Veni, vidi, vici – Giovanni Sala shows his strength
Day 2: Sinaia - Sibiu
3. Red Bull Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye, 13.-19. August 2006


At 07.00 o’clock the second leg for hobby, experts and pro class (no quad/ATV race today) started at bad weather conditions – rain and thunderstorm – on time. Despite all historical expectations the clouds were gone right at the time when the riders entered Bran, the village in which Dracula has his castle built. Until then the riders already had single trails, river sections and river crossings in their arms and feet.




A hellish uphill face to face with the vampire’s harbourage was waiting for its conquerors from the pro class: extreme uphills on loose ground, root hairs and stones big like hands on a winding track. The first to be at this crucial point was last year’s winner Cyril Despres. The Frenchman took his time to refill his water backpack and to refix his GPS, for which he was looking for more than ten minutes. After some track information from organizer and track scout Martin Freinademetz Despres made his way up the hill – not without crash and the help of the supporters. Shortly after countryman Michel Gau made it to this point on the leg, tried another way and vanished similar to Despres. Veni, vidi, vici – might have been the motto of Giovanni Sala, placed third at htis time of the day: With the experience and the eyes of a five times Enduro World Champion the Italian chose the direct way up this hill, did not have to fight with windings and broken stones. Without a crash the 42-year old managed the this part of the track.




The South African gang – in 2006 represented by Darryl Curtis and Riaan van Niekerk – followed soon after; had a few more problems than the others before. With the help of each other and the support of the audience enabled the Erzberg conqueror to continue their race.




The so-called chicken line rounding the uphill section was passed by team Enduromania II – Michael Holtz/Ulrich Denzer (GER) on the track for all other classes. Until the finish line the hobby team was able to stay on top of its class and with this new victory they were able to enlarge their lead in the general result.




At the second tank stopp on the foothills of the Fagaras Mountains the Italian Sala has taken over the lead on the pro track; Michel Gou still behind him and Alex Antor (AND) on the third position. Cyril Despres had to give up the race due to heavy pains in his injured arm and there was no way of continuing the race: “My arm and shoulder had made problems the day before, today it was getting worse every minute and that’s the way it would continue.”




The planned finifh line for pro and experts in Sibiu was replaced to the finish of the hobby class in Scoreiu. “Heavy rainfalls in the days before the rallye made the track more challenging and slowly. We did not want to leave the riders on track until midnight, so we had to shorten today’s track”, organizer Martin Freinademetz explains this decision.




Until the finish line Giovanni Sala’s winning margin has grown up to 18 minutes ahead of his follower Michel Gau. The South African van Niekerk was even 51 minutes behind the Italian, who has taken the lead after this second leg: “The rainy start made me think of a hard leg and I am a little tired, but happy to be here. The weather changed and everything is going quite well! However, Cyril had problems with his arm. I think he has surrendered because he has given me his GPS.”


In the experts class the Romanian winner team from 2005, Emanuel Gyenes/Laszlo Olah, won the leg. The French-Romanian Team Moto Verde with Romeo Dunca and Francois Vuillet were able to extend their lead in the overall standings.




Standings after Day 2

Pro

1. Giovanni Sala (ITA)
2. Michel Gau (FRA)
3. Darryl Curtis (RSA)