KRONSEDER Norman DEU 10/02/1963 183 cm 88 kg

Vehicle

MODEL	MAKE
RALLY 690 REPLICA	KTM

RANKING

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
Scratch	66	76	77	99	92	75	119	101	94	69	-	109	83	76
Stage	66	76	77	95	92	75	111	100	92	79	-	109	81	76	-	-
Overall	66	67	64	62	64	63	72	81	79	76	-	85	84	82	-	-

Norman Kronseder: “My wife will be my lucky charm”

Norman Kronseder had promised he would “finish the Dakar before reaching 40”. But a strange curse seems to hit him as soon as he takes part in the world’s most famous rally. First appearance in 2003: his compatriot Jutta Kleinschmidt hits him with 100 kilometres to go before the Lac Rose. As a result to that: a shattered leg, a first withdrawal and the opening piece of the German evening news. The following year, while Jutta Kleinschmidt was forgiven after paying his registration fee, he got lost in the Mauritanian desert and had to wait two days for a rescue team to come and find him. In 2006 after a nasty fall, he broke all his ribs. Finally last year his bike broke down halfway through the rally. “The worst thing is that I always managed to reach the finish of all the other races that I did”, laughs the farmer whose motivation is almost untouched. Today at 45 years of age, he has changed his ambition: “to finish the Dakar before reaching 50!” And this year, the German seems to have all the chances with him. Twelve years ago, Norman and his brother did a memorable bike trip: Buenos Aires-Ushuaia (8000 kilometres, 18 days). “I therefore know the tracks well of the first five stages”. Add to that the fact the 680 KTM of the previous years has become a stronger KTM 690. But most of all, this year Norman is taking his wife as a mechanic on the rally. And he hopes she will act as a “lucky charm”.

Dakar start photos on line: www.maindruphoto.com

»