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Taddy Blasuziak |
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Games gold for Taddy in Brazil
Taddy Blazusiak has secured an X--Games Gold Medal in the Enduro--X Mens Final in Foz do Iguau, Brazil. Fending off some of the worlds best endurocross racers, the KTM Enduro Factory Team rider took a near start--to--finish win in the Mens Enduro X Final, which marked the start of the four--day action sports event. With X--Games Brazil the first time that Enduro--X has been taken outdoors, competitors faced a notably larger and more demanding course than those usually built. With track conditions proving extremely slippery victory certainly didn't come easy for Blazusiak. Struggling to find grip in his qualifying heat Blazusiak crashed on one of the tricky rock sections and was forced to battle his way from the rear of the field to his eventual finishing position of fifth. Although faced with a difficult starting position for the Mens Final, the KTM rider enjoyed a great start and hit the front of the race shortly after the third corner. Taking his time to deal with the extreme conditions, Blazusiak faced a fierce challenge from rival Cody Webb. During the first four laps of the race the leading duo swapped positions numerous times as both riders sought to find the perfect line around the deteriorating course. Knowing any mistake would prove costly, Blazusiak maintained a steady rhythm while Webb crashed out of contention shortly after the race moved passed the halfway point. With the laps winding down Blazusiak settled his pace, maintaining a comfortable advantage over the chasing field of riders. Continuing to ride a faultless race he secured a well--earned victory. Blazusiak now turns his attention towards round one of the AMA EnduroCross Championship on May 3 in Las Vegas before contesting round two of the X--Games series in Barcelona, Spain on May 16--19. Taddy Blazusiak: I cant believe the night I had. Firstly, getting off a rally bike and back onto my endurocross bike was much, much harder than I was expecting. I can't remember the last time I felt so bad on a bike. Things had been going bad all night but thankfully everything worked out, its great to get another X Games gold medal. The track was really cool, but it just became so slippery that it was a game of survival. It was a warm night, but it was humid. I was pretty much riding in survival mode from the start. I had the 10th pick of the start, but took the very inside gate and managed to take the lead coming off the first rock section. Cody Webb was riding strong, but I knew that pushing too hard wasnt the way to go. I stuck to a speed I was happy with, and raced the few parts of the track I could. Its amazing to have won I just hope things go a little more smoothly at the next X Games event in Spain. Results Mens Enduro--X Final, Brazil 1. Taddy Blazusiak
(KTM) 12:45.160; 2. Cody Webb (Beta) 12:54.633; 3. David Knight (Honda)
13:04.609; 4. Colton Haaker (Honda) 13:19.001; 5. Taylor Robert (Kawasaki)
13:23.405; 6. Mike Brown (KTM) 13:40.964; 7. Cory Graffunder (Husqvarna)
14:15.803; 8. Kyle
Its been a busy few weeks for KTMs Taddy Blazusiak. Successfully completing his second ever rally event, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge where he placed seventh aboard his 450cc Rally Replica, the defending AMA Endurocross and FIM Superenduro champion now heads into one of the most eagerly awaited events of the year X Games Brazil. Marking the start of his Endurocross season, Taddy leads an all-star
line-up of many of the worlds best enduro racers in Foz Do Iguacu. As a
former X Games gold medallist Blazusiak is focused on securing yet more
success, and putting the disappointment of his 2012 X Games campaign
behind him. Taddy arrived in Brazil fresh from his participation in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. With a brief opening in his competitive schedule allowing him to compete in Abu Dhabi, Taddy took the opportunity to further familiarise himself with the rally scene. With the goal of learning more about the all-important art of navigation, Taddy ended the event seventh in the motorcycle class, which was topped by team-mate Marc Coma.
Taddy Blazusiak: I feel like Ive not stopped jumping on and off planes in the last few weeks, but its great to be here in Brazil ready for X Games. With four X Games events this year, as well as an eight-round Endurocross series, I have a lot of racing coming up, but I can't wait to get started. X Games is going to be amazing, and Ill do all I can to start with a win. Therere some great riders in the Enduro X event, and with the track being bigger and outdoors, which is a first, its going to be interesting to see what the racings like. Getting to race in a different country makes the event even more special. Competing in the Abu Dhabi Rally was great. Its definitely not what Im used to, but thats the whole reason for doing the race to gain rally experience. Rally racing is so different, and I have so much to learn, but I felt like the event went well for me. I had a few scary moments on some of the dunes on the opening day, so really decided to ease off after that. The rally was so different to what I experienced in Argentina last year, it was a real rally in the dunes
KTMs Taddy Blazusiak has won the 2013 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship claiming a one-two-three result at the third and final round of the series held in Tours, France. Starting the event with a comfortable points lead in the SuperEnduro series, Taddy put the finishing touches to what has been a hugely successful championship campaign by securing a third overall event win. With his focus on securing the championship, Taddy made the best
possible start to the night by winning the first of the three finals.
