My Race at This Year's EVT, Kielce, Poland 2025
Wow! What a way to spend two weeks. The people, culture, and food were off the charts. We were able to see how the country went from power and great castles to being ruled under communism, to transforming itself into the vibrant society it is today. I didn't exactly get the race results that I hoped for going into the race, but, as we all know, that's racing....... So, this year we (Leslie and I) got there five days ahead of the start of the event to be better prepared. Last year we got there two days before the race, and it wasn't enough time to walk all the tests and get familiar with the area.
Registration and Tech: both went very smoothly. The hosting club was well organized and made registration painless. The tech inspection was a little different. We had designated times to go through tech, but when I got there, there were about 30-40 bikes waiting to go through. The club decided to have only one team inspecting the bikes and that team seemed to like talking to everyone. So, the process was slow, really slow. Once my turn came around, everything went smoothly. They checked my helmet and body amour for the correct tags and the bike got several parts marked for future inspections throughout the race. A first for me was that they weighed the bikes before impounding. Done, in the Parc Ferme, ready to race the next day.
Day One; Short day, a timed acceleration test and then they allowed us to pre-ride the tests for a total of 40km. As I pushed my bike to the start from the Parc Ferme, the thought is always there, will the bike start withing the one minute allowed? Yes, one kick and I was off. The day went okay, bike ran well, and I had a good ride. I had a 20-minute work period after the ride which was enough time to go over everything on the bike. The day ended back in the Parc Ferme.
Day Two; The first long day; 130km. Six tests to ride. Again, one kick and I was off, all good. Ran the first test with a smile on my face. Got to the second test, and the bike started over revving; and air leak. I didn't want to stop so I kept going. It was one of the longest days in my life! Trying to ride tests and some knarly transfers with a bike that started to over rev every time I let off the throttle, was not fun. At one of the water crossings the water was front wheel deep, and I took in some water, the bike stalled. Getting off the bike, my boots immediately filled with water as I pushed the bike up onto dry land. Are we having fun yet? I started getting my tools out, trying to remain calm, wondering if I was going to finish the day. Somehow, I got the bike going and continued on. I finished the day completely fried. Once back at the pits for my 20-minute work period I decided that either I fix the bike here and now, or I wasn't going to ride day three. Turns out, the boot between the carb and the motor failed and kept sliding off the manifold. The boot only had nine hours use on it. The previous one had two years on it, go figure. I didn't have another one, so I decided to turn the boot around, so the bad side was against the carb. I took a 10-minute penalty getting into the Parc Ferme.
Day Three: Started on time, one kick. I rode the first test, and the boot started leaking. The second test was close by, so I rode that one too. After which I decided not to continue riding another day like yesterday. I went back to the pits to take the boot off the bike and go searching for a new one. Lucky for me the supervisor of the Paddock, Robert stopped by and offered to help. Twenty minutes later he returned with a piece of automotive hose that was the right diameter! I put the bike back together and made it to ride the last test of the day. Even though I took a 60-minute penalty, I was allowed to continue.
Day four; The final test on the MX course. Bike started on the first kick and off I went. It was unfortunate that the club decided to put myself and another 175 in a class of 250's. The course was fast and had elevation. Not exactly ideal for my 175. Having all the penalty points I had the last gate pick; way on the outside. The gate dropped, I got off the line well, was mid pack in the fist turn, moved up to 5th place for a short time but I couldn't maintain the speed against the 250's, so I started falling back faster than a stone on water. Our team did okay, everyone had a good time. After the race, we packed up the container and said goodbye to everyone. Another year, another country, another race. Next year's race is in Zschopau, Germany at the end of September. Will you be there?
And finally, I would like to thank all my supporters, sponsors, and those who wished me well for this event. Throughout the two weeks I was there, I thought about all of you many times. Your help has been greatly appreciated. To Suzy, you have no idea how appreciative I am for all you have done for myself and the rest of the team before, during and after the race. Your knowledge of the event, your contacts around the world, and your patience to respond to the million questions I asked leading up the race is over the top! To the support crews that got up at the butt crack of dawn every morning to get out to your check point on time for us. How you helped each of the riders as much as you were allowed to, and the help to keep us on time. Lastly, to my beautiful wife Leslie. With your support and help to prepare me for this event, the work you did during the event and keeping me from getting too crazy in my helmet is off the charts. You, and the others that manned the check points kept all of us going throughout each day. Your dedication to your task, your attention to all the details, I'm so proud of what you did not just for me, but the rest of the team as well. And to my fellow teammates, thanks for supporting an old guy that is just trying to have some fun riding a dirt bike internationally. A toast, to all of you!
Thanks Ski! What a great report! So glad you guys were able to go and let us follow along!