|
enduro
news |
|
|
FIM World Enduro Championship |
|
|
Juha Salminen again proved his immense Enduro racing skills on Saturday in the first of two races in the Portuguese Grand Prix, securing another first place in the E1 class for the KTM Enduro Factory Team. The Finn, who returned from competition in the GNCC Series in the USA to rejoin the Grand Prix circuit, now has an unblemished record of five victories from five races so far held. “Today was a very tough race,” said team boss Fabio Farioli. “But Salminen was very strong and led right from the start. The result is an excelled start towards his bid for the title in the World Enduro Championships, his declared goal for the season. Juha Salminen continued his unabated charge towards the E1 World Championship title winning Sunday’s race at the Portuguese Grand Prix to continue his unblemished record for the season so far. “Juha was very strong today, “a contented team boss Fabio Farioli said. He also praised the efforts of Italian Alessandro Belometti, the second rider in the KTM Enduro Factory Team. He was sixth on Sunday but rode with a broken toe from a crash the previous day. “It was very tough for him,” Farioli said. He was in a lot of pain from the injury to his foot.” The Italian and the other members of the KTM Enduro Factory Team now have the opportunity to recuperate from two tough consecutive weekends of competition on the Iberian peninsular, where they are on their bikes for up to seven hours each day after having walked the course in the days leading up to it. The next round of the Enduro World Championship is in Bormeo Italy in the last weekend in May. Alessandro Belometti, the second KTM factory rider in E1 was fifth on Saturday to add valuable points in the championship standings. The Italian however finished the race with a suspected broken toe after a crash but hopes to be fit to ride in the second race on Sunday.
Even in Portugal, Stefan Merriman and the Aprilia RXV 4.5 climbed atop the podium of the E2 class. The Australian closed out in 3rd place after a long battle for the victory. A fall in the penultimate special caused him to lose thirty seconds and second place. However, both he and his twin RXV 4. demonstrated their ability to fight for the overall victory and that of their class. Nicolas Paganon and Luigi Seguy, the other two Aprilia captains, did not take part in the race so that they can recover from the injuries that slowed them down at the start of the season. They will be back in three weeks for the Italian GP. Noale, May 5, 2007 Another grand performance for Stefan Merriman and the Aprilia RXV 4.5 in the World Enduro Championship. Just one week after the historical, first-ever international podium won by a twin in the history of the Enduro, the Australia repeated the feat and climbed atop the third place podium in the E2 class in the first day of racing at the Portuguese Gp. This time, however, Merriman battled at long for the overall and class victory with his French rival, Johnnj Aubert (Yamaha). Stefan reduced the initial gap and moved into 2nd place behind Aubert. His comeback, however, was interrupted in the penultimate special when a fall caused him to lose more than 30 seconds and give up 3rd place to the Finnish Mike Ahola (Honda). At the end of the race, Merriman simply said that he was a bit disappointed with the outcome since he would have won were it not for the fall. He was still very satisfied with his overall performance and the behavior of his RXV 4.5 that demonstrated to be competitive and trustworthy. Nicolas Paganon and Luigi Seguy, the other two Aprilia captains, did not participate in the race so that they could recover from the injuries that hampered them at the start of the season. They will be back in three weeks for the Italian Gp. MERRIMAN 4TH IN THE SECOND DAY OF THE PORTUGUESE GP The second day of racing at the Portuguese Grand Prix again saw in Stefan Merriman and his Aprilia RXV 4.5 as protagonists. The Australian took off well, consistent with the 3rd place he obtained on Saturday before physically wearing down at the halfway mark. In the last lap, he decided to not take any risks and brought home important international points thanks to his 4th place finish in the E2. Noale, May 6, 2007 Stefan Merriman and the Aprilia RXV 4.5 continue to place well in the World Enduro Championship. After the 3rd place he obtained in the E2 on the first day of the Portugal Grand Prix, Merriman finished 4th on Sunday in a race that again saw him as a protagonist. In the first special, he was the fastest in the E2 and even won the fourth. He then settled into 3rd place before lowering his pace halfway through the race due to exhaustion, likely the result of a flu-like ailment he suffered in recent days. In the last lap, he preferred to not risk it and brought home important international points thanks to his 4th place finish in the E2. In the provisionary international classification, the Australian is currently in 4th place. A result that he will seek to improve in the next race: the Italian Grand Prix that will take place in Borno (Brescia) on May 26-27th. The Italian trial will also mark the reentry of his teammates, Nicolas Paganon and Luigi Seguy, who didn't participate in this race so that they could heal from the injuries that hampered them at the start of the season.