Britains Jonny Walker lead the race for the first four laps, but once
into the lead Taddy remained out front and took the win, finishing five
seconds ahead of David Knight. With the world championship secured Taddy looked to be headed for his second win of the night in the third and closing final. Claiming the holeshot and remaining in the lead during the opening laps Taddy was followed by Knight and Walker. But an uncharacteristic mistake in the difficult rock garden saw him drop back to third, and with only a handful of laps remaining was unable to work his way back past the riders ahead of him. Taddy Blazusiak: Coming into the championship with a
29-point lead I knew what I needed to do to secure the title. In the
first final I managed to get into the lead on lap four and controlled
things from there to take the win. With that victory I knew it would be
possible to secure the title in the second heat. But with the start
order reversed I also knew it wouldnt be easy. Starting on the
outside of the second row I got blocked off entering the first corner so
I decided to be patient in my riding. From last place I was able to move
up a couple of positions on the first lap and then keep working forward.
Once I got to second position I rode smart to secure the title. When I
was leading the third final I crashed in the rocks and slipped back. I
recovered well to finish third and with it also claim the overall win on
the night. Winning the championship along with topping each round of the
series is fantastic, and I cant ask for anything more.
Taddy tops FIM Superenduro round 2 Taddy Blazusiak has claimed a second successive victory in the 2013 FIM Superenduro World Championship. Adding to his winning result at the series opener in Poland the KTM rider topped the podium at the Enduro Indoor De Barcelona, Spain. With two rounds now complete, and just one remaining, Taddy sits 29 points clear at the top of the Superenduro championship standings. Claiming a start-to-finish win in the nights opening final, Taddy posted a fastest lap some two seconds quicker than any other rider. With a clear track ahead of him he steadily extended his lead lap-on-lap, receiving the chequered flag some 24 seconds ahead of second placed Ivan Cervantes. The reversed start of the second final wasnt kind to Taddy as he tangled with a slower rider shortly after the start and crashed. Forced to charge hard in order to chase down the leading riders, Blazusiak methodically worked his way up to third at the finish. The nights third and closing final again saw Taddy claim victory. Shadowed by Hungarian rider Kornel Nemeth throughout the race, Taddy made sure he didnt take any unnecessary risks on an increasingly slippery track and went on to win by four seconds. The final round of the 2013 FIM Superenduro World Championship takes place in Tours, France on March 9. Taddy Blazusiak: Im really pleased with my result. I felt so much better than I did in Poland and I knew that although Im still not 100 per cent Id be in a much stronger position to challenge for the win. Pretty much everything went great. Winning the first and the third final made it a great night. I dont like the reversed start order thats used in the second final its dangerous that the fastest riders get the last pick for the start and I crashed early in that race. But I was also pleased with how I rode in that final I took my time and ended up third. Like always starts were super important and my starts were good. My bike really is amazing off the start and in the first final I got such good traction I was in the first corner before I knew it. Being almost 30 points ahead in the championship takes a little pressure off for the final in France. But I want to try and get the same result I have in Poland and Spain. So far things have been great for me in the championship, I hope I can finish with another strong result. 2013 FIM Superenduro World Championship Round 2 2013 FIM Superenduro World Championship Standings
FIM Superenduro Taddy Blazusiak will return to competitive action this weekend at round two of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship following double shoulder and hand surgery at the end of 2012. Going under the surgeons knife shortly before Christmas, Blazusiak, who crashed heavily prior to the opening round of the Superenduro series, has now been back on a bike for three weeks and is confident of securing a strong result inside the Palau Sant Jordi stadium in Barcelona, Spain. Ending the 2012 season as US Endurocross champion and early leader of the FIM Superenduro series, Taddy also needed to get himself fixed and subsequently underwent his shoulder and hand surgery. With both procedures going well, and following a period of rest during early January, Taddy has been able to return to both training and riding and has spent three weeks back on a motorcycle, the last two of which practicing on his Endurocross track. As the current leader of the short but intensive three round Superenduro series, Blazusiak enters the penultimate event with a healthy six-point lead. Despite the shoulder injury sustained prior to the opening round of the series in Poland, Blazusiak rose to the occasion in front of his home crowd to claim a fantastic double race win by topping the nights first and third final. With almost nine weeks separating rounds one and two of the series, Taddy has spent that time wisely and is now almost fully recovered from his injury. With doctors allowing the KTM rider to return to normal training, Blazusiak has worked hard during the past fortnight to prepare for the race. Spending the last two weeks training hard for the event, the defending champion is feeling confident that he will be able to repeat his winning performance from the series opener. Taddy Blazusiak: Im looking forward to getting back to
