Red Bull Romaniacs 2009 Blog, Day 4

Chris Burch took the wrong way. He endet up on the hobby-track and spoiled his chances to win. Birch reaches the crazy bike house very late. Darryl Curtis may know how the man from newsealand feels right now.

Austrian Husaberg rider Dieter Happ didn't finish last year. He does this year! But he crashed twice today. "I was in the dust behind Darryl Curtis and didn't see a big stone. Minutes after that I crashed a second time."

Melcior Faja Beltran on his way to the inhouse downhill.

Darryl Curtis, Manuel Kronpass, Lionel Seydoux and Jurgen van den Goorbergh find the way to Sibiu and beat the romaniacs.

At 13.24 pm Andreas Lettenbichler completes his first appearance at the romaniacs. We have no official result yet. But Letti looks like the Overall-Winner. And he feels like one: "I am very happy and very destroyed", he says!

Cyril Despres reaches the crazy bike house. He doesn't stop and passes without a word.

Canadian Shane Cuthbertson is the first pro-rider to reach the end of todays stage. The job is done!

So far, seven pro riders have made it out of the woods into the offroad-finish, where the time gets stopped: 1. Cyril Despres, 12:47:27 2. Shane Cuthbertson, 12:48:20 3. Andreas Lettenbichler, 12:55:01 4. Lionel Seydoux, 13:16:41 5. Darryl Curtis, 13:16:47 6. Dieter Happ, 13:27:24 7. Melchior Faja Beltran, 13:29:56 Now, the big maths begins, while the riders are on their liasion stage to downtown Sibiu and tht Crazy Bike House with the final roof to climb and the announcement of the big overall winner will be made.

Czech expert teammates Zdenek Cyprian and Martin Volny reach the finish line first today. About seven minutes later the romanian Manuel Gyenes is the first expert single on the top of the crazy bike house. Michel Dumoulin from Belgium appears one minute later.

Since Andi Lettenbichler is through there are helping hands allowed in the section "the long way". The Spanish GasGas rider Melcior Faja Beltran right now as well finished this section. Short behind him the Austrians Erich Brandauer und Hansi Leitner are fighting on the last meters to reach the end of this very tough part of today`s stage.

On the roof top of the legendary house in the centre of Sibiu everything is prepared for the winners. Yet we don's know who will be the overall-champ. But we do know everybody is a winner who reaches this bow high above the ground.

Just 20 minutes after the riders have passed "Cambodia", Martin Freinademetz serves the next gruelty: an insane uphill section called the "Beer Bar". Despres and Lettenbichler go through the rocky hillclimb, and then - nothing! Everyone is waiting for Chris Birch, but the Newzealander has made a wrong turn and took the wrong track...

The ever sympathic German BMW factory rider Gerhard Forster had to end his Red Bull Romaniacs just before the Service Point this morning. Forster went down hard and hurt his right shoulder - a really happy ending of this crash, considering that Forster's bike doesn't look too fresh anymore...

It's exactly 10:00 a.m. when KTM factory rider Cyril Despres reaches the infamous track section which was named after one of the main battle grounds of the Vietnam war. The steep uphill is covered with huge rocks and still remains as one of the crucial parts of today's track. 15 minutes later it's Newzealander Chris Birch who arrives on scene, just shortly followed by German BMW factory guy Andreas Lettenbichler. All three are former trials riders and master the extremely difficult uphill without problems.
Lionel Sedoux (CH) and Darryl Curtis are the next ones to negotiate with Cambodia. While Seydoux manages to master the section without any troubles, the Roof-of-Africa Champion Curtis needs some friendly helping hands to get over the rocks.

At the "pro climb" the riders had a limit of ten attempts. They all didn't need that often. Dieter Happ and Shane Cuthbertson reached the top with their second attempt. Lionel Seydoux needed three trys. 

Each section today can make the difference between riding on a winners road or having no more chance. After the "pro climb" the race is still open.  The favorites passed that long steep uphill without problems. Paul Bolton left here in the lead. Followed bei Jimmy Lewis and Cyril Despres.  Fourth at the "pro climb" was Andreas Lettenbichler, then Birch and Forster.

On Rescue Point #1, the top 3 were that close together that Andreas Lettenbichler (GER/BMW) is the virtual Champ of Red Bull Romaniacs! Just a 100 more KIlometers of gnarliest offroad to go ;-)

Long before today`s last stage of the Red Bull Romaniacs 2009 starts – till now a start at 6:00h in the morning was usual – a lot people are wide awake: the mechanics of the teams and countless assistants of the privateers are doing heavy labour for their riders. Their working days are ending usually long after midnight although they have to get up at 5:00h a.m. at latest. Good morning Sibiu!