The KTM Enduro Factory Team celebrated yet another E3 victory on the Iberian Peninsula when Ivan Cervantes stole victory in the first of two Enduro races at the Portuguese Grand Prix at Marco de Canaveses. Cervantes has thus continued the fine form and Enduro skills that secured him a double victory in Puerto Lumbreras, Spain last weekend. Marko Tarkkala of Finland, the second factory rider in the team was a competent third on Saturday, completing a result that serves as a confidence booster for the second race on Sunday. Ivan did not have a very good start, according to team boss Fabio Farioli, but he stuck hard on the heels of Sebastien Guillaume and was able to gain the advantage in the third lap and slip by him for victory. Although the weather cleared after Friday’s rain and similar clear weather is expected for Sunday’s race, there were still patches of residual mud on the course in northern Portugal, Farioli reports. Both Cervantes and Tarkkala have been on the podium for all world championship races so far held this season.
It was a mixed first day for the KTM Enduro Factory Team in the E2 class in Marco de Canavese on Saturday with Samuli Aro coming in just shy of the podium in fourth place The result was disappointing for the Finn, who last Saturday came unstuck in muddy conditions in Puerto Lumbreras in Spain and finished fifth, only to redeem himself on the Sunday with a second place. The second KTM Factory rider, Fabian Planet of France was seventh. “Today was not Aro’s day,” said team boss Fabio Farioli. “He had one crash, but I am hoping for better things tomorrow.” Planet was also not unscathed. “He crashed and broke a throttle cable and as we were not allowed to repair it, he had to ride for nearly two hours like that,” Farioli said. KTM Enduro Factory Team Rider Samuli Aro rose to the challenge on Sunday and secured himself a podium place in the second E2 race for the weekend competition in Marco de Canavese. Aro fought a tough battle with his Finnish countryman Mika Ahola for second place which only slipped from his grasp in the final stages. Aro has now been on the podium for four of the six races after a solid start in Sweden’s Östersund in March. His French teammate, Fabien Planet improved two places on his Saturday’s result to come in fifth. On Saturday Planet had a crash and had to ride for almost two hours with a broken throttle cable. “Today was a very tough race,” said team boss Fabio Farioli. “The sun was out and the track had packed down hard since yesterday. It was very bumpy, there was a lot of dust and there were still some patches of mud from Friday’s rain.”
