Simo Kirssi keeps going from strength to strength. The BMW Husqvarna Motorsport factory rider has claimed victory in the first-ever Battle-X event. Following five consecutive wins in Cross Country races across Europe, 30-year-old Kirssi used the new Extreme Enduro competition to determine his abilities in such events and as a preparation for the gruelling Roof of Africa event in November.

The two-day Battle-X was held at the Waffenrod amusement park in Thuringia, Germany, in very warm conditions. The inaugural Battle-X was characterised by a combination of eight large and five smaller artificial obstacles and the participants included some recognised German pro riders, who not only had to deal with the brutal heat, but also with four gruelling qualifying heats.

Kirssi kept a low profile during the first three of them. The talented Scandinavian rider finished second in the ‘Torture Test’, the ‘Sudden Death’ and Sunday morning’s ‘Rising Sun’, before making short work of his rivals in the ‘Final Destination’, where he scored seven straight start-finish victories to win the overall event in dominating fashion.

"Races like the Battle-X do certainly have a future – they’re good for the riders to display their talent and good for the fans who are close to the action. I believe the difficulty level could be somewhat higher, though," said the Finn, who regularly trains with a trials motorcycle.

Overall classification Battle-X 2010

1. Simo Kirssi, BMW Husqvarna Motorsport
2. Daniel Hähnel, KTM
3. Ralf Scheidhauer, Husqvarna
4. Thomas Günther, Husaberg
5. Matthias Weichselmann, Yamaha
6. Phillip Storz, Yamaha
7. Seppo Suttner, KTM
8. Reini Rauch, KTM
9. Thomas Arnold, KTM
10. Andre Engelmann, KTM