Rallye Breslau: The Mega-Edition

Story by the staff of 4Low
Photos provided

The oldest off-road rally in Europe celebrated its over 25-year history with 403 rally teams from 25 nationalities officially entered in Rallye Breslau.  A good rally pits man and machines against nature to challenge and grow both capabilities. Rallye Breslau has been doing both since 1995.

The origin story of any off-road competition starts with the enthusiasts.  The ones that are told, “it can’t be done.” Often, it begins with a group of friends who haven’t thought through the safety aspects; they show up in shorts and t-shirts, cheap 4×4 vehicles, and the rules written on a piece of notebook paper. Roadbooks are handwritten, GPS is not covered; it’s just time with friends to get a little crazy, get a little dirty, and play in the mud. Rallye Breslau has just such a story.

Today, the world has changed, the teams are professionals, the regulations are written and published, the technical regulations are detailed and rigorous. High-end racecars are the norm, the crazy misfits are now businessmen and motorsports professionals.

History

1995, München-Breslau. The first race of the Breslau series takes place starting from Munich (35 cars, 20 motorcycles, and 5 trucks) and arriving in Wroclaw (Breslau in German).

2000, Berlin-Breslau. Departure is now in Berlin; 65 cars, 50 motorcycles, and 15 trucks. Heavy traffic at Alexanderplatz created problems for racers and regular motorists alike.

2001. Another move of the start, this time to a lignite mine near Senftenberg.

In 2006, the last start from Senftenberg, the lignite mine area was flooded afterward and renaturated.

2007, Dresden-Breslau. The start was moved to Dresden, capital of the German state of Saxony

2011 Breslau. The first start from Poland, with the finish in Germany. Record number of participants in Breslau with more than 370 vehicles. Bulgarian Alexander Kovatchev became the organizer.

2016, Breslau Poland. Breslau changes its name to Breslau Poland.

2018, Breslau 500. Breslau 500 (3 days of competition) is added to the classic Breslau to compensate for the cancellation of the Baja Deutschland.

In October 2019, Baja Europe was born, which takes place in Poland

2019, the race started from Gwda Wielka to celebrate the 25th edition of the Rallye Breslau. The event ends at the Drawsko Pomorskie military shooting range.

At the start line in 2021 were:

56 Motorcycles

51 Quads

92 UTV’s

91 Cross Country cars

33 Extreme Cars

32 Cross Country Trucks

18 Extreme Trucks

30 Vehicles in the Exhibition, Discovery Category

The Race

The initial bivouac is at Drawsko Pomorskie, large enough for the expanded field. The Grand Finale will be overlooking Lake Wielimie at Gwda Wielka. Rally Director Alexander Kovatchev said, “Rallye Breslau has never been bigger than this year, and it seems that we are even bigger than the Dakar of 2021. We expect more than 400 competitor teams. This is a huge challenge, but we have a very good concept that we have been continuously improving. In the last ten years, we have changed a lot in terms of organization. We race Monday to Friday, so participants only need five working days. Everyone can go back to work on Monday after the rally. The separation of the cars and motorcycles, the accurate timekeeping and satellite tracking (both developed entirely in-house), the ability to communicate when overtaking or in danger, together with the top trained ORGA, make Rallye Breslau a world leader and trendsetter in sporting and safety perspectives. Our communication and marketing are well structured, competent, and honest because we “speak the language” of the competitors. We are a multinational family where people respect and care for each other and where the good old spirit of motorsport has never left. Finally, yet importantly, our entry fees are very favorable. Being regularly asked by other organizers how we could achieve this, I answer that we are the “Lidl” of rallies. There you will find everything you need, of good quality and very affordable”.

Any off-road vehicle can participate in the Rallye Breslau. Since its origins, together with 4×4 vehicles, motorcycles and trucks have challenged each other, and it is still so today. Motorcycles, Quads, UTV’s, 4×4, and Trucks are competing on the same routes and with the same obstacles. Deep rivers and the impregnable swamps crossed at the same time by every type of vehicle have become unforgettable.

In these five days of competition, 1455km were covered in the Cross Country category, while in the Extreme 1300km. It’s not just the length of the race that makes Breslau challenging and difficult. It is the sandy and winding tracks, the narrow tracks in the forest, the navigation that must be precise, the hard marathon day with the night stage and, for the Extreme, the insidious and impregnable swamps and marshes that make Breslau Poland the legend that it is.

Day 1-2 – the military polygon at Drawsko has put vehicles and crews to the test. 169 km during the day lead to 80 km of the night stage. The leaders all changed during this stage. Day three saw a relaxed start as the teams moved from the initial bivouac to the final bivouac for the rest of the competition. The most extreme zones have been driven, but more challenges await.

Day 4 – the rain begins. Is it even a rally without the rain? Two starting groups with different courses to traverse. On day 5, the two groups will switch courses.  It takes 150 volunteers and staff to manage the rally. Over 1000 km have already been run. The challenge continues in the mud. The final day will hold another 170 km of selective stages that will include soft sandy tracks.

Are you up for the challenge? All nationalities are encouraged, Americans are noticeably absent from the list. https://rallye-breslau.com/