The second race weekend of the DOWATEK HardEnduroSeries Germany in Crimmitschau is behind us. Once again, with "HESG weather" featuring bright sunshine and temperatures above 20 degrees, all participants and fans had a great time.
The HET Reinsdorf, led by Toni Pampel, spared no effort and once again put on a top-class event. Together with the Saxon Offroad Cup, there were two action-packed race days that demanded everything from the organizers and the riders.
There was much praise from the riders for the track this time. It was very challenging, but according to everyone's opinion, it was significantly better marked compared to previous years. Thus, nothing stood in the way of a perfect race weekend.
Facts, Heaven or Hell Xtreme Enduro Crimmitschau 28.04.2024
Weather: 23 degrees, cloudy
ACE Bikes Prolog Award Winner: Henry Strauss (KTM)
Winner: Sonny Goggia (KTM)
Fastest Lap: Sonny Goggia (KTM), 22:05,597
The first decision was made already on Saturday evening
As usual, the ACE Bikes Prolog Award took place in Crimmitschau on Saturday evening. Over 170 participants were already at the start for this first decision. The prologue, in the form of an enduro test, which also included the rocky terrain, was however rather quickly set up. Thus, everyone could start the race weekend well.
Henry Strauss, one of the youngest riders, was found at the top. The ACE Bikes Talent Pool rider completed the course in 05:34.844 minutes, making him 3 seconds faster than Sonny Goggia. Goggia crashed just before the finish line, losing valuable seconds as a result.
Henry Strauss
Group races - Extreme enduro for everyone
The group races were already a real challenge for everyone, with temperatures over 20 degrees and the long duration. Even in the group races, HET Reinsdorf had integrated some difficult sections, allowing the hard enduro specialists to prepare for the even tougher final. However, at the top, the usual picture emerged. The victories went to Sonny Goggia and Felix Bähker.
Both were very pleased with the track after these initial long races and looked forward to the final.
Linus Albert could also look forward to it. He delivered a brilliant performance with the 85cc machine and managed to make it to the big decision of the day for the second time after Reetz in 2023.
Great challenge for Charlie Frost
The challenge was, however, the greatest for the BETA rider Charlie Frost this weekend. He had committed a rule violation on Saturday before the event and was consequently relegated to the back of the field. However, in the final, he displayed a courageous performance and managed to advance from last place to fourth. Starting six minutes after the first rider, he battled through all the traffic jams and secured important points for the championship.
Second victory for Sonny Goggia
The finale started emotionally charged at 3:15 PM over a distance of 1 hour and 20 minutes plus 1 lap. Everyone knew it would be a tough job, as many sections had never been ridden before, and no one knew how it would develop. Consequently, some sections had to be removed from the track during the race.
Felix Bähker had a stroke of bad luck in the first lap; he injured his hand again, which he had broken last autumn, and had to end the race prematurely.
Felix Bähker
Unfazed by this, Sonny Goggia took the lead from the start. Initially, Leon Hentschel was able to keep up with him well. However, as the race progressed, the gap widened, and Goggia pulled away. He even managed this without drinking, as his hydration pack burst at the beginning. Since he crossed the finish line again 4 minutes before the end of the race duration of 1 hour and 20 minutes, two more laps had to be completed. In the end, he had a lead of 6 minutes over Leon Hentschel.
In the finish, he had words of praise for the track: "At the beginning, I made some mistakes because the track wasn't easy. It was really tough, but when I pushed a little harder, I was able to pull away and win again. It was also good training for the first World Championship races."
Hentschel was also satisfied with his race. He always stayed in second place and had a larger gap to his pursuers, which now also brought him to second place in the standings: "The track was really fun. After being sick for the last 2 weeks, I'm super happy with my performance."
Leon Hentschel
Lenny Geretzky secured his first podium finish of the season. After struggling in Reetz, he found the Crimmitschau track much more to his liking. His quote at the finish line: "It was a really beautiful hard enduro track, and it was really a lot of fun." Geretzky thus also clinched the first daily victory of the season in the junior category. The other class victories went to Goggia (PRO), Franke (Women), Pieper (Seniors), and Frühauf (Amateurs).
The series organization also drew a decidedly positive conclusion. Series manager Denis Günther said: "The collaboration with HET Reinsdorf worked perfectly this year. The dam sections from previous years were also perfectly adjusted, resulting in a truly spectacular race weekend. Additionally, we have once again reached a new level of support from both drivers and fans, which makes us eager for more."
The next race of the season will take place on May 25th in Hamma, Thuringia. Online registration starts tomorrow, Tuesday, April 30th, 2024, at 12:00 PM.
For the latest information on the DOWATEK HardEnduroSeries Germany, visit www.hardenduro-germany.de and follow us on social media.
Pictures: Michel238pic/Michel Kuchel
Sonny Goggia