Result-wise, this has been my payback for the heartbeat final at the World Championships 2004, where I lost to Humberto by a split of a point. But performance could have been better … from both of us.
Already in qualification, Humberto Ribeiro and myself have managed to score a quite prominent lead towards the other 41 riders, and so were the results after the semi-finals of the top 18. Me first, Ribeiro second.
The Judges had a hard time on day two in the finals: While I’ve had to battle an upcoming flue, Ribeiro bent one of his footpegs with a crash during his performance and could not continue to his best, either.
The eight minutes freestyle seemed to last forever to me that day, and my run has been a very shaky one at the end, but luckily, it’s been enough to make the center-podium spot. After having had won the US “Stuntwars” Event some weeks ago, I could proof to be hard to beat on the new BMW F800 on Euro-soil, too.
Judges especially seemed to like my new tricks, such as the “Spreader-Circles”. The new bike feels simply great and innovation is generally up on an alltime-high. I’ve definitely hit the next personal level on the BMW F800.
Other than me, only one more rider has been on a twin cylinder, all others currently use Japanese 4 cylinder bikes. The European Championship rules by the way foresee a minimum capacity of 550cc by minimum 2 cylinders, so serious street-bikes.
For the first time ever, the rules also foresee a mandatory program to be performed, aside of the freestyle-part. 50 meters on the rear wheel, to be performed as slow as possible, a longest possible stoppie by having not more than 40 meters of acceleration, and as many donuts around a pylon as one can within the given 10 seconds.
The second round of the European Champs 2006 will bee held in Hungary by the end of May, the final takes place in Finland in June. The one who’s got the most points by then can call himself the Euro Champ 2006. I’ll stay on it …
Web Link: Official Website ECH Assen, Netherlands: www.eu-stuntriding.com