racing again following my time off after surgery. Its kind of cool
for me to race in Barcelona because the city has become like my second
home. I dont live too far away from Barcelona and a lot of my friends
are coming to the event to support me. After winning the race last year
my goal is too obviously try and repeat that again this year, but I know
that wont be easy. Ive had my shoulder and hand injury fixed and
although its not in perfect condition Im in better shape than when
I raced in Poland. Ive got a six-point lead in the championship but
its not enough to
Blazusiak wins 2013 Superenduro series opener Despite racing with torn ligaments in his right shoulder following a serious practice crash just eight days before the opening round of the 2013 Superenduro World Championship in Lodz, Poland, KTM/Red Bull rider Taddy Blazusiak made a hugely successful start to the defence of his Superenduro title - securing a hard fought win in front of his home fans. Uncertain if he would be able to race due to his injuries, Blazusiak incredibly managed to not only complete a full night's racing but ended it as the overall event winner having claimed two wins and a runner-up result. Getting his night off to an unexpectedly good start, Taddy topped the qualifying heat race ahead of David Knight and Joakim Ljunggren. Importantly giving him first pick of the gate for two of the three finals, Taddy made the most of his inside starting position and claimed the holeshot in the first and third finals. Going on to lead each and every lap of both races Taddy claimed two important wins. In the night's second final, which featured a reversed start order, Blazusiak got caught up in traffic during the opening lap, which allowed eventual race winner Jonny Walker to open up a sizeable lead. Settling for third behind Walker and Knight, Taddy was able to capitalise on a mistake by Knight during the closing stages of the race and claimed the runner-up position to go 1-2-1 for the night and take home a six-point lead at the head of the 2013 Superenduro World Championship. Taddy Blazusiak: "The night before the race I seriously didn't think I was going to be able to compete because of the torn ligaments in my shoulder. I had to have so much strapping on my shoulder, arm, even around my stomach, that I couldn't lift it to clean my teeth before the race, but without it my collarbone would have been sticking up and my shoulder dropped. Adrenaline, added to the strapping, well, it's amazing what you can do - I still can't believe I managed to win the race. I was struggling during practice so we added some more strapping and I just decided to go for it in the qualifying race. Despite everything the night's been amazing. The crash last Friday when I damaged my shoulder was probably the biggest I've ever had, and put my racing here in so much doubt. I don't think I've ever been as focused on getting good starts as I was here. I knew that if I could get out front early on I would make things so much easier for myself, and that's pretty much what I did in two of the finals. The second race, with the reverse start, was tough. I was in third, and happy to finish third, when Knight had a problem and I moved up one position. I certainly couldn't have asked for more. The support I got from the fans was every bit as amazing as it was last year, and I'm just so pleased that I was able to put on a good show for them as well as taking the lead in the Superenduro championship. I really have to say a huge thanks to everyone in my team, and especially my physio - I couldn't have raced without him." 2013 Superenduro championship standings
Red Bull KTM Factory rider Taddy Blazusiak of Poland was crowned the 2012 AMA EnduroCross Championship after sweeping both mains in the Las Vegas double-header finale held at the Orleans Arena on Saturday night. Blazusiak turned the fastest lap in the afternoon hot laps to earn first gate pick in his heat. He was placed in the third heat where he took the holeshot and led every lap to easily transfer into the main event. His teammate, Factory FMF/KTM rider Mike Brown, finished 2nd in his heat to also earn a top gate pick in the first main event. When the gate dropped for the first main event it was Blazusiak and Brown out front early. The KTM riders led the pack for the first two laps before Brown made a mistake and dropped to third. Then Blazusiak got stuck in the treacherous rocks section in the third lap letting Cody Webb rake the lead. The two riders swapped the lead for the next four laps but with two to go, Taddy pulled a small gap and took the win and having gone into the final competition needing only three more points to secure his 2012 AMA EnduroCross Championship, already had it in the bag. KTM teammate Mike Brown joined him on the podium with a third place finish. Blazusiak shot off the start gate in the second main event to come around the first corner tied for the lead. He quickly moved his KTM out front and led the way around the first lap. Out front, Blazusiak again had a bobble in the rocks that allowed Webb to close the gap. Webb did his best to challenge the champion but Taddy did not buckle and remained in the lead. The two riders proceeded to duke it out until the end, delivering a thrilling display of riding that had the crowd on the edge of their seats as the race came down to the final rock section. Blazusiak found a clear line and smoothly raced through the rocks to go on to win the second main event of the night. Brown was able to successfully climb from his poor start into the top five to finish fifth overall on the night and bumped him up into overall fourth in the