Enduro News - 2006 World Enduro Championship Round 2 Portugal

2006 World Enduro Championship, Round 2 – Guimaraes, Portugal

Knighter dominates in Portugal

KTM Enduro Factory Team Farioli rider David Knight continued his winning ways in the ’06 World Enduro Championship by claiming victory in the Enduro 3 class on both days of the GP of Portugal. Winner on both days of the series opener in Sweden, Knighter added another 50 points to his world championship tally in Guimaraes and now leads the E3 class by 12 points from his KTM team-mate Marko Tarkkala. Topping the E3 class on both days in Portugal David also finished the opening day as the overall fastest rider in the event.

With conditions in Portugal in complete contrast to those in Sweden, dry, dusty and rocky special tests and a demanding course made the second round of the ’06 championship a challenging event for all competing. With fast and flowing motocross and enduro special tests the event’s extreme test was arguably the most challenging ever used in a WEC event causing problems for many of the series’ top riders. For David the extreme test proved tricky in places but allowed him to use his trials skills to open up a commanding lead in the E3 class on both days.

On day one David won all but one of the event’s eight special tests in the E3 class to finish one minute and 18 seconds ahead of team-mate Marko Tarkkala while Swede Bjorne Carlsson placed in third. Despite not being completely happy with his performances on the event’s extreme test Knighter comfortably outpaced his rivals and added to impressive performances on the motocross and enduro tests he also placed his factory KTM at the top of the unofficial overall results.

Day two was very much the same as day one for David as he topped all but one of the days’ special tests. But pushing too hard too soon David fell once on the first timed enduro test and then again, harder, on the first timed motocross test. Then stalling his bike on the first timed run through the extreme test it wasn’t until the end of the second lap that he was able to open up a gap at the top of the E3 class. Easing into his rhythm during the second and third laps David managed to open a commanding lead to claim his fourth Enduro 3 class win of the season.

David’s next event will be the third round of the World Enduro Championship held in Spain on May 13-14

David Knight: “Everything went well for me on day one. I was a little unsure of what to expect on the first lap but I just tried not to make any mistakes and things started well. The extreme test was really difficult but it was also good for me. I didn’t feel as if I was riding that well on that test but my times were really good. On the enduro and motocross tests I was just trying to use smooth lines because both tests were getting really rough. Obviously I wanted to win the Enduro 3 class but being the fastest overall rider as well was a great bonus.”

“I had another great day on day two but things didn’t start too well for me. I crashed on the first enduro test and then on the motocross test. It was only a small crash on the enduro test, which didn’t cost me much time, but my crash on the motocross test was pretty big. I was a bit eager at the end of the motocross test and crashed hard. I banged my head when I crashed so I was feeling a bit groggy for a while. I then stalled my bike in the next extreme test, so I wasn’t leading by much after the first couple of hours. I got myself sorted out after that and started to open up a good lead. I just tried to go too quick too soon and when I slowed down a bit on the second lap I was riding faster. I ended up winning, which is what I came to do, so I’m really happy with the way the whole weekend has gone.”

Edmondson performs well at GP of Portugal

PAR Homes Honda Racing Fast Eddy rider Paul Edmondson returned to World Enduro Championship action for the first time since round seven of the ’05 WEC series and finished in fifth and sixth positions in the Enduro 2 class at the GP of Portugal. Having opted to miss the opening round of the ’06 series in Sweden, in Portugal Edmondson performed well in the dry, rocky and challenging conditions managing to finish an impressive seventh overall on day one.

Knowing that the event’s highly technical extreme special test would likely play a key role in deciding the event’s results Edmondson put his trials skills to good use and recorded some of the opening day’s fastest times around the short but challenging test. Unable to match the blistering pace set by eventual day one winner Stefan Merriman, Edmondson rode within himself on the fast motocross and enduro tests, making up time on his rivals on the extreme test. Placing in third and fourth in class on the two timed runs through the extreme test Edmondson ended day one just over one-minute adrift of Merriman and only 20 seconds behind fourth placed rider Johnny Aubert to finish fifth.

