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KTM Farioli Enduro Factory Support Team rider David Knight has extended his lead at the top of the Enduro 3 World Championship standings following yet more impressive performances in this year’s Enduro World Championship. A double E3 class winner at the dry and dusty GP of Spain, Knight narrowly missed the top step of the podium on day one of the GP of Portugal, beaten by his closest championship rival Christophe Nambotin by just two seconds. On day Knight showed his true class and dominated the proceedings to claim a commanding 27-second winning margin. Conditions at the GP of Portugal were very different to those at last week’s GP of Spain. Rain during the days leading up to the event, and heavy downpours during both Friday and Saturday nights, added to a rock littered and technical course, ensured a demanding two days. Winning the Friday night Super Test Knight started the first day ahead having just edged out his KTM team-mate Simone Albergoni. Following a day-long battle with Christophe, David finished as runner-up. Day two saw the Manxman back at the top of the E3 class results as he revelled in the tough conditions. Winning four of the day’s special tests and easing his pace as the day neared its close, he enjoyed a near 30-second winning margin and secured his third day win out of four so far this season. David now has an eight-point lead at the top of the E3 championship standings. Knighter’s next event will be the second and third rounds of the British Enduro Sprint Championship, which takes in Dorset, England, on April 24/25. David Knight: ‘It’s been a really good weekend. I’m a little bit disappointed that I wasn’t able to win on day one as things were so close, but I guess I made up for it with the win on day two. Saturday was one of those days when I was riding well but the times just weren’t coming for me. We made some changes to my bike at the end of the day, which I wasn’t completely sure would work, but it seemed to do the trick. My biggest problem with the tests being so tight and twisty was that I was between gears at times. That was enough to allow Christophe to get the upper hand. Once we made the changes the second day started well. We made some alterations to the bike during the day as well, and I think we really know what do to improve things in different conditions now. Although it’s been a tough weekend I feel more confident in my riding and in the way I know the bike now. I feel more confident than I did going into Spain. I know that I can perform well on any extreme test, but I really had to work hard on the enduro and motocross tests here on day one. On day two the times came a little easier, which is what was so encouraging. I’m really pleased with the way Spain and Portugal have gone. I’m looking forward to the rest of the championship now.’ Other Brits The opening Super Test got the event off to an interesting start. MPS Racing's Alex Rockwell set the 5th fastest time. Tom Sagar on the Putoline Fasteddy Suzuki was 10th & KTM's David Knight was 19th. TM Electraction's Josh Green was 15th while Phil McLaughlin was off the pace in 77th. Australian Junior Toby Price was the early leader. Tom Sagar retired on the second test when a short circuit in his lighting cause his electrics to fail. By the end of the third test the top 10 began to look more familiar. Finland's Mika Ahola was in the lead from Johnny Aubert. David Knight was 5th. After T6 David Knight was lying in 10th & 3rd in the E3 class but a magnificent T7 time lifted him into 3rd overall ahead of Albergoni & Nambotin. TC7 took out Phil McLaughlin & Alex Rockwell. Rocky's engine couldn't keep up with him. Spain's Lorenzo Santolino won the juniors ahead of Jeremy Joly. Josh Green was 6th. Results
Australian Josh Green has claimed a podium finish, placing third in the Enduro Junior class at the GP of Portugal – round two of the ’10 EWC series. Making his EWC debut one week ago at the GP of Spain, where he placed eighth on day two following a day one DNF after he broke multiple spokes in his front wheel after over jumping an obstacle on the extreme test, Josh upped his pace in Portugal to finish with solid six/three results. Details Competing as the lone Electraction TM UK team rider following the withdrawal of Enduro 1 class rider Phillip McLaughlin who having crashed heavily in Spain quickly realised he was in no fit state to compete in Portugal, Green made a cautious start to the Friday night Super Test before recording the second fastest EJ class time on Saturday’s opening test. Although finding the natural extreme test difficult, Josh set some impressive times throughout the day on both the enduro and motocross tests to end up sixth in class, less than two seconds behind the fifth placed rider, and only 10 seconds from the podium. With the tough Portuguese event to his liking Josh matched his runner-up finish from the opening day’s first test on Sunday and vastly improving his performances on the extreme test set about claiming a top three result. Pushed every step of the way by GP of Spain winner Victory Guerrero and pre-season Enduro Junior title favourite Jeremy Joly, Josh held his own producing consistently fast test times. After close to 50 minutes of special test racing, and having posted the fastest time of any EJ class riders during the day’s eighth special test, Josh secured the final rostrum spot keeping Guerrero behind him and placing less than 10 seconds behind runner-up Frenchman Joly. Josh now sits seventh in the ’10 Enduro Junior championship standings with the GP of Italy the next round of the ’10 EWC series on May 22/23. Josh Green (TM EN 300): ‘I seemed to struggle on day one but on day two things began to click for me. The bike ran perfectly and I didn't have any dramas, which really helped. I re-walked the extreme test last night with Phil, my team-mate, and we picked out some new lines and that helped me stay clean on it all day. It was a close battle all day with Toby Price and Jeremy Joly but I wanted the podium pretty badly and pushed everything I had into that last lap. Between now and Italy, I need to work on my suspension setup as I'm riding on stock equipment as I missed out on testing when I had to go back home to Australia before the first race. I'm just really thankful to the team, and Nick the owner, for giving me the opportunity to be here in Europe to prove myself. It's been a brilliant weekend for me and one I hope I can build on.’ Phillip McLaughlin (TM EN 250 FI): ‘The weekend ended before it started for me really. I still wasn't 100 per cent after my crash last weekend. I tried to convince myself that I would be OK but as the race progressed on Saturday my vision began to blur and my reaction times were way off. I knew then it was time to stop before I injured myself.’