championship. It was great to have Taddy return to defend his championship this year. We are happy he was able to clinch another championship. He and the team have worked very hard for this championship and it is a great ending to the year to take the number one plate again, stated Team Manager Antti Kallonen. Speaking of KTMs Polish rider, EnduroCross promoter Eric Peronnard was quoted on the official EnduroCross website recently saying: Taddy Blazusiak is without any question the best EnduroCross rider in the world. Overall Main Event 1: 1, Taddy Blazusiak KTM 2, Cody Webb 3, Mike Brown 4, Geoff Aaron 5, Justin Soule 6, Colton Haaker 7, Cory Graffunder 8, Kyle Redmond 9, Max Gerston 10, Jamie Lanza 11, Kevin Rookstool 12, Taylor Robert Overall Main Event 2: 1, Taddy Blazusiak KTM 2, Cody Webb 3, Kyle Redmond 4, Geoff Aaron 5, Mike Brown KTM 6, Justin Soule 7, Cory Graffunder 8, Taylor Robert 9, Max Gerston 10, Kevin Rookstool 11, Colton Haaker 12, Jamie Lanza Overall Championship Standings: 1, Taddy Blazusiak 249 (2012 EnduroCross Champion) 2, Cody Webb 179 3, Taylor Robert 154 4, Mike Brown 151 5, Cory Graffunder 133
Red Bull/KTM rider Taddy Blazusiak claimed his fourth consecutive win of the 2012 AMA EnduroCross Series at the seventh round of the circuit in Boises Idaho Center while FMF/KTM rider Maria Forsberg led a three way KTM victory in the womens event. Heading into the final round in Las Vegas, NV, KTMs Polish rider is only three points away from victory in the 2012 AMA EnduroCross Series Championship. I am very happy to win, but I struggled with that tire turn all day, commented Blazusiak. I crashed there in my hot lap and I guess twice in the main. The course was good and it made for great racing for the fans. Taddy set himself up for an easy transfer to the main event when he took the holeshot and led all six laps of his heat race. Then in the main be was fifth at the start but came out of turn two on his KTM 350 EXC in second. He then battled with Cody Webb before making an impressive pass to take over the lead at the end of the first lap. On lap four, Blazusiak got hung up in the tire turn and gave up the lead to Webb but slipped past him again going into the fire wood and from then on extended his lead for the remaining laps. He went down one more time in the tire turn but managed to KTM running and was up and running without loosing a position. KTM women riders dominate at Boise After finishing third in his heat race, Factory FMF/KTM rider Mike Brown was feeling ill. Brown decided not to race and to seek medical attention. Next Race (and final round): Las Vegas, NV November 17, 2012 Overall Results AMA EnduroCross Pro Class Series Points AMA EnduroCross Pro Class
With just two events remaining in the 2012 US Endurocross championship KTM rider Taddy Blazusiak claimed an important win at the sixth round of the series in Everett, Washington, and moves one-step closer to yet another Endurocross title. Winner of both the fourth and fifth rounds of the series, Taddy maintained his winning momentum in Everett to secure another important victory. Although made to work hard during the opening laps of the main event, he kept himself out of trouble during the 10-lap race to once again stand on top of the podium. Recording the fastest time during the qualifying Hot Laps session, Blazusiak then topped his heat race to move into the final confident of a winning result. Starting well Taddy dropped behind Cody Webb for several laps before retaking the lead following a mistake by his closest rival. Knowing that valuable championship points were at stake, Taddy cautiously made his way through the second half of the race and following a second mistake by Webb claimed a comfortable win. Taddy was joined on the podium by Taylor Robert and Bobby Prochnau. The AMA EnduroCross Championship continues with round seven on October 27 in Boise, ID. Taddy Blazusiak: "Getting another win is great, especially as we're getting close to the end of the championship now. It was a good night for me. The Hot Lap session and my heat race went well, and I won the final - I can't really ask for more than that. It's kind of a difficult position to be in, knowing you're leading the championship and that taking good championship points is more important than winning races. I felt like I rode well, but not at my best. I enjoyed the final, and am now a little further ahead in the championship. Just like the weeks leading up to this race I'll now take a little time to rest, and then get back to racing at the next event and hopefully be able to get another win." Results - Geico AMA EnduroCross 2012, Round 6
As the US Endurocross series steps up a gear with the first of this month's three events being staged in Denver, Colorado, KTM mounted Taddy Blazusiak continued his winning ways by securing a commanding win at the fifth round of the series. In doing so the defending Endurocross champion extended his lead to more than 30 points. Coming into the event as the winner of the fourth round of the series in Ontario, CA, Taddy made light work of both the course and his competition in Denver, ending the main event some 20 seconds clear of runner--] up Taylor Robert. Enjoying a near perfect evening Taddy posted the fastest time during the qualifying Hot Lap session before going on to win his heat race. Despite not making the best of starts, Taddy rounded the outside of the second turn in close contention with the race leaders and before the end of the lap was in the lead. Extending that lead to 20 seconds at the chequered flag, Blazusiak secured a deserved win and moves further ahead in the 2012 Endurocross points chase. The AMA EnduroCross Championship continues with round six on October 20 in Everett, WA.
