<< back       
 

Last few month had been very hard for me. Lots of work and a big backlog in reconditioning my new rallye bike, a KTM Rallye Replica660. It took me 3 years of searching, e-mails and many miles for checking out used bikes, which usually were worn out, too old or just too expensive. Finally I was lucky to get hold on one, which I bought from Pal Anders Ullevällseter, the current World Cup Champion. Since January 2004 I had been working on the bike and done a full reconditioning. The problem ... me! Nothing ever is good enough for me and I just finished the bike 3 weeks before the rally start. One real practice ride and functionality test was the only preparation for the race, which could become my last ever race on a bike!

I had a lot of trouble with my left knee, ever since I had the same operated some years ago and I never really recovered from that. Due to the pain I started putting all the load onto my right leg and the result was muscle- shrinking on my left leg. Whatever I have to do during riding, I try to put all the load on my right leg.

But there was no time to get some treatment, otherwise I would have missed the UAE Desert Challenge 2004, which was my goal and vision for the last two years.

There was only time for two test session and practice rides with my friends Joe De Bryn, Dick Danielson, Frank Maschong & Ian Greasby. The first ride was not bad, but disappointing , considering my new bike. It would randomly stop working, like someone pulling an electric switch. It took me 3 days to recover that problem, an electric connection at the rear of the fuse box! Besides that, the ride lasted 6 hours and I just somehow managed with my physical condition. A few weeks before, I had started with a special training plan, established by my good friend Encho from Dubai, a former 'Marshal Arts' fighter and extreme food & fitness guru!

Without him, I wouldn't have lasted 3 hours on that bike. The second training was much better and now all worked fine, as expected. Also my fitness had improved, considering the circumstances. I also had b bought some tire mouse for the Michelin Desert from Pal, which also improved traction a lot. Previous I was very suspicious about mouse, as I was scared of overheating and ending, like the Dakar rider frequently seen on the television .... melted mouse, broken rim, etc......., Now I was ready to take that risk!

Also it was time to finalize the Team for the rallye.

Luckily my brother in law Roland had again agreed to join. Also Encho had committed his participation. Joe had done some work to convince Rob and John to support the crew and we were 'ready for rambo'!

Prolog Dubai ( 2 Km ):

As usual, the organizer, had prepared a short circuit in Dubai, to present the bikes and riders racing to the public and to the press. Not really important, but always very exciting to every single rider. Some of them had been working on their bikes for many month, talking to sponsors and finally ended up in Dubaifor ... just a few seconds away from racing .. the blood is cooking in their veins! I had an easy ride and ended somewhere in the top 25 riders. Not really important, as the time differences were just a few seconds. But there was something really special! ... I recognized an old KTM Rallye Replica660 from PG Lundmark, brought to the start by a tiny, cute and sexy looking lady! ... looking like Mrs. Sweden! The Rallye princess Anni Seel, had entered the race, after only being offered the bike a few days before the rallye. The bike - 240Kg .... the girl about 45Kg!!! What a 'stupid thing' I thought, but had to revert my opinion after checking the scoring lists at the end of the first special stage and definite after the rallye! .... another amazing lady rider!

Check Out her Web Page ... you will feel like a chicken!!!

Close to start in Abu Dhabi

Anni Seel ' Rallye Princess'

Day 1 Abu Dhabi - Moreeb ( 406 Km ):

Th real race, as usual, was started in Abu Dhabi at the 'Marina Mall', an amazing judge shopping complex at the breakwater. The competitors from Europe now started realizing, what the temperatures for the next days will climb to ....8:00 A.M. in the morning, we checked 32 Grade Celsius! One by was sent off, onto the road stage , south-west of A. D. About 85 Km's to go to the start of the first stage. As I was pretty late in the start grid, there were already lots of tracks in the soft sand and that basically played for me and for my friends. We are used to these conditions, due to our frequent riding in the desert. Therefore, during the first 2 hours, I could pass many other riders and it looked like another top 15 result for first day. Feeling so good and still catching other riders, without me being passed by anyone, my backend started jumping and feeling like a flat tire! ...... ????? Mouse ?????, it went through my mind ! I kept going slower, stopped and had a look at the real wheel, but couldn't locate anything wrong. I was only 15 Km's from the service point and decided to drive there, not going faster then 100Km/h! Now, lots of riders started passing me!

At the service point, I asked the crew to change the front and the rear wheel, to avoid a disaster! Still the spare wheels were mounted with mouse! After riding another 80Km's, the bouncing rear end was back again ..... 'Shi.....t mouse', I shouted under my helmet and kept going! I the dunes it became even worse and I could hardly hold onto handlebars. I was getting very exhausted and only hoped, to make it to the finish and to the bivouac ... and I managed!

Back in the bivouac, I first asked Roland and Rob, to remove all mouse from all the wheels and install tubes instead, which they did. My overall position also was not , as expected and I only had achieved 24th place overall, which was not down to my expectations!   

