The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Taddy Blazusiak from Poland demonstrated his massive SuperEnduro skills and clinched a victory at the Prolog of Red Bull Romaniacs Sweet 16 Edition. He maintained a clear lead throughout all of the 8 laps. His teammate Jonny Walker (GBR) came in second followed by Spain’s Pol Tarrés on his Husqvarna. More than 15,000 spectators came to the city centre of Sibiu (Romania) to watch riders from 50 nations battle for the first podiums at “The World’s Toughest Hard Enduro Rally”.
| Riders Quotes – Podium – Gold Class |
| 1. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL): “I had a great start – Billy Bolt was to the side of me and riding aggressive, but I thought to myself I’m not having any of it. I got my head down and charged a few laps, but then I made a little mistake. Luckily I had a good gap to the guys behind so was able to stay in front. From then on I rode defensive lines and just took it steady. It feels great to get the win, although it doesn’t mean that much in terms of the whole event, however it’s still a good feeling to win here in front of the crowds.” 2. Jonny Walker (KTM – GB): “I had a bit of a nightmare in the qualifying – it went ok but it just wasn’t fast enough for the front row, so that was a bit of a disadvantage at the start of the final. I’m happy with second – I could see Taddy but just couldn’t gain on him. My momentum is building gradually as this season goes on, it’s slow, but I’m feeling confident going into this one. We’ve made a few changes to the bike over the break and I’m positive we can turn things around here in Romania.” 3. Pol Tarrés (Husqvarna – ESP): “This morning I had a super good feeling with the track and the bike and I knew I would be able to push in the final. In the end it all went well. I had a good battle with Jonny throughout the race, but eventually he got second and I got third. But I’m super happy to be on the podium here at Red Bull Romaniacs – it’s one of the toughest races in the world. The result means I have to start first tomorrow, but my plan is to push as hard as I can and hopefully stay with Jonny and Taddy if they come past me.” |
| Top 10 Results – Gold Class |
| Taddy Blazusiak (POL, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing): 8 laps – 10 minutes 48 seconds 227 millisecondsJonny Walker (GBR, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing): 8 laps – 11m 0s 227msPol Tarrés (ESP, TTR Officine Rigamonti Husqvarna): 8 laps – 11m 2s 477msAlfredo Gomez Cantero (ESP, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing): 8 laps – 11m 13s 973msBilly Bolt (GBR, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing): 8 laps – 11m 18s 227msManuel Lettenbichler (DEU, Flatschingfast Factory Team): 8 laps – 11m 18s 977msGraham Jarvis (GBR Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing): 8 laps – 11m 22s 477ms8. Wade Young (ZAF, Sherco Factory Racing Team): 8 laps – 11m 23s 727msMario Roman (ESP, Sherco Factory Racing Team): 8 laps – 11m 55s 727msDavid Cyprian (CZ, JD Gunnex KTM): 7 laps – 10m 46s 973ms |
| Top 3 Results Silver and Bronze Class |
| Top 3 Results – Silver Class 1. Dustin McCarthy (USA, Chocolate Mountain Ranch): 5 laps – 9m 32s 387ms 2. Aleksi Vilkko (FIN, Snellman Motorsport Finland): 5 laps – 9m 36s 133ms 3. Stefan Simpson (GBR, KTM AG): 5 laps – 9m 40s 130ms Top 3 Results – Bronze Class 1. Brent Brady (AUS, Somerville Motorcycles): 4 laps – 9m 48s 877ms 2. Marco Faria (BRA, Faria Máquinas/BMS Racing): 4 laps – 10m 16s 627ms 3. Robin Holtmeulen (NLD, Hocoparts Racing): 4 laps – 11m 13s 127ms |