Results . Geico AMA EnduroCross 2012, Round 5 1. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 2. Taylor Robert (Kawasaki) 3. Mike Brown (KTM) 4. Geoff Aaron (Honda) 5. Justin Soule (Kawasaki) 6. Cory Graffunder (Husqvarna) 7. Kyle Redmond (Husqvarna) 8. Gary Sutherlin (Kawasaki) Overall Point Standings 1, Taddy Blazusiak 129 2, Taylor Robert 98 3, Mike Brown 96 Next Event: Everett, WA October 20, 2012
KTM mounted Taddy Blazusiak made a victorious returned to the 2012 Endurocross series in Ontario, CA, taking his second win of the championship following the seriesf summer break. Determined to return to his winning ways and looking to extend his lead in the points standings, Taddy enjoyed a near perfect night by topping the Hot Lap session before going on to win both his heat race as well as the all important final. In winning Taddy significantly extends his championship points lead. Fastest during the single lap Hot Lap session Blazusiak then made light work of his qualifying heat race and moved into the final with ease. Determined to return to the top of the podium following his disappointing result at the X Games Endurocross event, Taddy claimed the holeshot and with Cody Webb behind him quickly distanced himself from the rest of the pack. Holding the lead for the first half of the race a small but costly fall put Taddy back into the runner--]up position. But wasting little time Taddy returned to the front of the race once again, going on to claim the chequered flag ahead of Cody Webb with Justin Soule third. The AMA EnduroCross Championship continues with round five on October 6 in Denver. CO. Taddy Blazusiak: "Great to get back to racing, and great to get back to the top of the podium. Itfs been more than two months since the last Endurocross race, so Ifve been looking forward to this race for a long time. Itfs also an important race to win because itfs the fourth event of an eight race series, and from here the schedule really steps up a gear. I felt good and felt like I rode well. I made a few mistakes but the important thing for me is to get another win. X Games was really disappointing for me after all the hard work that went into preparing for the event, but Ifve always said itfs the championship thatfs the most important thing and another win is great for my championship. The night started well with the fastest time in the Hot Lap session, and from there everything worked out really well. It was nice to have a pretty smooth evening. Winning my heat race gave me a lot of confidence going into the final, and although I made a mistake I got the win. I enjoyed the final, being back racing Endurocross. We have a two weeks break now before the next round of the series and then itfs going to be wide open for the whole of October. Results . Geico AMA EnduroCross 2012, Round 1 1. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 2. Cody Webb (Beta) 3. Justin Soule (Kawasaki) 4. Kyle Redmond (Husqvarna) 5. Taylor Robert (Kawasaki) 6. Colton Haaker (Kawasaki) 7. Mike Brown (KTM) 8. Destry Abbott (Kawasaki) 9. Ryan Rodgers (Honda) 10. Gary Sutherlin (Kawasaki)
Taddy carries Endurocross points lead into summer break Despite the bitter disappointment of failing to secure a second consecutive X Games Endurocross gold medal, reigning US Endurocross champion Taddy Blazusiak heads into the championship's summer break as the leader of the 2012 point standings, ahead of team-mate Mike Brown and Taylor Robert. Faced with a 10-week break before the re-start of the Endurocross series, Blazusiak is now back in Spain and training hard, and looking forward to keeping himself busy during the coming months Taddy Blazusiak: "X Games Endurocross was every bit as big and exciting an event as I knew it would be, but things just didn't work out for me this year. I was so disappointed after the final because I'd work so hard to be ready for the race. It's the biggest Endurocross race of the year, so to not ride like I know I can, you know, it sucked. But now I've had a little time to look back on the race I guess it wasn't all bad - I'm leading the championship point standings heading into the summer break so that's a real positive. We're not too far off the half-way point of the series so to be out front in the championship is important. "The biggest thing I suffered with at X Games was my start, and maybe
wanting to win too much. Once I got tangled up with another rider off the
start I knew things would be difficult, but I still hoped I could win. As it
turned out coming together with another rider off the start made things really
difficult. It's always hard having to work your way from the back of the race,
especially when everyone wants to win X games medals. I also made things tough
for myself by pushing too hard for a few laps. You don't get much time in
Endurocross to make up for bad starts and mistakes and by the time I'd settle
down I didn't have enough laps to get on the podium. Like I said it's
disappointing to miss out on another X games medal, but I'll be back again
next year and looking to put things right. Geico AMA EnduroCross 2012 - Championship standings The AMA EnduroCross Championship continues on September 15, at the Citizens Business Park Arena in Ontario, CA.
