Hell's Gate 2009, 14th February – 6th edition
By TMX Archives on 9th Feb 09
THE FIRST PART WILL NOT BE IMPOSSIBLE, BUT THE SECOND ONE WILL BE TERRIFIC! IT WILL BE A SPECTACULAR RACE, PROMISES FABIO FASOLA.
The enchanted wood is ready once again to welcome the challenge! Next Saturday, the 14th February, on Valentine's Day, Hell's Gate will be back again with a memorable show.
Fabio Fasola carefully prepared the new explosive mixture: no change as far as the race formula is concerned – he said satisfied at the end of the last checking – but only some touching up to the rules of the final part, and some new passages, too. "It will be a great race!"
No variation, then, as far as the general development: a part of pure enduro, that Fabio promised to be quite easy and approachable to any trained rider, and a second part, the one that leads to the darkness, that will be exhausting!
The riders are warned: any who starts knows that reaching the Hell's Peak, the last final slope, is almost a dream, a mirage! But at Hell's Gate dreams are allowed, and wearing that bib number in this sixth editions is already a big proud, something for what they may say : "I was there!"
Being at Hell's Gate means being protagonists, no matter how it will end up like, no matter what the result will be. The mythic stage of the hellish challenge is opening on all its actors, with no differences.
The spectator will be protagonists, too: all the fans that every year get to Il Ciocco to live their adventure of extreme off road: they will be on the sides of any hardest passage, with their arms and strength to help the riders, they will be the ones to make the riders advance of a metre more along the difficult track. And, as usual, thousand of them will be climbed up on Hell's Peak to pull on the last impossible part, the few elected riders that will reach the end of the challenge!
The race will start at the very early morning: on Saturday the 14th, at 7am, will start the classical enduro competition, when the first of the over sixty riders will start. Four laps, with a enduro test and a time check point on each lap. The first passage on the special part will not be timed.
Only the best thirty classified in this first part, will access to the second one, reserved only to the bravest knights.
At 3 pm will start the afternoon heat, the very extreme one! The riders will be align on the asphalt, Supermoto - like starting line, and the first 30 will start: who will reach for first the top of Hell's Peak will be the winner. It sounds easy, but the impossible passages will "do their job". Four laps of courage, tyringness, strength, while the sun will slowly set behind the mountains of Il Ciocco. The riders that will pass with over forty minutes delay from the first rider, in the first two laps, will be out of the competition. During the remaining two laps, the circle will get narrower: only thirty minutes delay to be out.
When finally in will be dark, the survivors will be really few: two? Three?... six? Who can tell?
It's hard to predict who will add his name to the famous gold league standing of Hell's Gate, after David Knight (2004-2005-2006), Wayne Braybrook (2007), and Tadeusz Blasuziak (2008)! For sure Blasuziak is one of the most quoted riders, but the English Dougie Lampkin, trial world champion for twelve times, might reserve some surprise: he showed to have the skills in the indoor enduro!
THE PRIZES
The prize list of the sixth Hell's Gate will award the winner a KTM 450 EXC 2009 brand new. The second one will get a KTM minicross.
The awarding will not be only for the top riders: all that will end up the eliminatory enduro heat, will get a medal; always in this heat, the first three of each class (E1, E2 and E3) will be awarded a medal, then also the youngest and the most experienced rider and the biggest band (biggest number of riders enrolled) will get a medal, too.
A precious prize for the rider who will make the best time in the timed passage of the "Cascata” (The Waterfall): for him a watch by Meccaniche Veloci, "Corsa Corta" model.
Hell's Gate Coordination by:
f-fasola
Via Pietrasanta, 12
I-20141 Milano
tel. +39.02.5391.579
fax +39.02.5681.0824
Email: info@hellsgate.it
Internet: www.hellsgate.it
PROGRAM
Friday, 13th February
Preliminary operation from 14.00 to 21.00 (break from 19.30 to 21.00)
Saturday, 14th February
MORNING HEAT
Start of the 1st contestant at 7.00 am.
4 laps with 1 special test in line (not planned in the 1st lap) and 1 Check Point apart from the one at the Start.
The first 30 riders who will have carried off the 4 morning laps, will start again at 15.00 in the afternoon.
FINAL RACE
The start of the second part of the race will be at 15.00. The departure order "supermoto like” will be determined by the absolute league standings of the morning race.
4 laps: any rider with a delay over 40 minutes (first two laps) and 30 minutes (last two laps) from the first contestant will be eliminated at the Check Points.
It is allowed to be helped by the mechanics and by the public in the hardest places of the track but only during the second part of the race.
Arrival at the finishing line at 19.00.
The first rider who will carry off the climb to Hell's Peak will be the winner of Hell's Gate 2009.
Gala dinner and award ceremony at 22.00.
Hell's Gate – Roll of Honour
2004 – David KNIGHT (GB-KTM)
2005 – David KNIGHT (GB-KTM)
2006 – David KNIGHT (GB-KTM)
2007 – Wayne BRAYBROOK (GB-Gas Gas)
2008 – Tadeusz BLASUZIAK (POL-KTM)