On day two Edmondson performed in much the same way that he had on day one but failed to ride as well as he had on the extreme test on Saturday. Recording his best test times on the rough and rutted enduro and motocross tests, Paul was squeezed into sixth position by Spaniard Cristobal Guerrero. Despite dropping one position Edmondson finished ahead of several of the E2 class’s factory supported youngsters and despite having not competed at the first round of the ’06 WEC series now lies in 11th in the highly competitive Enduro 2 world championship standings.

Paul Edmondson: “With missing the last two rounds of the ‘05 world championship, and having decided not to travel to Sweden for the first race of this season, I’m more than pleased with the way things have gone for me here in Portugal. Finishing in fifth on day one was great, especially considering how competitive the Enduro 2 class is now. The names of the riders ahead of me say a lot about how competitive the class really is.

“I didn’t have any problems at all on day one and just wanted to make sure that I started my championship with a good point scoring ride, which I did. I was riding within myself and by making sure that I didn’t make any mistakes, especially on the extreme test, I kept myself right up there in the results. If the extreme test had been timed on the first lap I might have been able to get an even better result but finishing fifth and ahead of a lot of the factory supported riders is great.

“They made the extreme test a little bit easier on day two and for some reason I seemed to struggle on it a bit. I think I was pushing a little too hard. I managed to get through it with no problems on day one but I made some mistakes on day two. Finishing in sixth on day two is good. The Spanish rider Guerrero beat me, but I rode well so I’m happy with my result. All in all it’s been a cracking weekend. As well as being fifth in the E2 class on day one I was seventh overall, which I was over the moon with.”

Wakely makes promising start to ’06 WEC campaign

PAR Homes Honda Racing rider Si Wakely got his ’06 Enduro Junior world championship campaign off to a promising start at the second round of the ’06 World Enduro Championship series, the GP of Portugal, where he finished in ninth and sixth position in the hotly contested Enduro Junior class. Participating in his first WEC event of ’06, and competing on a 250cc two-stroke for the first time in international competition, Si performed well in the challenging Portuguese conditions and now lies in ninth position in the Enduro Junior world championship standings.

Settling into the first day’s competition with respectable times on the event’s enduro and motocross special tests Si, like many of the world’s best enduro riders, struggled to master the event’s highly technical extreme special test. Making several small mistakes on the two timed runs through the extreme test Si lost valuable time to his rivals and ended up finishing the opening day in ninth position. Despite being a little disappointed not to have placed higher in the day one EJ class results Si produced some impressive times on the event’s enduro test and arrived at the end-of-day service area with no damage to his machine – something few Enduro Junior riders managed to do.

Determined to improve on his day one result Si attacked the second day’s special tests placing sixth in class on both the first timed enduro and motocross tests. Again a little off the pace on the extreme test, Si remained upright and lost only a few seconds to his rivals. Again performing well on the enduro and motocross tests on the second and third laps Si ended the day with a much improved result and placed in sixth position.

Despite not competing in the opening round of the ’06 WEC series Simon is currently placed in ninth position in the Enduro Junior world championship standings.

Si Wakely: “Day one started off pretty well really but I made some mistakes on the extreme test, which cost me some time and put me down the results. It was so tight and technical that one mistake cost you a load of time. I felt really good on the enduro test and put in some good times there, which I was pleased with. For some reason I just couldn’t get into the motocross test. Although I felt that I was riding well I just couldn’t push as hard as I wanted to or needed to.

“Day two was a much better day for me. I was a little disappointed with finishing in ninth on day one, but at the same time I didn’t make any big mistakes and I just wanted to get the first day over with no problems. I felt a lot more settled on day two. I was quick on the motocross and enduro tests but I was still a little bit off the pace on the extreme test.

“I’m riding within my limits and know that I can push harder, which I will have to do in Spain. I need to start letting it hang out a bit more, like the other riders are. It’s been a difficult event but an enjoyable one. Both the course and the special tests were difficult. Just getting to the end of the extreme test with no mistakes was an achievement in itself. I should have had two top six finishes but I’m happy with the way things went. I’m looking forward to racing in Spain now.”

