STRONG START FOR TADDY AT RED BULL ROMANIACS.
POLISH HARD ENDURO STAR NOW FACES FOUR TOUGH DAYS OF RACING AT FIM HARD ENDURO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND FOUR.
And here we go again! Getting his 2021 Red Bull Romaniacs off to a strong start, our hard enduro legend Taddy Blazusiak has qualified fifth fastest on the relatively short opening time trial in Romania. Also showing that he’s up for the week-long challenge, GASGAS Factory supported Michael Walkner put in a solid time in ninth, just under one minute behind his teammate.
Taddy Blazusiak:“I’m happy with my qualifying here at Romaniacs. My start position was a little late, so I had a few slower riders in front, but I was still able to get through and finish in a good time. I did have one crash that cost me a few seconds, but I was able to pick myself up and get back on it pretty fast. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the event now. I enjoyed myself today, the bike feels good and the weather here in Romania is nice and dry this year. Conditions in the forests are dry, so you can really push and make good headway, even in the more technical sections. We’ll see what the rest of the event is like though, I think it’s going to be a tough one!”
Just weeks after contesting the all-new Abestone Hard Enduro, our full-on extreme racers Blazusiak and Walkner have arrived in Eastern Europe and have already completed the first day of racing at Red Bull Romaniacs. Designed to determine the start order for Wednesday’s offroad day one in the Carpathian Mountains, today’s time trial offered a short but technically demanding route, tough enough to provide a good warm up for what lies ahead.
Leading the GASGAS charge into the five-day event, Taddy Blazusiak made a strong start to his 2021 Romaniacs campaign by posting the fifth-fastest qualifying time. With conditions dry and plenty of traction to be had in the forests and hills, Taddy’s start position should prove advantageous for the first full day of racing, with the EC 300 rider hoping to chase down the riders ahead.
This year’s Romaniacs has been named ‘Vertical Madness Reloaded’ by the organizers, due to the sheer amount of climbing riders will face over the entire event. Just to make things even more interesting, a marathon stage has been introduced for 2021 with riders camping out overnight after day two, where they will receive no assistance from their teams – all work on their bikes has to be carried out by themselves. It’s truly looking like a rallye to separate the very best from the also-rans!
Joining Taddy in Romania and hoping to impress over the course of the grueling event, our junior supported rider Michael Walkner made an excellent start to the race qualifying ninth, ahead of many far more experienced racers. Michael will be aiming to get as close to the famous Red Bull Romaniacs podium as he can on Saturday after four incredibly tough days racing through the mountains close to Sibiu.
Results: Red Bull Romaniacs 2021 – Time Trial Qualification
1. Wade Young (Sherco) 37:42
2. Teodor Kabachiev (Husqvarna) 38:01
3. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 38:27
5. Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 38:41
9. Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 39:39
Text/Bild: GasGas