunno some local KTM superstar Austrian, Cristian Pfeiffer and of course flying finn Simo Kirssi.
 
 
 
 

Simo goes racing
 
 
 
 
 
Two times World Stunt champion Pfeiffer does some driving ability proving to public. He's using the neck protection produced in collaboration between BMW and KTM btw.
 
 
 

2-cyl Dakar podium talent Jimmy Lewis rallye-style curve taking - suspension to maximum.
 
 
 
 
Pfeiffer did some action later

 
 
 

Check his rear tire  
 
 
 
 
US jump-stunters at the showoff show

[LiveInTheOutdoors]

Tsiklonaut

Great pictures

I have to admit that you are so BM mad, you should go work at their HQ, writing blurb or sales pitches. You are really good!        


To say that Simo needs a warmup, ho hum. Whatever.

What counts is that they had a good race, really fantastic actually, and that everyone won at the end of the day. Thats not DrPhilOprahmcGraw on your shoulder, its just blind respect for everyone who takes part.

We all know Simo is an amazing talent, absolutely amazing. But he's not the only one.

Big Ups to everyone, and all bikes and geez what a spectacle.

Do we have something similar here boys? Imagine: plaasbikes and DD's bike and Ta's and GS's and Ktm's and whatever else on a mine or quarry of note like that, racing. WHOOOHOOO!

[Kev]

I agree with what you say there LITO!    BMW should hire Tsiklonaut like yesterday! The man is a fan!!  
 
Yip, anyone able to finish that madness is a hero. The Erzberg has cult status now, and it is brilliant that I can go enter the Prolog on a monkey bike if I so desire!  

Curious, did any HP2's attempt the Hare Scramble (the proper race on Sunday)? Sala ran out of petrol at checkpoint 10. Then he had enough! I don't blame him.
 
In the final results, not a single 2 cyclinder bike did finish the Hare. If anything, I would have thought the new Aprillias would be able to do it.

[tsiklonaut]

Tsiklonaut

Great pictures

I have to admit that you are so BM mad, you should go work at their HQ, writing blurb or sales pitches. You are really good!        


To say that Simo needs a warmup, ho hum. Whatever.

What counts is that they had a good race, really fantastic actually, and that everyone won at the end of the day. Thats not DrPhilOprahmcGraw on your shoulder, its just blind respect for everyone who takes part.

We all know Simo is an amazing talent, absolutely amazing. But he's not the only one.

Big Ups to everyone, and all bikes and geez what a spectacle.

Do we have something similar here boys? Imagine: plaasbikes and DD's bike and Ta's and GS's and Ktm's and whatever else on a mine or quarry of note like that, racing. WHOOOHOOO!

Agreed LITO.

I'm a big fan of Simo acctually, been following his progress since 2004, so i know lot about him. Very interesting fellow, and really, on CC series he "wakes up" on the second part of the race, he really is a late attacker.

He rose as a phenix from ash winning the CC on Kawasaki team on his first season entrance. Unusualy young boy for success like this.


As most of have noticed really i do love BMWs, so kinda interesting mix between those two for me. So don't take it that seriously, i'm known as a fanatical person afterall on various fields :roll:

First i heard the Despres will be back to Erzberg i was sure he will rule there. He really is the mighty man himself with Dakar and Romaniacs under his belt - the hardest offroad events on the planet Earth. But really, i'm again amazed how well the "newbie" Kirssi did compared with a lot more experienced riders on the track.

Simo has his web too btw: www.simo-kirssi.de

No doubt the World's top talents were there!!! But... Where was Alfie Cox? He did very well on previous years.

[Kev]

Fantastic photo this:
 

[LiveInTheOutdoors]

Tsiklonaut..........      really cool  of you to admit something when you are called on it. I like it. Respect bro.

Yes, young Kirssi is just amazing. Good for him. But I have to agree with you on Despres. Now that man is phenomenal to me too. A league above leagues. Thats why I like that shot of all the greats in it. Worlds best riders (some of them), together. Phenomenal.

Cox - true that! The first year he entered, he won Erzberg. Probably because he has had so much practice up Lesotho etc.

Cheers bud. Ride with you anytime

[shark_za]

Despres is probably the best rider in the world at the moment, yeah.
But I respect old man (42) Sala and have to support local boys first.

2005 Romaniacs podium.



Riaan Van Niekerk , Cyril Despres and Daryl Curtis.

[tsiklonaut]

Yep, Despres is definately a "flesh-eater"  

When the 2-cyl bans and speed/power limits will be taken off on rallyes again? He started his career with the BMW till the bans got on so he moved to KTM singles that offered the best as they do now with Repsol and Galouses.

But back then there were a proper bikes ridden by proper men


Jimmy Lewis, Nani Roma, Cyril Despres, John Deacon.

[LuckyStriker]

...But back then there were a proper bikes ridden by proper men




... John Deacon.

That pic brings tears to my eyes


John Deacon? wasn't he the bassist/songwriter for Queen?

[>Herman<]

BM Model?? 900 Dakar??

[LiveInTheOutdoors]

Well thank goodness Tsiklo is not sickenly brand blind.


         


Tisklo do you not care about the ride either?

Whats a real man then?