Mixed results for Stapleton and McConnell at the WEC GP of Portugal

Electraction TM UK riders Jake Stapleton and Euan McConnell ended the second round of the ’06 World Enduro Championship, the GP of Portugal, with a mixed bag of results with Stapleton placing in fourth and second positions in the Enduro Junior class while McConnell failed to finish day one due to an unusual mechanical problem before placing in 11th in the Enduro 2 class on day two.

With both riders having made promising starts to their ’06 WEC campaigns at the series opening winter enduro, in Portugal they were faced with very different conditions as dry, dusty tracks replaced the snow covered trails of Sweden. With each of the three laps of the Portuguese event featuring a fast, flowing enduro tests, a technical motocross test and an exceptionally difficult extreme test both riders found the event tough.

Determined to make up ground on Swede Joakim Ljunggren who topped the Enduro Junior class on both days at the WEC opener in Sweden, Jake Stapleton saw his day one results spoiled by a disastrous second run through the event’s extreme test. Having performed well on the motocross and enduro tests, despite not feeling 100 per cent settled in the lose and dusty conditions, Jake found himself stuck behind two riders on the extreme test on lap two, which cost him over 40 seconds. Had it not been for his problem on the extreme test Jake would have been in contention for the EJ class win on day one.

On day two Jake, still not feeling completely at home on the Portuguese terrain, continued to struggle a little on the extreme test but performed consistently to claim a well deserved runner-up position. Placing right behind Ljunggren on most of the second day’s special test, Jake finished just 20 seconds adrift of the Swede and five seconds ahead of day one winner Oriol Mena.

For Euan McConnell day one of the GP of Portugal ended in disappointment when his bike stopped en route to the end-of-day service area. Having performed well on some tests, and crashed on others, Euan’s bike came to a sudden stop just a few miles from the end of the event after a piece of the carburettor slide broke off and was swallowed by the engine.

With a new engine fitted for day two Euan started well placing in fifth position on the opening enduro test. Also performing well on the motocross test Euan found the technical extreme test challenging and placed in 13th in class on both of the two timed runs. Clearly enjoying the faster, flowing enduro test McConnell again performed well and on the third lap repeated his fifth place performance, which saw him place in 11th in the E2 class.

Jake currently sits in third position in the Enduro Junior world championship standings 19 points behind class leader Joakim Ljunggren from Sweden. Euan lies in 14th position in the Enduro 2 class.

Jake Stapleton: “I guess day one didn’t go too badly I just had some really bad extreme test, which spoiled my result. On the first lap I made a mistake and lost a bit of time but on the second lap I lost 40 second through no fault of my own because I got stuck behind some riders. That kind of ruined the whole day for me. I wasn’t great on the extreme test anyway but it’s just really frustrating when you get held up behind other riders, especially on tests where it affects your result. I had a few crashes on the trails as well, which derailed me a little bit.

“I struggled a bit on the extreme test on day two as well as on day one, but not as much as on Saturday. I didn’t have a great feeling with my bike on day two either but I kept pushing and put in some pretty good times. The tests got really rough and it was difficult not to make any mistakes. My result was a lot better than on day one so I’m happy with that but I know that I still could have ridden better. I need to work at my extreme test riding.”

Euan McConnell: “Not finishing day one was a big disappointment. I’d had a few crashes during the day but I was feeling really good on the bike and was really enjoying my riding. Without warning the bike stopped on the way back to the work area at the end of the day. It turned out that the slide in the carb had somehow broken and got sucked into the engine.

“Because we hadn’t had much time to fit a new engine for day two I was a bit concerned about the bike, but it worked perfectly. I stalled it on the extreme test and it took me about six kicks to get the bike started again, which obviously cost me time. The enduro tests were great, they were really fast and flowing and I was really having a go. I stalled it on the enduro test on the second lap but apart from that I had a good day. It was an enjoyable event but also a difficult one. The dust, rocks, rough tests and challenging test certainly made it a tiring event.”