Red Bull/KTM rider Taddy Blazusiak claimed his fist win of the 2012 AMA EnduroCross Series at the second round of the circuit held at Power Balance Pavilion. His teammate, Factory FMF/KTM rider Mike Brown, also put in a good ride to secure 5th overall for the night. In his heat race, from an inside gate, Blazusiak jumped out front quickly to take the holeshot. Blazusiak led all six laps of his heat race to easily transfer to the main event. Brown also had a great start to his heat taking the early lead after the first corner. Unfortunately, Brown suffered a crash on the second lap but was able to recover without losing the lead. He continued to pull ahead until a small mistake on the next lap cost him the lead. He was able to hang on to 2nd place to take the final transfer spot to the main event. In the main event, Blazusiak was off to what seemed to be an undesirable start in 8th place before making substantial progress to pass into 3rd by the second corner. Blazusiak battled with Destry Abbott for the next two laps before passing him on lap three to take over the runner-up position. Blazusiak then set to work on the lead ride of Kevin Rookstool. Blazusiak was able to make a smooth pass to takeover the lead on lap four. From there, he began to stretch his lead for the remaining laps. At the conclusion of the race, Blazusiak crossed the finish over 10 seconds ahead of the 2nd place ride to claim his first victory of the season. Meanwhile, Brown had put together an impressive race to climb from a near last place start to pass into 5th by the halfway point. Brown and Cory Graffunder put together a great battle at the end of the race to get the crowd on their feet. At the end of the race, Brown was able to finish 5th overall. Now two rounds into the series, Blazusiak holds a 10 point lead in the series standings. I am very happy to win this race, commented Blazusiak. I really liked the track and the racing was fun. I want to extend my thanks to the entire KTM crew. I am looking forward to working with them over the next few weeks to prepare for the Summer X-Games. KTM had a great showing in the Womens class with 8 of the 12 riders on orange. Factory FMF/KTM rider Maria Forsberg got the holeshot in the main to take the early lead. A crash in the rock turn caused her to lose two spots to KTM riders Louise Forsley and Chantelle Bykerk. Forsberg was held up by lappers stuck in the matrix on the final lap and was unable to make a charge back to the lead. Forsley went on to take the win followed by Bykerk and Forsberg. Next Race: Summer X-Games: Los Angeles, CA - July 1, 2012 Overall Results AMA EnduroCross Pro Class Series Point Standings AMA EnduroCross Pro Class
KTM Enduro Factory Team rider Taddy Blazusiak endured an incident filled night inside the Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, at the opening round of the 2012 AMA EnduroCross series, eventually securing a spot on the podium in third position. Looking to continue where he left off in 2011 with a winning performance, come the main event Blazusiak immediately found himself in trouble in the first corner of the main event. After struggling to get to grips with the slow and technical course during practice, Blazusiak missed out on a direct transfer to the main event and instead had to qualify through his semi final. With a low gate pick, the defending champion was pushed wide entering the first corner of the main event and collided with trackside logs. Getting his front wheel stuck between two of the logs the KTM rider lost almost 20 seconds as he restarted the race. Remounting dead last, Taddy set about charging his way through the field. Picking off riders with each passing lap Blazusiak set the fastest lap of the race while working his way through traffic. Eventually finishing the 12-lap final in third place, Blazusiak's strong recovery saw him place just five seconds behind the race winner. The AMA EnduroCross Championship continues with round two on June 9. Taddy Blazusiak: "It was an eventful night to say the least and unfortunately didn't quite go how I planned. But generally I'm pleased with the outcome. Initially I found the course to be a bit of an issue - it was quite slow and technical. It didn't really suit my style and I ended up missing out on a direct transfer to the main. After a couple of changes to the bike I felt more comfortable on the track and easily made it into the main through the semi's, which gave the fifth gate pick for the main event. "I knew it would be tough to get a good start from the outside of the gate but I managed to get a good jump and almost had a strong start. Until I got pushed wide and crashed into the logs lining the side of the track that is. My front wheel got wedged between them and it took almost 20 seconds to get going again. By that time I was half a lap behind. I charged as hard as I could and was able to work my way up to third by the end of the race" "Although the result isn't what I hoped for I'm still pleased with the result. My riding was good in the final and I posted the fastest lap of the race while working my way through traffic. I have a couple of weeks to prepare for the next round of the championship where hopefully I can improve on this result." Results - Geico AMA EnduroCross 2012, Round 1
