If one had to briefly describe this year's Breslau rally, the athletes of the CFMOTO Thunder Racing Team team would not hesitate to say that it is one of the most difficult challenges in the racing calendar. On Wednesday, the athletes once again had to overcome the rain-soaked tracks, which were also merciless for quad bikes.
After the third day of the rally Antanas Kanopkinas was most happy that the team came to the race with their new truck Hans, the manufacturing of which was given a lot of attention and energy, and on days like this, it all paid off: "Another hard day of the rally is over. The first half of it was very wet - the equipment acted more like a submarine than an ATV. I am very glad that we installed a clothes dryer in Hans, so in the morning all the clothes were already dry after yesterday's swimming on the track. As a result, we could feel quite comfortable until the first deep swamps today. Of course, when we reached the biggest swamps, we got wet again and aimed for the finish in the conditions provided by the track."
The athlete said that on Wednesday he encountered a situation that has almost become standard, when quads’ lack maximum speed on long straight sections of the track. A. Kanopkinas says that they does not yet have a magic solution to this issue, so they try to achieve the maximum result with as much speed as they have.
Mindaugas Skudutis, after returning from the day's special stages, also had no shortage of emotions. It's true that not all of them were pleasant: "The first stretch was very wet and slippery, but the pace was good until in the fifth kilometer I felt that only the rear axle was driving. Some parts broke off. For the remaining more than 70 kilometers, quad was driven only by the rear wheels and I slipped around the track like a bowling pin. The pace was decent considering the breakdown."
In the second part of the day, says M. Skudutis, he was in the mood to make up for what he lost while driving in the first speed section. He managed to maintain an excellent pace and also managed to avoid navigational errors, and for a large part of the time there was a tense "battle" with rival from Poland: "I passed him in front - it's easier to navigate and easier to drive that way. At the same time, Antanas joined us, so we had a fun time pressuring our opponent and not letting him relax. The speed was maximum and everything was going smoothly, but ten kilometers before the finish I felt that the front of the quad started to be loose - there was a flat tire and I had to ride more carefully, although I did not slow down too much. We are waiting for the results and for tomorrow."
Racers still have two days of the rally left, so it's too early to relax. Several hundred kilometers ahead and changing weather conditions do not promise an easy end to the week, but the CFMOTO Thunder Racing Team athletes are determined to reach the finish despite any of the challenges.
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