CH Racing Husqvarna rider Seb Guillaume claimed his best results of the '07 World Enduro Championship so far claiming two podium finishes in the Enduro 3 class at the GP of Portugal, staged in Marco de Canaveses. Competing aboard his WR290 Seb came extremely close to winning the opening day claiming an eventual second place to Spain's Ivan Cervantes. On day two Seb again rode well finishing in third place. Also finishing on the podium for Husqvarna was E1 class rider Bartosz Oblucki. Despite a frustrating opening day where he placed sixth Bart' then claimed a hard fought third place on day two. Although a good weekend for Seb and Bart' the GP of Portugal wasn't a good one for US racer Nate Kanney who crashed on day one injuring his knee, which forced him to miss the second day's competition. With the GP of Portugal a much harder race than the GP of Spain that took place one week earlier dry, dusty and extremely rough special tests ensured a demanding race for all competitors. But one rider who enjoyed the conditions was Husqvarna's Seb Guillaume. Winning three of the opening four special tests in the E3 class on day one Seb opened up an early lead ahead of KTM team mates Ivan Cervantes and Marko Tarkkala and looked to be heading towards his first win of the '07 season. Frustratingly for Seb two crashes in the final lap saw him drop behind Cervantes but nevertheless he still claimed a well deserved runner-up finish. On day two Seb wasn't as fast during the opening lap as he was on day one and in finishing third on the first four tests of the day he placed behind Cervantes and Tarkkala, the two riders he'd battled against on day one. Increasing his pace as the day went on Seb managed to win the final two tests of the day but a fall on the enduro test on lap two saw him claim third at the end of the day. Despite having failed to finish the opening day of the series in Sweden Seb's strong results in Portugal have lifted him to fifth position in the Enduro 3 world championship standings. For Anders Eriksson the GP of Portugal was another frustrating event. With day one going well the seven-time world champion placed sixth and was pleased with the way he'd performed. Disappointingly on day two Anders's bike stopped unexpectedly on the second enduro test, which resulted in the Swede losing one minute trying to re-start his bike. Dropping to 11th in class Anders finished the day in a disappointed 10th position. With competition fierce on day one in the Enduro 1 class at the GP of Portugal Husqvarna's Bartosz Oblucki found himself locked in a five-way battle for the runner-up spot. With little to separate Marc Germain, Cristobal Guerrero, Alessandro Belometti, Simone Albergoni and Oblucki the Pole ended the day in sixth position, but less than 15 seconds behind eventual runner-up Germain. Fast on both the extreme and enduro tests Oblucki lost time on each of the motocross tests, which ultimately stopped him from finishing higher. But on day two Oblucki put right what he's been doing wrong on day one and claimed a strong third place finish having been fast and consistent on all of the tests. Third on the first five tests on Sunday Bart' then topped the enduro test on lap two to place less than two seconds behind runner-up Cristobal Guerrero. Oblucki now holds third in the E1 world championship standings, just four points behind runner-up Guerrero. With French rider Nicolas Deparrois failing to finish the opening day in Portugal and with US racer Nate Kanney not starting day two due to injuring his knee it wasn't a successful weekend for Husqvarna in the Enduro 2 class. Re-starting day two Deparrois placed ninth in class. Looking to record his first podium finish of the season Husqvarna's Enduro Junior class rider Marc Bourgeois came close to crashing out of the first day when he parted company with his WR125 in spectacular fashion mid-way through the opening day. Continuing to a 19th place finish Marc was feeling the effects of his crash on day two yet came close to finishing on the podium claiming an eventual fourth. Seb Guillaume: "It's been a great race for me, I am really happy with my results. The first day was especially good. I was putting in really good times on the special tests and was able to open up a lead at the front of the class. On the last lap I crashed on two special tests, which allowed Ivan to pass me but I was happy with my result. "On day two I struggled a little bit on the first lap. I was riding to tense and I made myself tired. After that things got better and better. Ivan and Marko were very fast in the beginning of the day but as I got into my rhythm I was able to get some really good tests. I'm really pleased with the way the GP of Portugal has gone for me." Bartosz Oblucki: "On Saturday I was really disappointed because I pushed really hard and only finished in sixth. There was only 15 seconds separating me from second place but I wasn't able to make good times and catch the riders ahead of my. I tried many things to try and improve my speed but it didn't work. Every lap I lost time on the motocross test, which was frustrating. "For the second day we made some small changes to the bike and fitted a different front tyre, which made things a little bit better. I pushed hard all day. In fact I pushed like I could win a world championship on every test. I was expecting to run out of energy because I was pushing so hard but I managed to keep up my speed. I did fall on the last test and lost a few seconds, which meant that I finished third."
Nate Kanney: "The weekend wasn't good for me. I crashed on day one and injured my knee. I actually broke my knee brace when I crashed as well as tweaking my knee pretty badly. I couldn't bend it before the start of the second day so I decided there wasn't much point in trying to ride. I'm really disappointed but I hope it's not too bad." Marc Bourgeois: "I had a very big crash early on the first day and banged my head hard. I lost three minutes and didn't feel so good after that. On the second day I had a problem with one of my mousses. I had to change it on the second lap and then push really hard. I was 14th after the first lap and managed to get up to fourth, which I was happy with but after my crash on day one I didn't feel 100 per cent."
