From Dutch-Brother's Mick Jansen...Last week as I feared, the bike I had built by Mule motorcycles in California for the All American Twins Cup wouldn’t make it in time because of the volcano eruption, I got a call from UPS saying that there would actually be some people working on Friday (Queens day, our national holiday), so if the bike would arrive on Thursday I could possibly still pick it up in time for the weekend. (my brother actually called them stating I was the star rider and that it was absolutely imperative I could race that weekend!) But then on Thursday afternoon I got a call that the bike wasn’t on the flight that day, but that there was another flight on Friday! The bike did get on that flight and landed in Amsterdam in the afternoon. Everybody at UPS and even customs new about this bike and they rushed it through customs and at 11:15pm I got the call I that could go to the airport to pick it up. I received the massive crate a little after midnight. A UPS truck driver was kind enough to help me get the bike out of the crate and into my van.
So Saturday morning 1am I finally set off for Germany with the bike! I rushed 700km straight through the night and arrived at the hotel where the other riders were staying a little before 7am. I had some breakfast and then we went to the track to assemble the bike in time for tech inspection. The bike fired up first try! I took it super easy during practice, but I immediately felt very comfortable riding it. The heats went well and I got faster throughout the day, actually winning the final! This made me finish second for the day, because of the small rider field all heats score points with the final counting double. Another rider drove my van to the race venue for Sunday as I got to close my eyes for the first time in 36 hours.
Better rested for the Sunday race I continued my progress with a couple of second places in the heat races and again winning the final, this time it was enough for the overall win! So second and first place on a bike that was still in LA on Friday morning!
Looking forward to seeing Mick's feisty filly action in Wales at the end of the month. BP
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3 comments:
What a great story. Inspiring. So that's what dedication and determination is, eh? I must try to get me some.
And What? No comment about a mule doing a massive wheelie Mick? The connotations are endless.
BP
Well, I was thinking the rear preload needed jacking up a bit, but didn't want to teach anybody to suck eggs...
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