This fast, Kramolin circuit, would play host to the opening round of the 2025 European Quadcross championship, and what better way to open the season than with the cloudless blue sky encompassing the hillsides of south-west Czech Republic. This weekend will see reigning champion and former champion, Harry Walker and Patrick Turrini resume battle from last season, with Manfred Zienecker also hoping to improve his consistency and hit the ground running.
Pre-Qualifying Practice –
An immensely talented field would head out onto the circuit, to complete their pre-qualifying runs and the pre-season expectations were quickly realised as no less than 5 riders were almost within 1 second of each other, including the top-3 from 2024, as well as Mike van Grinsven and former red-plate holder, Karl Robin Rillo.
Local riders Jiri Brhel and Jiri Kasper were only 5 seconds and 3 seconds away from the top of the time sheets, however, such is the pace of all of the competitors this weekend, this would see them qualify in 20th and 13th position, respectively, and puts them in good stead for this weekend’s action, undoubtedly to the delight of the crowd.
At the chequered flag, it was Karl Robin Rillo who led the way by 0.25 seconds, ahead of Turrini, van Grinsven, Walker and Zienecker. We are expecting an all-out duel throughout the field, whether it may be for the victory, or the minor placings, but one thing can be sure is that we will not want to take our eyes off the racing for one moment!
Qualifying Race –
Heads down, revs up, and the pack charged to the first turn with Karl Robin Rillo just nudging out Patrick Turrini to claim the holeshot, however, this lead was to be short-lived as he slipped down to fifth position, behind Walker, Zienecker, van Grinsven and Turrini at the close of the opening lap.
Frustratingly, Leonardo Cazzulo was a very early retirement, and would not see the end of the opening lap, likewise, Eijk Delano who would only complete 2 laps after a retirement at the foot of the triple jump, halfway around the circuit.
Walker had clear track in-front of him and set about making hay while the sun shone here in Kramolin, however, Turrini sliced his way through the challengers in front of him, and then sought about chasing down the leader, with both Zienecker and van Grinsven not quite being able to live with the pace being set by the ’23 champion. Rillo would be on the edge of the top-5 positions throughout much of the race but would soon recover and make the pass on Manfred Zienecker to promote himself into fourth position.
Outside of the top five placings, Karlis Neija led the Hungarian rider of Kristof Karai momentarily, but was soon forced to relinquish his sixth-place position to Kristof, thus relegating him down to 7th position by the chequered flag.
The countdown was on in the closing stages of the opening qualifying race of the season, but it would become ever more apparent that there was not enough time for Walker to regroup and, evidently, he was content with second position, for the second gate pick in tomorrow’s races.
The chequered flag beckoned the Italian, who is certainly starting as he means to go on in this 2025 campaign, with reigning champion Walker left thinking about what to do, going into the points-scoring events tomorrow. Van Grinsven completed the podium position in a relatively lonely, but secure third place, with Rillo and Zienecker completing the top five, once more.
Results
- Patrick Turrini
- Harry Walker
- Mike van Grinsven
- Karl Robin Rillo
- Manfred Zienecker