After last weeks solid result in Spain Tom entered the Portuguese round with confidence knowing that he could get closer to the championship leaders. Portugal always brings a tough and technical race, a challenging course and very hot conditions. From the first lap of day Tom controlled the 2nd position, Christophe Nambontin lead again and showed outstanding speed which should embarrass many factory riders and Tom kept series leader Joakim Ljungren under control in 3rd. The first day went without incident and Tom rode very well and was placed 19th overall in the scratch. Having shown good speed today Tom looked forward to Sunday and hoped that he could maybe get closer to Nambontin. However Sunday was a day of bad luck, Tom started off well and was in a 3 way battle for 2nd with Ljungren and Santolino on lap one, all three riders were within a few seconds of each other, Tom looked to be getting control of the situation on lap two when first he had a small crash and then he got stuck in a mud hole on the test which dropped him 30 seconds behind the leading trio. At this point all he could realistically do was to hold 4th and take championship points but cruel luck on the final test caused his chain to derail and he ended the day a frustrating 8th position, the only consolation being that he still holds 3rd in the Junior world championship. Directly after the race finished Tom left for the airport, with no time to dwell on the days result because Monday morning he will have started the Scottish six days trial and in between this he had a 9 hour drive Sunday night from London to Fort William!!! and then he will drive directly back to North Wales again to race a WOR cross-country event this coming Sunday, 9 days solid riding!!!. We think he's in training for the Dakar. Result Day one: 1. Christophe Nambontin Gas Gas 250 2t 2. Tom Sagar D3-Racing/Farioli KTM 450 EXC 3. Joakim Ljungren Husaberg 450 FE Result Day two: 1. Christophe Nambontin Gas Gas 250 2t 2. Joakim Ljungren Husaberg 450 FE 3. Lorenzo Santolino KTM 450 EXC 8. Tom Sagar D3-Racing/Farioli KTM 450 EXC Next Event: Scottish 6 days trial starting Monday 7th May!!! D3-Racing Team Sponsors: Van Bodies Lancaster Ltd, Insight Consultants, KTM UK , Triple-D Motopsport, Metzeler, Motorex, Acerbis, Scott, Sidi, Airoh, KTM Powerwear, Renthal, Regina Chains, WP Suspension, PG Graphics. MPS Racing Husqvarna - Husky Sport MPS Racing Husqvarna riders Si Wakely and Daryl Bolter battled hard at the third round of the ’07 World Enduro Championship, the GP of Portugal staged in Marco de Canaveses, to claim ninth and 10th place results in the Enduro Junior class on day one. With the event extremely challenging due to a demanding, rock littered course and three difficult special tests, on day two both riders were headed towards better results before a crash from Bolter and a front wheel problem for Wakely spoiled their hopes of improved results. With Bolter going on to finish in 10th, as he did on day one, Wakely was forced to retire. Knowing exactly what to expect from their Enduro Junior class rivals having both finished their first WEC event of the season one week earlier in Spain, in Portugal both Si and Daryl hoped to improve their results and looked to finish inside the top 10 of the competitive Enduro Junior class. Come the end of the first day there was little to separate the two riders as they placed in ninth and 10th respectively. Both starting steadily before getting faster during the second lap, Si and Daryl performed well on the motocross and enduro tests but struggled a little on the event’s extreme test. Although only two minutes behind the eventual day one winner Christophe Nambotin Wakely finished ninth with Bolter 15 seconds behind in 10th. Early on day two it looked as if both riders would significantly improve their results as both Si and Daryl performed well on the opening lap. With Daryl placing third on the extreme test on lap two the former European Enduro Champion’s best test of the event was shortly followed by his worst as a big crash on the second run through the motocross test saw him lose close to 40 seconds to his rivals, which despite a strong final lap dropped him to 10th position – the same result he claimed on day one. For Wakely day two ended during the third and final run through the enduro test. With just one test separating him from the end of the day Si was forced to retire with a problem with his front wheel. Daryl Bolter: “The first day didn’t really go that well. I finished 10th, which I was a bit disappointed with so I was determined to do better on day two. Things started really well and I was third on the second extreme test but then I had one hell of a crash on the motocross test and lost at least 30 seconds. I damaged my front brake and basically it spoiled my result. You just can’t afford any mistakes at all in the world championship. I was pushing hard to get a good result and I guess I pushed just a bit too hard, which is a shame because I felt good on the second day. I had some good tests after my crash, but I finished 10th again. All in all it’s not been a complete disaster. It’s been a really hard race though.” Si Wakely: “The first day went pretty well really, although I was hoping to finish a bit higher in the results. I had some good tests and some not so good tests but I was pretty happy with the way it went. The second day started better than the first but the end of my first lap and the start of the second weren’t so good. I struggled on the extreme test and was losing time to the other riders there on every lap. On the last enduro test I had a problem with my front wheel, crashed, and had to retire.”
