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 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
"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 victory 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.
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."