Finally I sold my Big Dream to a nice fellow in South Africa. Albert will use the bike to participate in the 2007 DAKAR. ... at least my bike is going to be there!

I hope, that I can see Albert finishing in Dakar, which certainly would give me a good feeling and paying back for the time spent in the bike preparation.

Use this link to the photo area, where I added a few last pics, which were taken, before the bike was shipped off to Capetown.                          ..... Link to  pics

As my new job keeps me pretty busy and there will not be time for racing in the close future, I decided to sell my 'Dream', ... my KTM Rallye Replica 660. The bike was only raced once in the UAE Desert Challenge, after being reconditioned from scratch! After the rallye it has be overhauled one more time and is ready to race. There is mixed emotions doing this, but there is nor reason to keep such a beauty in the garage, when someone else can race it!    .......  download pdf file

After my return to Germany, live was not as expected and having spent 15 years in the Middle East, it also had become my metal home. Arabian culture, the Desert and for sure the weather have left marks in my heart, which can't be erased any longer ..... I had to return. After being jobless for 10 month and German authorities being too difficult for starting own business, it was easy to return. I also hope, that this mental push will help to faster recover from my knee operation. Strange thing, ... as less I ride, as worse the knee gets!!??

means ......  I have to get back on a bike, ..isn't it?!

As usual, ... one week sunshine and when it's down to the race, the track is 'flooded' with water. Massive rain had turned the track into a muddy , slippery terrain and lots of riders had to quit, due to these conditions.                          The race started beautiful for Nico & Holger and immediate Nico went into the lead and changed over to Holger. After 20min's riding, Holgers engine broke and after a 2.0 hour single ride, Nico also stopped with blocking wheels.

Another race to scratch!                                          Pictures >> .... 1   2   3   4   5   

Click Image!

Sorry to say , that during the 'New Years Eve' ride in the dunes around Abu Dhabi, Rob had a very bad crash with his Honda and all in front of his best friend Kelly & their families. Even after immediate intensive care, he would not recover from that and passed away!

Sorry, that none of us could help you now and all we could do, was waiting for a miracle ... sadly it didn't happen! 

Rob, we will always miss you and surely you will be around in our hearts. Whenever we go to the desert, we will take your spirit along.   Chiao Rob!

Finally the race is over & I managed to finish the rallye in 40th position. Just one place ahead of Marc Coma, who struggled with a broken rear wheel. I picked an 8.0 hour penalty for being to late on day 3, by 2 minutes. The Race Marshals didn't care, that this was due to staying 2 1/2 hours with an injured rider, who was taken off by helicopter. ... that's tuff luck and is part of rallying it seems!!! Still, I'm proud of having finished the rallye and the Team slogan proofed again: Old Man Racing and lots of the strong kid's didn't finish!               ...... more   

• Last two years worked as a mechanic for my friends Joe de Bryn and Dick Danielson. Both finished the rallye and Joe even managed and overall 10th position ... outstanding achievement! We were very proud!
• Set the lines for my rallye future and bought a KTM Rallye Replica660. It's the bike from Pal Anders Ullevaellseter, which I pinched from him, after he finished the 2003 UAE Desert Challenge. He will have a new bike for the Dakar and also receive Factory engines ..... means, I could buy his own , new prepared race engine, which he prepared for the 2004 season.

Nicos dreams came true, when Red Bull announced the first 'Red Bull SuperCross' in the City  Abu Dhabi ). A sandy track, with lots of jumps and all in his home down, where he lived since 1997. On top a price money of 15.000,-AED ( ... 3.200,-Euro ), was promoted for first place!!!30 riders from different nations had show very exciting races and Nico finally managed, to get into the final. Only 3rd from start, he had shown an amazing race and 3 laps from the end passed the leading South AFrican Graham Hill, to take the victory!!                  ....... more

Michael was a perfectionist - like me  .. he loved his sport more then anything else - like me and nothing would stop him from doing it again and again - like me. We don't speak of a professional, earning his money with riding and not of a pretender, showing off in front of some friends. He would have raced without any spectators and on every single piece of his equipment, this could be seen. He always prepared 100%, ... body, bike & equipment. He never spoke much and preferred to stay in the background, listening to and observing people. He just had fun to race in the desert along people with same intentions.

Thanks Michael, for your friendship!

I already knew for some time, that I won't be able to do the next one or two rallies. Business was keeping me too busy. But there was an incident , that my name was in many people talks. The reason for this was PG Lundmark, several times Dakar participant and winner of the Master Rallye 2002. After he had competed in the Australian Rallye, his bike did not arrive in Dubai on time. At the time of scrutinizing, it was still out in the Persian Gulf.

Two choices for him: Not starting and loosing the 2nd place in the World Cup OR borrowing somebody's bike! As he knew, that I do have a rallye bike and will not compete, he called me and asked for my bike. His opponents were quite surprised, seeing PG with and old 'Rallye Bike' signing in for the race. For him ... better then None! But he was lucky and at 3:00 A.M. on race day, his bike was delivered, ..... only made possible due to the support of some UAE Sheikhs.

PG made it to the top 5 and secured his 2nd place in the World Cup. Mabruk!!
My friends Joe and Floor were very unlucky during the rallye and both ended up in hospital. The good part ... arm & ripps broken .... no real bad injuries!
Also my other buddy Dick Danielson faced plenty of technical problems. Loosing Oil, randomly breaking spokes, etc .... but it couldn't stop him, to finish the rallye.

Badly, my german friend Michael Seefeldt was Not as lucky. He had died on second day of the rallye. 'Dehydration' was the official explanation from the organizers. We all will miss him, but I'm sure he wouldn't want us to keep his memory and allow him to be with us, whenever we go to the desert.