TBT in pictures: GP Sidecars Teutschenthal 2006!
For many years now, the MXGP has been a regular guest in the East of Germany when they compete for World Cup points in Teutschenthal. About fourteen years ago it was the turn of the sidecars to drive a GP in front of a very enthusiastic German audience. Daniël Willemsen was the undisputed leader at the time, but everything turned out differently in Teutschenthal.
So different that for the first time in decades, a 4-stroke power source was seen winning a GP sidecar! The East German Marco Happich from neighboring Jenau was the home favorite, despite a good score it was another German who surprisingly scored even better!
We take you through some photos to give you an idea of these memorable Grand Prix Sidecars in 2006.
Willemsen/Verbrugge were the men to beat and on Saturday they were by far the fastest combination in the then timed qualifying.
The Dutch Marcel Grondman/Martijn Geerdink missed by less than half a second
qualifying for the GP and were forced to watch on Sunday.
The ever-fanatic French brothers Bigand also fished just behind the net for qualification and that brought mutual satisfaction
Both brothers suffered quite a bit of frustration afterwards.
Reason to cheer for Marc van Deutekom. He managed to get together with just before the French brothers Bigand
Patrick Greup can be qualified for the GP on Sunday.
Joris Hendrickx/Eli Piccart had a good Saturday but later a mixed GP
due to a retirement in the second heat.
It had rained heavily during the night from Saturday to Sunday and the warm-up was over
a mud bath.
The baking artist Reto Grutter from Switzerland, who was previously unknown to the general public
working fanatically in the warm-up.
The Dutch brothers Thijs and Roy Derks were also present and would arrive later in the day
score points in the second heat.
The story of the GP was the terrible performance of Daniël Willemsen/Sven Verbrugge.
During the first heat, after a bad start, they crashed into the back of the two crashed sidecars of The Dutch
Van Duijnhoven/Verhagen and the Belgians Nicky Pulinx/Ludo Sommers.
A catch-up race did not get them further than fifth place in the first heat.
The second round initially went well for Willemsen/Verbrugge until they crashed out of the race!
A rare DNF found out the name of the undisputed World Champion in Teutschenthal.
The German 'local matador' Happich here in pursuit of the Dutch Van den Boomen/Van der Wiel.
In the final result they narrowly missed the podium.
The name Willemsen and the number 111 are now a very familiar image. That was also the case in 2006.
However, it was then brother Marcel Willemsen who, together with Bjorn Roes in the arena, controlled the GPs with #111
Enough interest in the sidecars in Teutschenthal in 2006. Thousands of spectators and one
TV report where they even used a helicopter.
There was also plenty of spectacle to see, of course! Here part of the Dutch air force
in formation with Schrijver/Wohlfahrt in front, Willemsen/Verbrugge behind and with the
white helmets Van der Boomen/Van der Wiel.
Part of the Belgian air fleet passed by in a different formation with Hendrickx/Smeunickx flying here
flying past Kristof Santermans/Patrick Nieuwenhuizen.
The two sidecars of Rozenhal and Cermak were the irons in the fire for the Czech Republic for years.
The two eternal competitors avoided each other in both the national competitions
as the GPs rarely do.
Bakkenist Smeunickx almost slips out of the box just after the first corner of the second heat.
Rider Jan Hendrickx tries to grab him….
Just in time, Jan grabbed his buddy Tim by the arm...
And like a dancing ballerina, Smeuninckx can easily grab the outstretched hand of rider Hendrickx
really appreciate it because this keeps him on board. They would even finish fourth after this
anxious moment at the start of the second round.
Not the German Happich but fellow countrymen Brustmann/Urich really stole the show and surprisingly won the second heat
winning, so that the same Happich was also able to climb onto the day's podium in third place.
The Russians Scherbinin/Sosnovskihk were invariably customers in the sub-top of the
global sidecar cross.
A tough brawl between the Belgians Pulinx/Sommers
and the English combination of Stuart Brown/Luke Peters.
By winning the first heat and taking second place in the second heat
the Latvians Rupeiks/Kurpnieks took their only GP win ever. This has also been the case for a long time
another GP victory was claimed by a 4-stroke powered sidecar combination.
The heyday of Zabel alone seemed to be definitively over.
Also a reason to laugh for Johan Smit. Together with baking player Notten he won in the second heat
to take the necessary World Cup points back to Markelo in the Netherlands.
A rare sight in the mid-2000s. A GP Sidecar podium without Daniël Willemsen.
Maris Rupeiks receives a well-deserved champagne shower from second man Andy Burgler from Switzerland, which he in turn receives in return from bakingist Kurpnieks. The German baking artist Urich, who came third with Brustmann, is still holding his flowers and therefore cannot handle the bottle.
The winning baking artist Kurpnieks apparently understands well that your flowers are still just budding
sitting properly must be provided with enough moisture…
Photos Orangehat.nl
Text Emil Bilars
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