CH Racing Husqvarna team rider Antoine Meo has claimed a double Enduro 1 class win at the second round of the ’10 Enduro World Championship, the GP of Portugal. Following on just five days after the opening round of the EWC series, despite very different weather and track conditions the GP of Portugal proved to be another testing event – one in which Meo placed his TE250 at the top of the E1 class podium in style. Coming out on top of a hard fought day-long battle with countryman Johnny Aubert on day one Meo claimed more than a 50-second winning advantage on day two. Knowing that he would have to perform at his very best in order to repeat the day one victory he enjoyed at the GP of Spain, Antoine ensured he completed the rain soaked Friday night Super Test cautiously before attacking the opening lap of the first day. Finding his feet during the opening lap, Antoine was soon up to speed and locked in competition with Aubert. Looking like he had the upper hand Meo made a costly mistake on the penultimate test, losing 10 seconds. Arriving at the final test of the day knowing that anything other than a winning time would see him finish second, Antoine came out on top finishing four seconds ahead of Spain’s Cristobal Guerrero with Aubert third to take the E1 class winner. Day two saw Meo make a committed start as he set about bettering the runner-up result he claimed at the GP of Spain. Winning five of the day’s 10 special tests, and never placing lower than second in class, Antoine was gifted a 30 second lead after just two tests following a mistake by Aubert. Controlling his lead throughout the remainder of the day Meo finished first, 51 seconds ahead of Aubert. Antoine Meo – Enduro 1: “It’s been a near perfect weekend for me. I made a big mistake in the final extreme test on the first day, lost 10 seconds, and Johnny moved to the front of the E1 class. I had to give the final test absolutely everything to win the day and I was able to be six seconds faster, which was enough for victory. I was really pleased with that. It was a hard day and to come out on top was great for everyone in the team. During the second day I just tried not too make any mistakes and keep a good rhythm going, which I did. Johnny made some mistakes this weekend, which of course helped me, but I know that Johnny will fight back. For now I am extremely pleased and to have a small points lead is great.” Finn Matti Seistola and Australian Chris Hollis battled their way through the GP of Portugal to score points on both days. Although both riders failed to make any impression on the top five of the E1 class Matti’s two seventh place finishes were the result of a solid weekend’s work. Although Matti, like many riders, found the extreme test difficult, and with mistakes costing him precious time, he now sits sixth in the E1 championship standings. New to Enduro World Championship racing, and having gotten over the stomach bug that prevented him from starting the second day of the GP of Spain, Chris Hollis continued to gain experience aboard his TE250, showing on occasions that he has the speed to finish inside the top six of the e1 class. Matti Seistola – Enduro 1: “It was quite a difficult weekend as I struggled to find good speed and began making too many mistakes by pushing too hard. I needed to be more consistent on the technical sections. One lap, I crashed on the Extreme Test, which lost me nearly 45 seconds. Not the best of weekends” Chris Hollis – Enduro 1: “I'm slowly adapting to the way the races are run here in Europe. It's completely different than to what I've ridden back home. I didn't suffer any problems, I know that my pace isn’t fast enough yet but that’s something that I can work on. There’s lots of room for improvement. At the minute I'm trying to improve the little things, learning how to ride the rocks on the trail and then transfer that to the extreme test. But overall, I'm pleased with both myself and the bike.” Pushing through the pain barrier for a second consecutive weekend and racing with broken bones in his right hand Seb Guillaume finished the GP of Portugal as the CH Racing Husqvarna team’s best performing E3 class rider following two more impressive rides. Although team-mate Bartosz Oblucki finished one place higher on day one in fifth, the Pole failed to finish day two. Seb, having placed sixth on day one found the rougher track on day two extremely difficult but nevertheless toughed it out to finish fifth. Seb currently sits fifth in the E3 championship standings. Seb Guillaume Enduro 3: “This weekend was very difficult for me as again I had to race with a broken hand. Yesterday was better because the course was smoother with fewer bumps. Today I struggled with my grip, trying to hold on in the deep ruts. But to finish fifth and sixth is a good result and keeps my championship alive. I have almost a month between now and Italy, so I will try to rest and heal my injury so I can be stronger at the next round.”
