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Eero Remes, KTM’s E1 Enduro factory rider emerged as the best overall competitor in the 2011 ISDE in Kotka-Hamina Southern Poland rounding of a great week of top results with a win on the final day of this annual event where KTM riders shone as they supported their national teams.

Rain lashed the tracks through Finland’s verdant forests for almost five and a half days of this classic six-day international competition and even rendered two tests impossible to ride on the last day out on the big loops.

Remes was the star performer throughout. He won five of the six days in the E1 class and held onto the overall competition in conditions that obviously suited his national team who combined to take the coveted World Trophy for the host country. Remes, who is also second in the overall standings in the E1 class of the World Championship with four races to go, seemed to revel in difficult conditions. Known to favor the MX type terrain he was the favorite to dominate the last day when the final test was held at the Karhula MX track. He took victory in the final stage and won overall from teammate Juha Salminen with an accrued lead of just over four minutes. Remes was well supported in the overall E1 results by Spain’s Lorenzo Santolino who finished on the podium in third, Remes’ teammate Antti Hellsten who was fourth overall and Mario Roman of Spain who was sixth overall.

KTM’s American rider Kurt Caselli also finished with great flourish on the final day wrapping up his very successful Six Day 2011 with at 1-1-5-1-2-1 result in the E2 class for the individual days to top the final podium, even though he accrued a 4-minute penalty half way through the race. KTM rider Cristobal Guerrero of Spain joined Caselli on the podium in third place. The KTM factory rider was a strong contender throughout the event but finished back in the field on the final day. Toby Price of Australia, winner of the recent Australian 4-days Enduro, finished fourth overall while KTM riders Jari Mattila (Finland) and American Russell Bobbitt were ranked sixth and seven. KTM riders were also prominent in the overall E3 results with the best finisher being Britain’s Johnny Walker in fourth overall. Walker also finished a superb third in this year’s Red Bull Hare Scramble at Erzberg, Austria’s Iron Mountain. Other top KTM riders in the class were: Jonas Karlsson of Sweden in fifth place, American Nathan Kanney in seventh, Mark Wassink of the Netherlands in eighth and Australian Mitchell Bowen at twelfth. All in all it was a superb, if difficult and slippery ISDE for the host country whose strong team were clearly at home in the terrain around the Kotka-Hamina region in the south of the country. Finnish riders dominated throughout the event and they were worthy winners of the coveted World Trophy. Spain, well supported by KTM factory rider Cristobal Guerrero and Santolino and Roman took second place while Caselli, Bobbitt and Kanney all played a leading role in giving USA the bronze medal.

France won the Junior Trophy with Sweden and Britain, supported by Johnny Walker taking the minor places, followed by USA and Australia, both reinforced by KTM riders. The Women’s Trophy also went to France with Finland and Australia also on the podium.

KTM 1 also topped the ranking in the Manufacturer’s Team Award thanks to the great riding of team members Remes, Caselli and Cristobal Guerrero.

Final overall results for E1 at end of Six Days 1, Eero Remes, Finland, KTM 2, Juha Salminen, Finland, Husqvarna 3, Lorenzo Santolino, Spain, KTM 4, Antti Hellsten, Finland, KTM 5, Matti Seistola, Finland, Husqvarna 6, Mario Roman, Spain, KTM

Final overall results for E2 at end of Six Days 1, Kurt Caselli, USA, KTM 2, Luis Correia, Portugal Yamaha 3, Cristobal Guerrero, Spain, KTM

Final overall results for E3 at end of Day Six 1, Marko Tarkalla, Finland, Husaberg 2, Ivan Cervantes, Spain, Gas-Gas 3, Valtteri Salonen, Finland, TM 4, Johnny Walker, Britain, KTM 5, Jonas Karlsson, Sweden,

KTM World Trophy 1, Finland Eero Remes, KTM Matti Seistola, Husqvarna Juha Salminen, Husqvarna Jari Mattila KTM Valtteri Salonen, TM Marko Tarkkala, Husaberg 2, Spain Victor Guerrero, Yamaha Mario Roman, KTM Lorenzo Santolino, KTM Cristobal Guerrero, KTM Ivan Cervantes, Gas-Gas Oriol Mena, Husaberg 3, USA Colton Udall, Honda Destry Abbott, Kawasaki Russell Bobbitt, KTM Jimmy Jarrett, Homda Kurt Caselli, KTM Nathan Kanney, KTM