Now Reading: Prologue Complete, the Real Battle Awaits! HARD ENDURO POIANA RUSCĂ 2025 – DAY 1 REPORT
- 01
Prologue Complete, the Real Battle Awaits! HARD ENDURO POIANA RUSCĂ 2025 – DAY 1 REPORT
Prologue Complete, the Real Battle Awaits! HARD ENDURO POIANA RUSCĂ 2025 – DAY 1 REPORT
The 8th edition of Hard Enduro Poiana Ruscă opened in style, living up to its reputation as one of Romania’s most demanding and exciting enduro races. Known for its unpredictable terrain and intense elevation changes, the event kicked off with a dry, dusty, and fast-paced prologue.
In the PRO class, Slovakian rider David Cyprian took the win by just 32 seconds ahead of Romania’s Norbert Levente Jozsa. The two rode neck and neck through the special test, with Cyprian maintaining a consistent rhythm from the start.
“Today it was good, pretty fast but nice trails. I had good rhythm from the start and pulled a small gap. Overall solid day, but real racing starts tomorrow and they guys are hungry – but so am I.” said Cyprian.
Jozsa Norbert fought the entire stage in Cyprian’s dust:
“It was a fast day, full of dust – mostly the one lifted by David’s rear wheel. Tomorrow I will push hard.” said Master Bike Cluj’s rider.
The surprise (or not) of the day came from Kornel Ott – GoRacing – Beta Romania, who climbed onto the podium from a 13th starting position. “I liked the track today, even though I started from 13th position. It was fast and had a great flow.”
EXPERT CLASS
The Expert class saw a tight battle at the top, with David Ioan Ignat setting the fastest time of 1:10:12. Ignat was smooth and composed, holding off close contenders throughout the special. Just 26 seconds behind, Lucian Clapa put in a consistent ride, showing he’s ready to push harder in the longer stages. Third place went to Pawel Zackiewicz, who finished only three seconds behind Clapa. With all three riders within a 30-second window, the fight for the top spot in this class is wide open heading into Day 2.
VETERAN CLASS
Zdenek Cyprian dominated the Veteran category, finishing with a solid time of 1:15:38 and a significant lead over the rest of the field. His clean riding and experience made a big difference on a fast and technical prologue. Bart Stroișteanu claimed second place, trailing by just over five minutes, while Piotr Gorka secured third with a strong and steady performance. Expect fierce competition among the veterans on the more demanding terrain to come.
WOMEN’S CLASS
The Women’s class was led by Kalina Maria Pustelnik, who delivered a confident and composed ride, finishing the prologue in 1:26:09. She was followed by Maria Grigoraș, who showed good pace but couldn’t close the gap in the dusty conditions. In third, Celine Mareș rounded out the podium with a respectable time. The distances between the top three remain manageable, making Day 2 a promising showdown.
HOBBY CLASS
In the Hobby class, Denis Adrian Apati impressed with the fastest time of the day across all classes, completing the course in under one hour (0:59:00). His aggressive but controlled style set him apart from the rest. Ioan Chiujdea and Matyas Kubovy completed the podium, both within five minutes of the lead time. With a big field and close margins, Day 2 could bring major changes in the standings.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Tomorrow, riders will face 100 kilometers of pure Hard Enduro terrain – the kind that defines Poiana Ruscă: steep climbs, technical switchbacks, rocky descents, and forested mayhem. The prologue may have set the tone, but nothing is certain yet. Stay tuned for a brutal and thrilling Day 2 – the real hard enduro starts now.
Will Cyprian maintain his lead under pressure? Can Jozsa and Ott turn the tables? And who will rise from the dust to surprise the field?