KTM Enduro Factory Team rider Taddy Blazusiak has finished as overall runner--up at the second round of the Spanish Enduro Championship, held in Antas, Almeria. Competing in what was the FIM SuperEnduro World Champions final pre US Endurocross event, Taddy put his disappointing performances at the Spanish opener behind him to finish ahead of Enduro World Championship regulars Ivan Cervantes, Joakim Ljunggren, Oriol Mena and Lorenzo Santolino. Extremely dry and dusty conditions welcomed competitors in Antas, with three laps of racing and a total of nine special tests decided the results. Never too far away from the race leading pace set by his KTM team--mate Cristobal Guerrero, Blazusiaks consistency paid off late in the race. On the third and final enduro test a mistake by Ivan Cervantes allowed the Pole to move into second in both the overall and Enduro 2 classifications. Taddy will now spend the next four--to--five weeks tackling rocks and logs on the Endurocross tracks close to his home in Girona, Spain as he ramps up his preparations ahead of the opening round of the US Endurocross series, which starts in Las Vegas on May 4. Taddy Blazusiak: Im really pleased with my second place result. Its been a good couple of weeks with winning at the British Sprint Enduro Championship and now getting runner--up here in Spain. It makes up for the disappointing result at the first Spanish event. Like in the UK I raced with an enduro motor, not the Endurocross engine I used at the first event in Spain. It was great. This is my last race in Europe before heading to the States for Endurocross so knowing that my speed was good is a real boost to my confidence. It was a great race, very dry and dusty and pretty hot, about 30 degrees. Cristobal always goes well on hard--pack terrain, which makes finishing second to him even better. I made a few mistake on the first two laps, nothing big, but was generally consistent and riding like I knew I could. Cervantes made a big mistake on the final enduro test, which allowed me to get the runner--up result. The extreme test didnt have much extreme stuff on it, so I didnt have any big advantage here. Its been a great day. Its back to the Endurocross training now. Ill spend the next four or five weeks riding rocks and logs. Its a great end to my pre--Endurocross races in Europe. Im loving racing the 350 and looking forward to the start of the Endurocross championship on May 4. Spanish Enduro Championship 2012, Round 2, Antas, Almeria Overall 1. Cristobal Guerrero (KTM); 2. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM); 3. Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg; 4. Oriol Mena (Husaberg); 5. Lorenzo Santolino (Husqvarna) Enduro 2 1. Cristobal Guerrero (KTM); 2. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM); 3. Ivan Cervantes (Gas Gas)
In front of 7,800 enthusiastic Polish indoor enduro fans KTM Enduro Factory Team rider Taddy Blazusiak has maintained his 100 per cent win record in the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship securing three main event victories at round two of the series in Lodz, Poland. The first ever international indoor enduro event to be held in Poland, the second and penultimate round of the SuperEnduro series saw Blazusiak once again dominate the proceedings to claim another maximum 60--point haul. With one round of the series remaining, in Barcelona, Spain on February 5th, Taddy holds a 39--point advantage in the championship standings. Despite a sizeable fall during the nights pre--qualifying races Taddy made his intentions of wanting to continue his championship dominance clear in the opening final by leading from start to finish. Keeping the partisan crowd entertained throughout all finals Taddy quickly worked his way to the front in the second main event, having started last as a result of the reversed start order. The nights third and last final again saw Blazusiak dominate as he rounded the first turn in the lead before going on to claim the chequered flag as the deserved winner. Round three of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship takes place in Barcelona, Spain, on February 5th 2012.
