On the second weekend of the season, the riders of the DOWATEK HardEnduroSeries Germany headed to West Saxony. With significantly better weather conditions compared to the season opener, the cards were reshuffled. With a field of over 200 riders and many fans along the track, this event was once again considered a great success.
Facts, Heaven or Hell Xtreme Enduro Crimmitschau 24.04.23
Weather: 16 degress, cloudy
Prolog Award Winner: Marc Wulf (KTM)
Winner: Milan Schmüser (Sherco)
Fastest Lap: Milan Schmüser (Sherco), 23:45,483
Prolog Award goes to Marc Wulf this time
For the first time, the Prologue Award was held on the evening before the race. Despite this new addition, 188 riders participated in this first challenge of the weekend, and the series organization led by Denis Günther was very pleased with the participation. "We are happy with the response. When something new comes, you never know how it will be received. Even without a Prologue start, the riders could have started on Sunday, but we are very happy that so many of them started. Perhaps there is a possibility to repeat this at other races," said Günther.
Sporting excitement was also offered. The Prologue took place on a special test-like track, which had a certain degree of difficulty due to a rocky section. Wanja Morlinghaus initially took the lead for a long time. Only when the top 20 of the last race started, the field mixed up at the top. In the end, Marc Wulf took the lead and scored the most points at the start of the weekend.
Long distance in the group races
On Sunday morning, the two group races followed, from which 35 riders each could qualify for the final race. Some difficult passages and the long race distance provided the necessary excitement. Marc Wulf and Milan Schmüser were able to celebrate as winners.
The women's ranking also took place in Group Race 2. Here, Eva Täuber prevailed again. However, she will not be able to start in the race in Reetz in two weeks due to a scheduling conflict. Since Julia Bittner closely follows in second place, the decisions for the season are still open.
Schmüser dominates the final
The additional track sections in the final were again filled with many fans and gave the Gablenz quarry a special flair. Milan Schmüser showed top form throughout the weekend in Crimmitschau and found the heavy final to be exactly his conditions. He consistently pulled away from the competition. However, a mistake could have thrown him back to second place again. The Sherco pilot won after 98 minutes ahead of Marc Wulf and Lenny Geretzky. For Schmüser, this was his first daily victory in the series. Wulf took the lead in the overall standings ahead of Lenny Geretzky.
The class rankings remain exciting
There were also many new winners in the class rankings. Vladimir Vlk prevailed for the first time in the Seniors category, while a guest rider named Kevin Sauer was the fastest to complete the track in the Amateurs category.
In addition to the overall rankings, Schmüser also prevailed among the pro riders, resulting in a tie in points between Wulf and Schmüser.
Lenny Geretzky was able to repeat his victory from Neuhaus-Schierschnitz.
The next race for the riders will be in two weeks in Reetz. You can still register at https://www.hardenduro-germany.de/registration-4-reetzer-hardenduro-06-05-2023/. All information about this race on May 6, 2023, can be found here: https://www.hardenduro-germany.de/06-05-23-reetz/. Due to its track character, the race in Reetz is also interesting for beginners in HardEnduro.
Current information on the DOWATEK HardEnduroSeries Germany can always be found at www.hardenduro-germany.de and on social media.
Pictures Michel238pic/Michel Kuchel
