Falls, mishaps, triumphs - Lion Florian had six EM rounds within eight days. Those were exhausting days.
Kegum / Erding - races in the European Motocross Championship are always tough. But in times of Corona it is really stressful. Lion Florian completed three qualifying sessions and six runs within eight days in Kegums, Latvia. Hot overtaking maneuvers, jumps, falls, technical breakdowns - 18-year-old Erdinger left nothing out. With his 250 cc machine he is currently in eleventh place in this EMX series.
Florian had no good memories of the 1780-meter route in Latvia, as he broke his arm here last year. And now, due to the corona, a condensed competition on the sandy racetrack in the Motocenter “Zelta Zirgs” was announced.
Qualifying and races took place on one day. Physically this meant a great challenge, especially since there was only an hour break between the two runs (25 minutes plus two laps).
In qualifying, the 18-year-old was only able to move into 18th place on the grid. “Unfortunately I didn't get a really good lap,” he quarrels with himself. And then he screwed up the start in the first run. “It felt like I was the last to take the first corner,” he says annoyed. But Florian rolled up the field from behind and finished tenth.
The start was much better in the second run. But then the fourth corner: "A driver in front of me got a kick in the rear wheel, so that he suddenly stood across in front of me and I drove into him," the KTM rider describes the situation. He immediately jumped back on the bike, “but unfortunately I couldn't breathe very well and had to finish the race after the fourth lap. In the overall standings, he therefore slipped to 17th place.
Next race day, next luck? This time Florian finished 15th in qualifying. The reason: He wanted too much, put down with footrests and handlebars when he jumped and had a crash. The result: Back in the box and repair your bike! "The rest of the time I tried my best again, but unfortunately there was far too often the yellow flag or too much traffic."
The first run didn't go according to plan either: a moderate start, catching up, slip and take-off during an overtaking maneuver. “Despite all the mishaps, I finished in 15th place,” reports Florian.
In the second run Erdinger came out of the gate much better, was already in the middle of the field in the first corner and fought his way forward. Then he wanted to overtake Mike Gwerder, but was blocked and drove into the rear tires of his former training partner. Florian got up again, but the bike no longer wanted. Premature end. On the second day of the race he finished 20th in the overall ranking.
Things went much better on the third day of the race, which he finished ninth. In qualifying, the 18-year-old set his fastest time on the first fast lap, which brought him 14th on the grid. A great start catapulted Florian way forward. In the first corner he was already in fifth place. In the end he came in seventh. It started just as well in the second run. But then the front tire slipped away. “It was more serious when another driver jumped me in the back with his front tire while overtaking,” he says. “I was able to keep myself on the bike, but that again cost me time and drained my concentration and strength.” Thanks to his adrenaline level, he still crossed the finish line in 14th place.
In eleventh place, he will tackle the second part of the EM series from October. Italy, Belgium, Spain will then be the other stops. The Erdinger is still aiming for a podium place in the overall classification - a demanding goal in a competition where it is not uncommon for 80 drivers to fight for 40 starting positions. Always right in the middle: the young Erdinger, who has already recovered from the individual mishaps or falls and puts the whole thing into perspective: "I'm doing very well, until now I've always been lucky and only got bruises and abrasions."
The EM continues to be his focus. Even the ADAC Masters has to move into the second tier. For example, because of the European Championship race in Mantova, Erdinger has decided not to start a Masters race that is taking place at the same time, which is very annoying, "because the ADAC has up to 68,000 euros," he reports.