KTM Enduro Factory Team's Johnny Aubert of France scored two second places in rounds 3 and 4 of the E1 Enduro World Championship in Fafe Portugal to add another 44 points to his title challenge. His factory teammate Eero Remes joined him on the podium on Sunday after finishing in third place, one up on his result on Saturday. Good team result "Johnny put in some good riding this weekend. He did make some mistakes and he was a bit slower in the MX test but he was very fast in the Enduro and the Extreme tests. Eero went very well this weekend and we can be happy to have had both of these riders on the podium," said factory team boss Fabio Fairoli. "The conditions on Saturday were quite tricky because we had a lot of rain but it did stop before the race got underway today and that was much better for the riders." Juniors also do well on KTM There was also good action on the track in the Enduro Junior division with KTM-supported rider Lorenzo Santolino of Italy powering his Austrian-made machine home in first place on both Saturday and Sunday. Australia's Toby Price, recent winner of the Australian Four Day Enduro finished 14th on his KTM in his first face-off against European rivals on Saturday and then bumped himself up the order by two places on Sunday The Portuguese track gave the riders a lot of technical challenges over the three 60 km laps. Parts of the course featured rocky surfaces and this was slippery in Saturday's wet conditions. Cervantes tops podium in E2 World Championships Round Four. KTM Enduro Factory Team Ivan Cervantes of Spain came away from Rounds 3 & 4 of the E2 World Championship with a 2-1 result in Fafe, Portugal at the weekend to draw the battle lines with his arch rival Mika Ahola. After the four rounds on the Iberian Peninsular Cervantes and Ahola share the standings lead with equal points and equal podiums in what is quickly shaping up to be a battle royal for the 2010 title. The results this weekend for Cervantes and Ahola are a mirror image of last week's competition in Spain and Cervantes, the reigning E3 world champion is in top physical shape. Teammate Thomas Oldrati also had a good weekend on the 60km technical track finishing with a fifth place on Saturday and a podium third on Sunday. Both Cervantes of Spain and the Italian Oldrati attracted praise from team boss Fabio Farioli after the two rounds who said they were both "incredibly fast over what was a hard and bumpy surface" this weekend. French KTM rider Pierre-Alexandre Renet also had a good weekend's competition, finishing fourth on Saturday and sixth on Sunday. Riders had to complete three loops of the 60km circuit partly through eucalyptus forests and over rocky terrain that proved especially tricky in Saturday's wet conditions. Knight and Albergoni on the E3 podium in Portugal KTM-supported rider David Knight and KTM Enduro Factory Team's Simone Albergoni added a good dash of Orange to the results of Rounds 3&4 of the E3 World Championship at the weekend when they both made the podium on Saturday and Sunday. Knight, who returns to ride KTM in the 2010 season, was second on Saturday only to go one step higher in the honours on Sunday while Albergoni of Italy came away with a 3-2 result for his efforts. David, who won both the opening rounds in Spain last weekend, now comfortably settles into the lead in the E3 standings. A prominent figure in world class Enduro racing, he has now dispelled any doubts about his level of competition this season and was clearly at home on the tricky and technical course that Portugal had to offer. Albergoni has also made an impressive start to the season, negotiating his way over the technical terrain with admirable skill, is now firmly in third place in the standings behind Knight and their joint French rival Christoph Nambotin. After the opening events in Spain and Portugal the World Enduro Championship will reconvene in Italy at the end of May for the next two rounds. Cristophe Nambotin got his first victory in this Season of the Enduro World Championship in Fafe (Portugal) The GAS GAS rider Cristophe Nambotin got his first victory in the second test of this World Championship, which took place in Fafe (Portugal) last weekend. Last Saturday, this French rider had to compete roughly with David Knight to get the first place. Knight got to the last Special round with six seconds ahead. However, Nambotin did his best and he finally beat his main rival in the Enduro3 category. The test had already had an excellent beginning for the GAS GAS riders since Robert Kavarnström and Yannick Bossi got excellent results at the Super Test held last Friday, right before it started to rain. They ended up second and third respectively in the Junior and Scratch categories. Now let's talk about the other GasGas riders who took part in the competition last Saturday. The Brazilian rider Felipe Zanol ended up 13th at the Enduro3; while Cedric Melotte got 12th and Jordi Figueras 14th at Enduro2. Robert Kavarnström had to leave the race due to a fall. Yannick Bossi managed to get to the 8th position, even though he ran with an injured hand. Last Sunday, Cristophe Nambotin got third place. He fought to get the victory from the very beginning; and even though he tried to correct some mistakes at the very end of the test, this French rider was not able to repeat what he had done the previous day at Enduro3. Felipe Zanol got the 13th position one more time in this same category. Regarding the Enduro2, Jordi Figueras ended up 16th and Cedric Melotte was not able to complete the test. This second day was not so good for the Junior riders, since Robert Kavärnstrom was not able to be part of it due to the fall he had suffered the day before; and Yannick Bossi could not make it to the Finish. Next weekend the Enduro national championships will begin in France and Spain.
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Josh
Green claims first ever Enduro World Championship podium In only
his second ever Enduro World Championship competition
Meo
and Husqvarna dominate Enduro 1 class at GP of Portugal Photo:
R Lynn
Double E1 podiums for Johnny Aubert in Portugal