Enduro 2 : Aubert and Merriman both win a day each

Having produced two impressive results at the opening round of the '06 WEC series, his first ever world championship enduro competition, UFO Corse Yamaha rider Johnny Aubert again showed just how talented a rider he is by claiming his first ever WEC win on day two in Portugal. In doing so Aubert made it the perfect weekend for the UFO Corse Yamaha squad as Stefan Merriman claimed top honours in the E2 class on day one.

On day one Merriman made up for his disappointments at the opening round of the series in Sweden and placed 19 seconds ahead of Finn Mika Ahola and a further 13 seconds ahead of Finn Samuli Aro. Finishing in fourth position, due in part to having struggled on the event's difficult extreme special test, Johnny Aubert placed in fourth.

On day two Aubert made none of the mistakes that had slowed his progress on day one and wanting to simply stand on the podium the former motocross racer claimed his first WEC victory. Winning seven of the day's eight special tests Aubert placed 23 seconds ahead of Mika Ahola with Merriman in third. In the E2 world championship standings Aubert is placed third, five points behind class leader Aro, with Merriman fourth.

Johnny Aubert (UFO Corse Yamaha Enduro 2 class - Day 1 fourth, Day 2 first: "It's absolutely fantastic to have had such a great weekend and to have won my first ever world championship enduro race. I still can't believe it. When I saw the motocross and enduro tests I was confident that I could do well, but when I saw the extreme test I thought that I would really struggle. On day one I did find it difficult on the extreme test, and that affected my result. I also had a one big crash on the enduro test. "On day two I wanted to improve my extreme tests and fight for a position on the podium, and I did that. I felt really good on day two - on all the special tests. Winning my first world championship race in my first season of enduro is fantastic. I want to thank the UFO Corse Yamaha team for all there help and support and I hope I can continue with my good results. "

Stefan Merriman (UFO Corse Yamaha Enduro 2 class - Day 1: first, Day third: "Winning on day one was great because things certainly didn't go to plan at the first round of the series in Sweden. I had a really good day, and enjoyed the event although it was really difficult. I got stuck on the extreme test, like most riders did, but that was my only real problem. "Day two was also good but Johnny was just faster than me. The tests got a lot rougher and I struggled a little with the long ruts in the corners. I pushed as hard as I could but it just wasn't enough. I know that with refinements to the bike's set-up I will be able to go faster so I'm looking forward to the next race in Spain. "

'Manxman' David Knight claimed top honours on both days in the Enduro 3 class finishing ahead of Finn Marko Tarkkala with Sweden's Bjorne Carlsson claiming third on both days.

Enduro 1 : Micheluz scores best career result at Guimaraes

UFO Corse Yamaha team rider Arnau Vilanova was still unable to compete in the second round of the '06 World Enduro Championship due to having injured his left foot while practicing at his home in Spain prior to the event. Portuguese rider Helder Rodrigues and UFO Corse Yamaha rider Maurizio Micheluz produced Yamaha's best results in the Enduro 1 class. With Rodrigues placing fourth on day one, Micheluz finished in fourth on day two to claim his best ever world championship result and in doing so lifted himself to sixth position in the Enduro 1 world championship standings.

At the head of the class Italian Simone Albergoni claimed his first win of the '06 season by topping the podium on day one. Locked in a close battle with reigning E1 world champion Ivan Cervantes just four seconds separated the pair at the end of the day. Placing in third on day one was Italian Alessandro Belometti.

On day two the top two finishing positions from day one were reversed with Cervantes claiming the win, 30 seconds ahead of Albergoni. Again placing third was Belometti.

Maurizio Micheluz (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 1 class - Day 1 eighth, Day 2 fourth: "The race was really difficult - not only the special tests but also the course because of the rocks and dust. But it has been a good weekend for me. I am really pleased to have finished fourth on day two because it is my best result in the WEC so far. Day one went pretty well for me and I was pleased with the way I was riding. But day two was much better. "I had a big crash on the enduro test, which made things hard for me but on day two I felt a lot better. The tests were really difficult but I enjoyed them. I didn't really have any problems so I am really happy. "

Results