BMW Motorrad Power Cup 2005:
What a racing season. What riders. And what a machine!

This year has offered motor racing fans with a top-class competition: the BMW Motorrad Power Cup 2005! 23 daring riders produced some breathtaking duels on the BMW K 1200 R with its 170 bhp. This kind of naked power hasn't been around since the old superbike days!

But that's as far as the similarity goes, apart from sheer speed - and even here the new machine used in the Power Cup 2005 reflects a higher class. After all, the new 1200 engine and the revolutionary chassis provide the riders with everything they need to ride a perfect line with real power.

The real challenge lay in the competition because in one way, the Power Cup 2005 was just like its successful predecessor, the Boxer Cup: everyone has the same raw material. So once again this year, riding skill, racing tactics and the sheer ambition of each individual rider was what determined success.

The riders were hungry for action - and for a place on the podium. Even in the very first race in Le Mans (FRA), it was clear that none of the favourites were going to surrender even a single millimetre of asphalt without a fight. And what began so spectacularly in France was to increase in tension three weeks later in Mugello, Italy.

What followed in Assen (NL) and Donington (GB) was sheer suspense. Showers and wet asphalt made for two amazingly close-run battles. Even before the adrenalin level had abated, the Italian Panichi saw the crowning glory of his victory series one week later at the Sachsenring (D). And in the race in Brno, Czech Republic, third place was enough for him to win an early triumph in the overall ranking of the BMW Motorrad Power Cup 2005.

Things got really exciting in the fight for second place of the overall rankings. The Belgian S. Legrelle and the Spaniard A. Tizon were only a point apart after the Brno race - and Tizon had a home advantage in Valencia! But he was unlucky and in spite of starting from pole position came out of the first lap in fourth place and finally landed in the gravel after luckily compensating for a front wheel skid. The dream of winning a BMW X3, the second-place prize, was over! It is now Sebastien Legrelle who has the prize in his garage. His 5th place in Valencia secured him 2nd place in the overall ranking - and so he was the happy recipient of the dream car.

Tizon's stunt performance was also good his fellow countryman Sergio Fuertes. After 18 hard laps, the latter finished first on his home circuit and made third place in the overall ranking - also winning the BMW HP2 Enduro. What a finish to this magnificent racing season!