Balaton MTB Festival

Back again,

So this is the first time when I post twice in the same day... because my lack of free time.

After a few plans my, me team mates Eli and Oli, Luci and Susu from Mures and Dan from Buzau, decided to race at Balaton MTB Festival, a UCI Class 2 Race.


We got in the cars and went from Hungary. Everything was great, but was too hot, so I said: damn, what will do there?? We arrived there, again at the camping as we are use to it, is nice and cheap (we thought that is cheaper, but not at Balaton :-)) ). We registred first for the OX race, but after that we had a surprise. They changed the race course due to the rain in the last week so now we had a course 100% in the sun, without any technical descends (crap). In the next morning at 8AM I've checked with Eli the race course... really dissapointed. A UCI course 3 km long? And we had to run 10 laps. They had problems with the timing chips so they delayed the start with 10 minutes, and another 20 + 10 so we ended up starting 1 1/2 hour later, at ... 38C.

I had an awful start, and a lot of riders passed me, but after the second lap I started to feel my legs stronger and had a better ride. I've finised 25th, -1lap on the winner, so it's better that I've supposed.

I must let you know that I am really dissapoited to see that such a festival, if you can call it like this, with so many volunteers, such a big registration fee (at least for our pockets in such an economical crisis) have so many lacks in the organisation of the races.

If something like that would happen in Romania, everyone, every single person would trash the organisers, but if this is happening in Hungary, can happen to everyone. In my opinion is outrageus.

Hope that next year they will do their homeworks better !

I would like to say a thank you to Maros Sport for making this trip possible but also to the other sponsors and partners: Cannondale, Ashima, Continental, Cratoni, Syntace, Joe's No Flats, Xpedo, Adidas Eyewear, Sapim, Thule, Grip Grab, Novatec, VDO, Zakudo, KMC and Buff.

Some more photos can be found HERE

Cheers,
Vlad