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David Knight ready for Red Bull Romaniacs 2017

Just a couple of weeks and the toughest Hard Enduro Rallye, Red Bull Romaniacs will be on. Just received a great news that the one and only, David Knight will compete this year.

C. Panny: What is your motivation to compete at Red Bull Romaniacs?
David Knight: It’s a race that I’ve never done, it looks very nice, long days out on your own in the wilderness, it really looks like a type of race I will love and really enjoy, an adventure. It’s a race I should have done years ago and a race I believe I really should have won but it always seemed to clash with either the WEC or the GNCC which I was competing in so it just never happened unfortunately.

C. Panny: We know you as very fast, physically and mentally strong sportsman. What will be your biggest challenges in the romanian wilderness?
David Knight: I think my biggest challenge is finding time to be fit enough to ride at my full potential. I missed a lot of the 2016 season due to a damaged hip which I had a full replacement fitted late November 2016 and was actually back riding in a month, although steady. It now feels better and better each month and now to the point that I feel better than I have since 2010. My fitness is coming back slowly but it’s very difficult to find time between my family life and work life to train enough to get back where I need to be.

C. Panny: How do you prepare for RBR? Will you do some special training with GPS?
David Knight: I already raced in Mexico where day 1 went really well on the GPS where I finished first, day 2 also was going great although I had issues with my GPS turning off. A mechanical problem put me out of the race whilst leading but I felt good, like I say I just need to be fitter. I’ll just continue to do as much riding as I can in difficult terrain like normal.

C. Panny: What are your expectations? Are you going for the podium or just for the finish line…?
David Knight: I would say I’d be made up with a podium, I have raced Graham bar to bar this year a couple of times. I think my riding was actually better, just let down by fitness. I’ll be in better shape for July but I’m not sure how good. My plan is to get a top 5 overall and maybe a top 3 position on one of the days, but most important is to have fun, gain the experience and come back in 2018 looking for a win, that is what I’m looking for, maybe it takes 2 years, maybe 3 but if I can I know I can make it happen, I know I still have the ability, it’s just trying to get myself back to my best physically and get enough bike time to feel comfortable whilst being a good Dad.

The 14th edition of the world’s toughest Extreme Enduro event runs under the code name “The Wild One”. With the wildest and most remote tracks ever, a “wild” party and quite a few new crazy ideas to spice things up for riders and spectators, things are about to get “different”… One of the most controversially discussed items so far: The big-twin travel Enduro battle between BMW and KTM! Touratech will send a heavily modified Extreme Enduro prototype of the BMW RnineT (1200cc) and KTM an Adventure 1090! Both big bikes will be piloted through the Red Bull Romaniacs (Iron class) by professional riders – the KTM by Chris Birch (former Red Bull Romaniacs Gold class winner) and the BMW by Gerhard Foster (former Red Bull Romaniacs Gold class podium). This has never been attempted and will be fun to watch…