BMW factory rider Simo Kirssi continues to establish himself as one of the world´s best cross country riders. The friendly Finn is dominating Europe´s biggest off road series, the 2009 German Cross Country Championship, just like he did in the past.
Simo Kirssi won Round 2 of the German Cross Country Championship at Walldorf.
Kirssi repeated his opening round win, as he powered his BMW to another stellar victory in front of 5,000 fans gathering for round two, the "Walldorfer Waldprüfung". Good weather and the most technical course of the season set the scene for a weekend packed with lots of amateur racing and the ultimate battle in the XCPro class, where Kirssi and former GP Motocross rider Kornel Nemeth (KTM) were tipped to be the front-runners anyway.
Both riders gated well for the two-hour race and quickly took control at the front. The defending champ wasted no time and used the demanding tree section, with its gnarly up- and downhills, to move past Nemeth. Kirssi then opened a gap over the Hungarian, but saw his lead disappear when he dropped the bike after touching a tree. Nemeth answered by racing back to the front, and that´s exactly how the pair came into the pits for the inevitable fuel stop. Kirssi´s crew managed to send their rider first back in the chase, and the second part of the race belonged to a lonely number one bike out front.
Simo Kirssi was the 2008 German Cross Country champion in the XCPro class.
The Scandinavian extended his lead up to 40 seconds by the time when the chequered flag came out. Even more so, he came home almost four minutes ahead of regular WEC podium finisher Bartosz Oblucki, of Poland. France´s renowned Supercross specialist Alexandre Rouis finished fourth, as Germany Bert Meyer rounded out the top five.
Recent ProLites champ Christian Weiß ended seventh on his TM, showing he´s getting familiar riding in the premier class.
Altogether over 800 riders competed at Walldorf, setting a new entry record for the German Cross Country Championship.
Simo Kirssi: "Walldorf is one of my favourites. The start went well and I followed Kornel a little before moving by in the tree section. I enjoyed the tight layout, that´s where I gained the most ground. The lappers really helped by making room, that made the job easier. I made one small mistake and touched a tree with my shoulder, so down I went. I took it as a wake-up call and rode very concentrated afterwards, feeling like I had full control over the race. My bike is perfect for such a track."
German Cross Country Championship, Rd. 2 Walldorf
1. Simo Kirssi (FIN), BMW Motorrad Motorsport, BMW G 450 X, 14 laps
2. Kornel Nemeth (HUN), KTM, 14
3. Bartosz Oblucki (POL), Husqvarna, 14
4. Alexandre Rouis (FRA), Yamaha, 14
5. Bert Meyer (GER), Honda, 14
6. Dennis Schröter (GER), KTM, 14
7. Christian Weiß (GER), TM, 14
8. Andy Boller (GER), KTM 450, 14
9. Stefan Ludwig (GER), Husaberg, 14
10. Stefan Geyer (GER), KTM, 13
