"With a lot of motivation from the previous year, the MSC Gefrees-Fichtelgebirge had already plunged into preparations for this year shortly after the 2022 Granit Scramble. The second edition was meant to surpass everything once again, as there was something to celebrate within the Gefrees club as well. The club was celebrating its 70th anniversary in Franconia, which was duly celebrated not only on the track but also beyond. For the anniversary, there were two series to admire in Gefrees. Once again, the HESG delivered the main act, but the third round of the Hardenduro European Challenge was also integrated into the program. This addition further elevated the event. Both the series organizer, Michele Bosi from the European Series, and the DOWATEK HardenduroSeries Germany praised the excellent organization of the MSC Gefrees."
Facts, Granit Scramble 05.08.2023
Weather: 18 degrees , cloudy
Prolog Award Winner: Fynn Hannemann (BETA)
Winner: Wade Young (Sherco)
Fastest Lap: Wade Young (Sherco), 29:58,400
"Now let's turn to the sporting part, which once again had a lot to offer. 161 competitors had traveled to Gefrees, including some international stars like Sherco Factory Pilot Wade Young. Unfortunately, there were also a few cancellations due to the Red Bull Romaniacs, where some riders had sustained a few injuries.
Possibly, some had already anticipated that it wouldn't be immediately feasible to tackle the demanding track in Gefrees right after the Romaniacs. Christoph Greiner from the Gefrees club, along with his team, had significantly intensified the track compared to the previous year. New sections resulted in longer lap times and considerably more effort for the riders. Fortunately, the weather played along. After repeated heavy rainfall in the week before the race in Franconia, it remained completely dry from Friday morning onward, providing perfect race conditions without dust or mud."
Hannemann impresses the international competition at the Prologue Award
Fynn Hannemann
"Fynn Hannemann opened the Prologue as the first rider. Once again, it was designed to be highly challenging, featuring several difficult uphill sections and rocky stretches. It was certainly an ideal warm-up for the race.
However, no one could match the time set by the rider from the Offroadshop Kölbach team. Being the first starter, he set the bar very high for the others. After Reisersberg, the youngster secured his second Prologue Award victory.
Wade Young also couldn't manage to surpass him, initially placing fourth. Nevertheless, he secured a spot in the first row of the starting grid, as the race was set to have 4 riders starting per minute."
Wade makes short work of the Granit Scramble
Wade Young
"The key details for the Granit Scramble had remained unchanged compared to the previous year. Once again, 5 laps in 4 hours were planned for the participants. While participation was the focus for the hobby riders, the top competitors clearly aimed to reach the finish line.
Wade Young made it clear from the beginning that vict ory would only be decided by him. He quickly pulled ahead of the field and had a lead of around 5 minutes over Fynn Hannemann, Marc Wulf, and Lenny Geretzky, who started with him, after just half a lap.
Fynn Hannemann once again showcased his strength, similar to the Prologue. He held onto second place for the first two and a half laps and commented, "It felt good to be at the front of the German field. Unfortunately, my strength and luck let me down a bit later, allowing Marc Wulf and Michele Bosi to pass me. Still, I'm very satisfied with my performance today."
It became clear early on that Wade Young would be the first to cross the finish line. Despite facing difficulties in some uphill sections, he conquered all obstacles and praised his fellow riders: "I want to give a big shoutout to all the riders who made room fairly. I really enjoyed the race; the club built a fantastic track."
The South African completed the race distance in just 2 hours and 25 minutes. Michele Bosi, the second-place finisher, needed almost 45 minutes more, crossing the finish line after 3 hours and 14 minutes. Marc Wulf, who narrowly clinched third place, represented the German contingent admirably. With this third place, Wulf also secured full points for the HESG series standings, expanding his lead over Lenny Geretzky to at least 4 points.
Marc Wulf
Felix Bähker didn't have a perfectly smooth day. The effects of the Romaniacs were still noticeable, resulting in him finishing only in eighth place. Nevertheless, he retained his third place in the overall standings, although he lost some ground to the top two.
Out of the 161 riders, only 10 managed to complete the designated 5 laps within the set time."
Andreas Pieper, first-time class winner in the Senior category
"The class rankings continue to offer excitement. Apart from the Pro class, where Marc Wulf secured the victory, and the Juniors, where Lenny Geretzky triumphed, there were no finishers in the other categories. However, thanks to the implemented checkpoint system, rankings were ensured even down to the last position.
Andreas Pieper clinched his first class win in the Seniors category, allowing him to further extend his lead. Reini Rauch follows at a respectful distance but remains competitive. Peter Fakler still has a chance at the amateur championship, even though he couldn't participate in all the races so far. Where he did compete, he mostly scored full points, including in Gefrees. This elevated him to the third place overall, behind Max Rutz and Lukas Debus.
The ladies faced a tough challenge in Gefrees. Like everyone else, they had to struggle through the rocks and ascents. Eva Täuber completed a full lap, securing the women's victory ahead of Julia Bittner and Katrin Hodapp.
Series organizer Denis Günther praised the club for their excellent work: 'We'd like to thank the MSC Gefrees once again for their tremendous efforts. Lessons were learned from previous years' mistakes, resulting in a top-notch event for everyone. We hope to host another race in Gefrees next year, as it will undoubtedly be another true hard enduro, just like this year.'
The HESG will now take another short break. The action resumes on September 24th in Meltewitz, where, like in Gefrees this year, the checkpoint system will be in place.
Current information about the DOWATEK HardEnduroSeries Germany can always be found at www.hardenduro-germany.de and on social media."
Photos: Michel238pic/Michel Kuchel, Ina Klemer