Day 2  Liwa Roundtrip Moreeb - Moreeb ( 449 Km ):

I was ready to attack today and proof, that the KTM Rally Replica660 is a fantastic bike and deserves a better ranking. Same as first day, I could pass lots of riders, till the moment, where the ' fuc...ing' old problem came back again! What was that? Stopped , checked the tires ( ... were fine ), etc.... couldn't find anything and had to carry on, same like the day before. My friends Shone, Scott, Dick and Ian passed me again and I had to take it easy .... for another 350Km's !! The dunes in Liwa rise up to 250 -300mtr's and with the outside temperature of 45 -50 Grade Celsius, you can imagine, what this meant to me. It felt, like riding with a flat tire. Exhausted riding through the dunes, I sudden found a crashed rider lying next to his bike.

It turned out, that he had badly damaged his shoulder. Even worse, he was very exhausted and already showing clear 'dehydration' - signs! Using his GPS System, I called the organizers and asked for a helicopter with a doctor. Basically the race in UAE is very well organized, but this time, it took 1 1/2 hours for he chopper to show up!By the time the outside temperature had climbed to 48Grad Celsius, I also started getting exhausted and had to go back on my bike and move. Later in the evening, I found, that the organizers had added a 4 hour penalty to my time, due to late arrival in the bivouac ( ... I had missed the max. allowed stage time by 2 minutes !!! ). To be honest, ... I was very depressed, as this was only based on my support given to the crashed rider! I was promised an investigation by the organizers, without any progress, except being awarded with a 'Fairness-Trophy' 3 weeks after the rallye was over .... Things happen! But , ... does the bad overall result help to find new sponsors for the next rallye ???? No!! With this penalty, I dropped back to overall position 46 ! After long discussions with the KTM Support Team in the bivouac, they advised me to check my rear shock, which basically didn't look too bad. Still, as advised by the experts, I bought a new shock, hoping the best for next day! Again Roland & Rob were pretty busy late into the night!

Roland .. a 'Hard Days Night'!!

Day 3  Liwa Roundtrip Moreeb - Moreeb ( 392 Km ):

Started the day with a beautiful ride  and nice dunes. The shock had proofed to be the problem for two days and finally the bike proofed his reputation. Soon I could pass many riders and I was sure to improve my overall standings! But my body still was very exhausted from the days before and I only made it to the Service point, with the mental help of my friends Dick and Ian, who somehow dragged me in their back through the dunes. At the first service point, I was very close of quitting the race. When I saw my Team, which also suffered out there, I would have rather died, then giving up! I took some special foot , which Roland had brought from Germany, a cold towel around the neck and afer a 15 minutes rest, I left the service point again! Now the bike became really nasty to ride and my exhaustion worse every mile ridden! Out of the big dunes, when I rode on a big Oil field track, I saw Marc Coma with a broken rear wheel. His Support Crew was with him. From this nice track, there were only  20Km's left to ride through dunes, but due to my exhaustion, I decided to pull out and straight go to the highway .... taking another penalty, but assuring my save arrival in the bivouac! Not really having finished this decision, one of the Swedish riders passed me and turned back to the dunes, ....... I had to follow him. Why the hell I did that, ... I don't know! It wasn't a good idea either, because the worst was still to come on the last miles left. It was one of my worst days I have ever spent in the desert and I only managed to finish by mobilizing my last reserves. But, ... I mad it!

The good part: I survived, the bike was perfect and now I had good chances to finish the rallye!

Day 4  Liwa Roundtrip Moreeb - Moreeb ( 255 Km ):

Back in Dubai - It's done!

A fantastic day! Pure, native and outstanding scenery! There was no way of just racing, without a side look to the country side ..... it was the bonus, for the last hard days and was the best, the organizers could do for our mental recovery and to keep good & best memories of the rallye! It was the native 'Off Roaders' Dream! All day, I kept riding with my friends Ian & Dick. They were pretty fast in the dunes and I tried to stick to them, which worked out fine. At the second part of the stage and based on my bike, I could have gone much faster then my buddies, but decided to stay with them and just enjoy the scenery & a friends ride. Anyhow my penalty wouldn't allow a big overall improvement and therefore had no drive to catch-up a few positions. On top, it was a very emotional moment, when we all passed the finish line as a Team, .... similar to our fun rides before the rallye. Even so, I could improve my overall ranking to position 41. Thanks Ian & Dick!

Day 5  Moreeb - Dubai Liaison ( 449 Km ):

Due to the unexpected early start of the Ramadan, which is the 'Fasting Time' for Moslems all around the world, the organizers had to cancel the last days stage from Liwa to Dubai. The stage was declared a Liaison Stage, where the bikes even were allowed to be carried on the trailer. This gave me the privilege, to transport Pal Ander's bike on my trailer, .... the previous owner of my rallye bike and the new World Cup Winner's bike from 2004!! In front of Dubai University we all gathered one more time for a picture, before we went on to the Podium finish, which, for me, was emotional and all the pain and hassle from the last days, immediate turned into nice memories and became a sort of 'Adventure Status'!

'Big Boys' Team - Scott, Sean, Klaus, Dick, Joe & Ian

 

Remarks: If the Team wouldn't have worked day and night, the spirit and friendship of my buddies being so outstanding and untouchable, ... I would have never made it through the rallye! Thanks to Rob, John, Encho & Roland for their dedication and working day and night !! A big hand also applies  to my training partners Frank, Sean, Scott and Joe, who helped me getting into shape for the rallye. Finally to Ian and Dick, who were there in the desert, when I most needed a mental push and I was close to giving up!

Mabruk, ... but 'Last Race' forever?

.... will there be another one?

<< top