Erzberg Rodeo 2006

The BMW's dominant success last year just with a few HP2s taking all the podium will be responded with full force KTMs armada in typical KTM's strategy on every competition - strenght in numbers (kinda stupid Russian's way really )!

Who can afford to take the foreign win second time on your own country soil?

Last year's 2-cylinder powerpack:


KTM will put worlds top riders into 950 saddle:

Cyril Despres( ), Werner Müller, Giovanni Sala, David Knight etc etc etc etc

Can't wait to see the results on prolog and 2-cyl class, those names riding there are...

But let's see if they can beat the young uber-2-cyl-talent Kirssi boy

Surprise-surprise - www.erzberg.at - the Prolog results already up

Noup, not even Despres (Dakar winner, Romaniacs world toughest enduro race winner) can beat Kirssi. Müller did stunningly agressive race on 525 single, but still didn't beat the huge over 6 second lead Kirssi made.

Overall times:

1. Simo Kirssi FIN BMW HP2 8:56,68
2. Werner Müller AUT KTM 525EXC 9:01,53
3. Cyril Despres FRA KTM 950SE 9:06,53
4. Chris Pfeiffer GER BMW HP2 9:19,86
5. David Knight GB KTM 300EXC 9:22,15
6. Jimmy Lewis US BMW HP2 9:23,25

10. Tarvis Pastrana US Suzuki 250 9:40,33

13. Cyril Despres FRA KTM 250EXC 9:44,3

15. Giovanni Sala IT KTM 950SE 9:47,5

17. Chris Pfeiffer GE GasGas 250 9:50,3

20. Gerhard Forster GE BMW HP2 9:51,21

22. Jimmy Lewis US GasGas 250 9:52,63

.....

1071.-th rider

Pure job again done by the 2-cyl king Kirssi

Personally i think it's makes a perfect sense that Kirssi boy should get rally entrance with BMW HP2 team - Optic, Maroc etc rallyes where the powerful twins aren't banned and no speed restrictions are put on. I'd have high expectaions on him if it would happend after few rallyes if he get's his first longer practice on rallye-mode sand'n'gravel and navigation, if even the legendary all-mighty Despres can't come close to him on his speciality ground like the Erzberg track if it comes to ability of strict racing.

Can't wait for the pics of Erzberg tho...

OK. Me back to work.

The Kings Class

Just noticed that I've missed the first day special!

Exacly like on the previous year, when Simo was 2nd on the first day because of small mistake. Not warm?

The 2-cylinder special "Kings Class" on the first day of Erzberg:

1. David Knight GBR KTM 950SE 8:52,27
2. Simo Kirssi FIN BMW HP2 8:54,21
3. Cyril Despres FRA KTM 950SE 9:02,38
4. Giovanni Sala ITA KTM 950SE 9:08,26
5. Chris Pfeiffer GER BMW R1200GS 9:17,9
6. Jimmy Lewis US BMW HP2 9:20,13
7. Klaus Marinjak AUT Aprilia RXV450 9:39,56
8. Gerhard Forster GER BMW HP2 9:54,19
9. Peter Bachler AUT Apriline RXV550 5:55,82

Just like last year, the KTM armada won with the very little advantage (2 seconds) the 2-cyl special on the first day special. But me still don't understand why 950 KTM guys can't do much on the next day's Prolog where the 1000+ riders are on the track and the real race is in action with dust in the air. Any theories why it's exacly the same as it was on the previous year?

Prologue II-nd run

Again exacly like on the previous year - Kirssi does huge gap with anyone else. He seems to need time to get warm? Now he kicks others with almost half a minute Well he's known as a late attacker too in CC series.

Second run of Prologue for the twins:

1. Simo Kirssi FIN BMW HP2 9:05,82
2. Cyril Despres FRA KTM 950SE 9:29,86
3. David Knight GB KTM 950SE 9:32,19
4. Giovanni Sala IT KTM 950SE 9:34,72
5. Chris Pfeiffer GER BMW HP2 9:36,51
... single cyls
8. Jimmy Lewis US BMW HP2 9:42,55
... the list gets too complicated to sort in times


So Prologue overall results are:
1. Simo Kirssi BMW HP2
2. Werner Müller KTM 525EXC
3. Cyril Despres KTM 950SE
4. Chris Pfeiffer BMW HP2
5. David Knight KTM 950SE
6. Jimmy Lewis BMW HP2
7. Jeremy McGrath Honda CR250
8. Giovanni Sala KTM 950SE
9. Bartos Oblucki Husquvarna WR250
10. Ralf Dennenmose Beta RR 525
11. Travis Pastrana Suzuki 250

etc etc super known names in the first 50 and then unknown till the 1074th rider.

Erzberg Rodeo 2006 PICS

Some picasas from the event i found:



The Kings Class 2-cylinder special - gladiators coming, Gio Sala and 2 times Stunting world champion Chris Pfeiffer




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




Simo goes racing.




Currently the World's best sunt-meister Pfeiffer goes racing the HP2, of course there's some serious riding ability proved for the public everywhere he rides. Note he's using the new neck protection BMW and KTM are doing in collaboration.




Lewis on track, suspension on max stress in the rallye-style taken curves.




Kirssi boy on his uber-fast curve taking style




The after event everybody knows who's gonna showoff...




The Ore mountain on background, check the Pfeiffer's rear tire



He must have been doing it for ages, it's raining already...



US jump-stunt boys in action.