
Wednesday was the longest day so far for the riders at the Balkan Offroad Rallye in Romania. The participants had to move to the second bivouac of the rally, with almost 190 kilometres of speed sections and more than 120 kilometres of crossings in between. After yesterday's super-fast speed section, the day also started with a 'full throttle', which was not to the advantage of the CFMOTO Thunder Racing Team riders.
"Today's lack of speed is reflected in the result. I was pushing all day and the result is only eighth place. There are also some questions about the numbers in the standings, but I believe in the competence of the organiser," said Antanas Kanopkinas after the finish.
The athlete said that he would still try to clarify the results, which are only preliminary for now, as he has physically overtaken a rival on the track, and the CFMOTO Thunder Racing Team athlete was ranked lower in the results table afterall.
"We have made a lot of technical improvements ahead of this race and now we can safely say that not all of them have been beneficial. But that's what races are for, to see what works and what doesn't. Right now, the biggest thing is the lack of power, but we are not giving up. All the drivers in this rally are very strong, but I like that kind of pressure," said A. Kanopkinas.
Another team rider, Adomas Gančierius, agreed that the tracks were fast and at the same time said that they were quite boring: "Most of the first speed section was the same as yesterday, so I didn't have any navigational difficulties at all. The speed was high and it was slippery in the morning, but everything went well."
The second section of the day, according to A. Gancierius, was on country roads and was more like a Baja-type race, with a few creek crossings and no major difficulties. The athlete took fifth place today.
Today, the athletes' quads are having their tyres replaced with new ones, as it would be too dangerous to skimp on the main components of the quads as they are fighting for a result. With the camp moving to the town of Alba Iulia, surrounded by mountains, the athletes will face more challenging courses in the coming days, both in terms of navigation and riding.
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