It was another weekend of mixed results for the Electraction TM UK team in the ’07 World Enduro Championship with the GP of Portugal bringing disappointment for Enduro Junior class rider Jake Stapleton as he failed to finish day two and a strong seventh place finish for Scott Euan McConnell in the Enduro 3 class. With the event a much tougher race than the GP of Spain held one week earlier the dry and rutted special tests in Marco de Canaveses ensured a demanding two days of competition for riders in all classes. Finishing in 10th position on day one Euan McConnell matched his result from the opening day of the GP of Spain, despite having hoped to finish inside the top 10 of the E3 class. Planning to build and improve on his Spanish results, McConnell made few mistakes and performed consistently to place less than two and a half minutes behind class winner Ivan Cervantes. On day two McConnell improved his result to place seventh and claim his highest finish of the ’07 WEC series so far. Finishing inside the top 10 of the E3 class on all but one special test on day two Euan placed as high as fifth in class to ensure he bettered his day one result. Placing ahead of former motocross world champion Fred Bolley and former enduro world champion Anders Eriksson McConnell placed just seven seconds behind the sixth place rider Marcus Kehr from Germany. Having scored points on each of the four days of the WEC he’s entered McConnell now sits 12th in the E3 championship standings. Hoping to improve on the fifth and sixth place results he scored at the second round of the WEC series in Spain Jake Stapleton finished day one of the GP of Portugal in sixth, just under one minute behind day winner Christophe Nambotin. Still hoping to claim his first podium finish of the season Jake struggled to get to grips with the Portuguese special tests and although making no major mistakes was unable to match the pace of the fastest EJ class riders. Starting day two with sixth and fifth place finishes on the opening two special tests Jake was then forced to retire from the event when a stick damaged his bike’s ignition wires. Competing in the E1 class in Portugal for the Electraction TM team Tim Lewis placed in 18th on day one to match his opening day result from the GP of Spain. Enjoying the challenging conditions on day two Lewis climbed three positions in the E1 class to finish 15th and claim world championship points on both days for the first time this season. Jake Stapleton: “It’s certainly not been the best of weekends for me. On the first day I just wasn’t quick enough. I didn’t really make any big mistakes I just couldn’t get into the tests for some reason. I wasn’t too far off the pace on some of them but by the end of the day I was a long way behind the riders at the top of the class. On day two things started better and I had a couple of good tests early on but then a stick hit the wires that come out of the ignition and my bike stopped. That was it, I was out of the event.” Euan McConnell: “I’ve had another steady weekend really. I wanted to build on my result in Spain without pushing too hard and making mistakes. The first day went pretty well but it was a little bit frustrating finishing in 10th. I felt that I rode pretty well and apart from one small fall things were good. I was hoping to be a bit higher than 10th. “I set about getting a better result on day two, which I managed to do. I worked out a few places where I could be faster having walked the tests at the end of the first day and I pushed hard to improve my result. I started the day a bit steady but got better on the second and third laps. It was really close between a few riders so I had to push hard all day. It was a tough day as well as there wasn’t much soil left between the rocks on the tests or on the going. I’m leased with seventh.” Cristobal Guerrero shows talent once again UFO Corse Yamaha mounted Spaniard Cristobal Guerrero produced two well deserved podium finishes at the GP of Portugal, staged in Marc de Canaveses, to once again show that he is the most exciting young talent in the Enduro 1 class in '07. Having claimed a career best result of fourth and third at his home round of the '07 WEC series, the GP of Spain, the former Enduro Junior World Champion placed in third and second in Portugal to claim his first ever double podium result. With Finn Juha Salminen topping