BMW Husqvarna Motorsport factory rider Simo Kirssi opened his season strongly at past weekend's Bassella Race in Catalunya. The Finn powered his BMW 450 X to second place, finishing the gruelling twohour moto 1:36 minutes behind eventual winner Aaron Bernardez.
The Bassella Race, formerly known as Toni Soler Memorial, has become a fixture in their preseason programme for many riders. The tradtional event is held over a 50kilometer course at the foot of the Pyrenees. For this year's edition, 953 riders signed up.
As Dakar legend Marc Coma owned the holeshot, Kirssi started well into the race, rounding the first corner in third place. Kirssi was soon able to sneak past Coma and go after race leader Bernardez. The conditions proved to be tricky with frozen ground, roots, rocks and all sorts of obstacles.
Kirssi, no stranger to such difficulties, gained room as the race went on, but the superfit Scandinavian failed to catch Bernardez before the chequered flag came out. The Spaniard clearly managed to take advantage of his superior terrain knowledge.
Said Simo Kirssi, a BMW factory rider since six seasons: "Congratulations to Aaron. It was a great race and a wonderful atmosphere. I found weather and track conditions to my liking and the bike worked flawlessly as usual. I had some extra speed left, but the season hasn't even started really and I simply wanted to end this stage of my preseason without taking unnecessary risks. The Tough One in the UK is next on the agenda this coming Saturday, that's when the going gets tough for me indeed."
Results "Elite class" Bassela Race
1. Aaron Bernardez, KTM, 2:10:11
2. Simo Kirssi, BMW Husqvarna Motorsport, 2:11:47
3. Maurizio Micheluz, TM, 2:14:24
4. Rafa Garcia, Husqvarna, 2:20:18
5. Ot Ingles, Husqvarna, 2:24:02
The Bassella Race, formerly known as Toni Soler Memorial, has become a fixture in their preseason programme for many riders. The tradtional event is held over a 50kilometer course at the foot of the Pyrenees. For this year's edition, 953 riders signed up.
As Dakar legend Marc Coma owned the holeshot, Kirssi started well into the race, rounding the first corner in third place. Kirssi was soon able to sneak past Coma and go after race leader Bernardez. The conditions proved to be tricky with frozen ground, roots, rocks and all sorts of obstacles.
Kirssi, no stranger to such difficulties, gained room as the race went on, but the superfit Scandinavian failed to catch Bernardez before the chequered flag came out. The Spaniard clearly managed to take advantage of his superior terrain knowledge.
Said Simo Kirssi, a BMW factory rider since six seasons: "Congratulations to Aaron. It was a great race and a wonderful atmosphere. I found weather and track conditions to my liking and the bike worked flawlessly as usual. I had some extra speed left, but the season hasn't even started really and I simply wanted to end this stage of my preseason without taking unnecessary risks. The Tough One in the UK is next on the agenda this coming Saturday, that's when the going gets tough for me indeed."
Results "Elite class" Bassela Race
1. Aaron Bernardez, KTM, 2:10:11
2. Simo Kirssi, BMW Husqvarna Motorsport, 2:11:47
3. Maurizio Micheluz, TM, 2:14:24
4. Rafa Garcia, Husqvarna, 2:20:18
5. Ot Ingles, Husqvarna, 2:24:02
