Another Singapore rider goes for Romaniacs
The Red Bull Romaniacs is one of the hardest enduro races in the world
In less than a month, dirt rider Richard Lim will be on a two-wheel adventure which only a handful of riders from Singapore have previously embarked on.
He will be participating in the four-day Red Bull Romaniacs in Romania from July 25.
It is one of the hardest enduro races in the world, where riders negotiate unforgiving natural terrain - including steep mountain slopes and rock-filled streams.
On average, only half the competitors will finish the race, based on previous competitions.
Despite the odds, Mr Lim, an industrial engineer, is set on giving the Romaniacs a "go".
He told The New Paper recently during a training session here: "(I want) to see the outside world. No matter how much I grow, I'm still in a pond.
"I need to see how much I'm lacking and bring the experience to our community."
I's not as if he is going there with just blind faith.
Mr Lim, 39, has been competing in enduro races for 13 years in Malaysia, winning some of them in his class.
When not racing, he cuts out trails for competitions in Malaysia and shares riding tips with novices.
Added the stocky rider, who will be racing in the Romaniac's Silver Class: "The massive hills over there are going to be challenging, as well as the amount of riding each race day."
Competitors are expected to complete between 100km and 250km of riding each day.
PROLOG
The race begins with the Prolog, a time trial with man-made obstacles - logs, tree stumps, wooden ramps - put in the riders' way.
When the off-road section gets underway the next day, there will be compulsory service stops where riders are required to take a break and get their dirt bikes serviced or repaired.
While marshals will be present on parts of the route, riders generally have to fend for themselves when faced with crashes, emergencies or situations like punctured tyres or broken levers.
Mr Lim will be renting a 2017 300cc KTM two-stroke dirt bike for the race as it will allow him to focus solely on the race and not on logistics.
So far, he is "on budget" after spending close to $10,000on hotel accommodation, bike rental, competition fee and other expenses.
Help from sponsors and his wife, who single-handedly looks after their three children when Mr Lim trains and rides in Malaysia, has proved vital.
Mr Lim said: "(I received) massive support from Goldentyre Singapore for off-road tyres and mousses for all my hard riding and training. Hart (Victor) did my race logistics for me too. This trip would have been impossible if not for him."
Mr Victor, the local distributor for Goldentyre, had previously taken part in the Romaniacs.
He said: "When you meet someone like (Mr Lim) who is doing so much for the riding community without expecting anything in return, you have to help, whatever way you can."
Mr Lim is also supported by KTM distributor Dirt Wheel and Hodaka Motoworld, which provides him with TCX off-road boots.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now