the E1 class results in Portugal as he has in both Spain and Sweden, it was Yamaha France rider Marc Germain who placed as runner-up on day one placing just under one and a half seconds ahead of Guerrero. Placing as runner-up in the three opening special tests on day one Cristobal set himself up well for a good result despite then falling in the opening enduro test. Despite his small mistake the Spaniard went on to perform consistently and placed a creditable third. On day two Cristobal started in the best possible way by winning the first extreme test and in doing so made his intensions of another good result crystal clear. Going on to post the second fastest E1 class time on three of the day's tests Cristobal spent much of day two locked in a battle with Poland's Bartosz Oblucki. With little to separate the two riders Cristobal managed to claim the upper hand as the day neared its close and in beating Oblucki in the final three tests he ensured that he had done enough to claim the runner-up spot behind Juha Salminen and claim a career best result. Also performing well in Portugal, despite failing to make it onto the podium on either day, was UFO Corse Yamaha rider Simone Albergoni. Fourth on both days Simone placed less than 11 seconds behind second placed rider Marc Germain on day one and then just 10 seconds away from team-mate Guerrero on day two. Performing well on the second and third laps on both days Simone's slow start to both days ultimately affected his results. Disappointingly for the UFO Corse Yamaha team's third rider Maurizio Micheluz a seventh place finish on day one was followed by an 18th place finish on day two as the Italian's WR250 took water into its engine as he crossed a river. Due to losing time while working on drying out his bike's engine Maurizio received a 10 minute penalty, which dropped him to 18th position. Cristobal Guerrero (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 1 class - Day 1 Third, Day 2 Second: "It's been a really good race for me and to finish on the podium on both days is fantastic. At the start of the season I wanted to finish inside the top five so finishing third on day one and second on the second day is great, I'm really happy with my results. I didn't have too many problems although I had a few small crashes on both days. The start of the season has been great so I hope I can continue to finish with good results." Simone Albergoni (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 1 class - Day 1 Fourth, Day 2 Fourth: "My problem this weekend has been my first laps. On both days I was sleeping a little on the opening lap and lost some time there. After that I was able to find my rhythm and my speed. My problem was not being fast enough in the first lap. I won one test on day one and had some good times on both days but I can't afford to be slow on the first lap, not against a rider like Juha Salminen. My results weren't so bad but if my first laps were better then my result would have been better." Maurizio Micheluz (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 1 class - Day 1 Seventh, Day 2 18th: "It's not been a good weekend for me. The first day wasn't so bad but I had a really bad extreme test on the second lap, which cost me a lot of time. Day two was a disaster. I managed to get some water into my engine on one of the river crossings and I took a 10 minute penalty trying to fix it. After that I had some ok tests but with a 10 minutes penalty there was no way I could get a good result. I finished so at least I took some points."
|
WORLD
ENDURO CHAMPIONSHIP: ANOTHER INTERNATIONAL PODIUM FOR MERRIMAN AND HIS
APRILIA RXV 4.5
Ivan Cervantes continues his conquering ways in E3
Aro fourth; Planet seventh in day one at Portuguese E2 Grand Prix
CH
Racing Husqvarna Official Results Service CH Racing Husqvarna Factory
Enduro Team 2007
Anders
Eriksson (left): "The first day wasn't so bad for me. I felt like
my riding was good and I really enjoyed the day. I had a really bad second
day though. There was a problem with my bike's ignition and in the second
enduro tests my bike stopped and it took about one minute to start it. I
was down in 11th position and managed to pick up one place to finish 10th.
Spain wasn't good and neither has Portugal been so I just hope that things
will get better for the GP of Italy."
KTM D3-Racing media information
Electraction TM UK