Round One of the Euro 4X Series 2011

Team ChainReactionCycles.com/Nukeproof riders Lukas and Michael Mechura raced at the first round of the 2011 Euro 4X Series in Houffalize, Belgium, at the weekend. Lukas, who is the current Euro 4X title-holder, was knocked out in the 1/8 final while Michael went out in his heat.

Lukas reports from the weekend:

“The first race of this series was in Houffalize, Belgium, on the same weekend as the cross-country World Cup round.

Race day on Sunday turned out to be a very long day, with the time schedule changing about three times. The whole event finished more than four hours later than it should have.



There were 63 riders from all over the world taking part, and we were missing just a few top world-class riders like Jared Graves, Roger Rinderknecht and Guido Tschugg.

The track wasn’t in a great shape, and the corners were full of dust and so slippery.

I finished tenth in quali so it wasn’t too bad for me, and Michael took 14th place. In the race I won my first heat – so did Michael – then in the 1/8 final I was attacked from the inside of the corner by a German guy and we both crashed, ending my race.

Michael clipped off the pedal on the first straight from the lead and fell down to third place in his heat, which was the end for him too.

So that was our second race of the season and we’re getting ready for the next round of the Euro 4X Series in two weeks in Poland.”