The track was a little easier than in Genoa, but it made for some great racing. Just like in Genoa getting good starts was important and I managed to do that. In the first race I made a small mistake and Jonny Walker got close to me for a few laps but by the end of the race I had a pretty decent lead so I was happy with the way that race went. The second race was the reversed start order, which I knew would make things tricky. But I went for a few ballsy passes on the first lap, which paid off, and I hit the front on lap two. Once I was in the lead I settled down a bit and the second half of the race went really well. The third final was perfect. I got the holeshot and lead from start to finish to make it a perfect night. It really has been an amazing event, and the perfect way for me to bring the year to an end. Results 2012 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, Round 2 SuperEnduro Final 1 1. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 08:24.733; 2. Jonny Walker (KTM); 3. Ivan Cervantes (Gas Gas); 4. Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg); 5. Alex Salvini (Husqvarna); 6. Xavier Galindo (Husaberg); 7. Cristobal Guerrero (KTM); 8. Alfredo Gomez (Husaberg); 9. Dougie Lampkin (Gas Gas); 10. Mike Hartman (Husaberg) SuperEnduro Final 2 1. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 8:23.782; 2. Jonny Walker (KTM); 3. Xavier Galindo (Husaberg); 4. Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg); 5. Ivan Cervantes (Gas Gas); 6. Mike Hartman (Husaberg); 7. Cristobal Guerrero (KTM); 8. Alex Salvini (Husqvarna); 9. Dougie Lampkin (Gas Gas); 10. Alfredo Gomez (Husaberg) SuperEnduro Final 3 1. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 08:18.218; 2. Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg); 3. Jonny Walker (KTM); 4. Alex Salvini (Husqvarna); 5. Xavier Galindo (Husaberg); 6. Cristobal Guerrero (KTM); 7. Ivan Cervantes (Gas Gas); 8. Mike Hartman (Husaberg); 9. Alfredo Gomez (Husaberg); 10. Dougie Lampkin (Gas Gas)
KTM Enduro Factory Team rider Taddy Blazusiak made the perfect start to his 2012 FIM Super Enduro campaign as the recently crowned AMA Endurocross champion dominated round one of the former Indoor Enduro World Championship series held inside the Genoa Palasport Fiera stadium in Italy. With Blazusiak claiming victory in all three finals he now comfortably leads the championship with 60--points to his credit. Having wrapped up the AMA Endurocross series just one week earlier in Las Vegas, Taddy arrived in Genoa as the pre--race favourite and immediately made his intentions known by recording the fastest lap in timed practice. With the top 11 riders in the series already guaranteed a place in the finals, the qualifying heats simply determined start positions for the main events. Crashing in the first corner of his heat race Taddy remounted in last position but quickly set about slicing his way through the field to take a hard fought victory. Knowing a good start would be crucial in securing winning results, Blazusiak was first out of the starting gates in each of the three Super Enduro finals. With a clear track ahead of him Blazusiak charged hard to lay down his fastest laps of the night in the early stages of all three finals, while opening up commanding leads. Controlling the races from the front, Taddy ended his night as the clear and deserved winner of the opening round of the FIM Super Enduro World Championship, taking with it the maximum possible 60 points. With the series now heading to his home country of Poland in two weeks time all eyes will again be focused on the KTM rider to see if he can keep his winning streak alive. Round two of the FIM Super Enduro World Championship takes place in Lodz, Poland, on December 10th. Taddy: It's been an amazing start to my championship -- winning each of the Super Enduro finals has been the best possible way that I could start the series. Tonight my starts were perfect and I think that helped make my results possible. Getting out front straight away I was able to control my own race, avoid any trouble, and just ride comfortably. By winning all three races I couldn't have asked for any more and now with my home race in Poland in a couple of weeks time it gives me a lot of motivation to continue working hard for another good result.
Headed into the last round of the series, and the only event to feature two point-scroing main events, Taddy held a commanding championship advantage and needed little time to show exactly why hes been the years stand-out performer. Although not posting the fastest time during the qualifying Hot Lap session, Blazusiak once again comfortably won his heat race to transfer into the main events. Knowing that just a handful of points woud be enough from the first of the nights two finals to see him crowned champion for a third year running, Taddy took an instant lead and quickly asserted himself at the front of the race. With 10 punishing laps to complete Taddy remained mistake free and in reaching the chequered flag first brought his 2011 Endurocross campaign to a deservedly successful close. With the championship his Taddy was then able to race the second main event safe in the knowledge that no matter what happened the championship was his. Making light work of the course and his rivals Blazusiak was soon out front in the second main event going on to make it eight main event wins from eight starts in 2011, cementing his position as the worlds fastest indoor enduro racer. Taddy now turns his attentions to the opening round of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, which starts next weekend, November 26, in Genoa Italy. Taddy: Winning the final two main events of the championship is the perfect way to end the series. Its been an amazing championship and to get my third Endurocross #1 plate is just great I have to say a massive thank you to everyone thats been involved in my championship success. I kept working hard coming into this race so I felt pretty confident, but the track was tight and I knew the racing was going to be close. Thankfully, everything went pretty much perfectly. I got two great starts, didnt make any mistakes, and managed to complete a perfect season of eight main event wins. Im so pleased that Ive been able to win the championship, its been one hell of a year and to get another AMA title is just fantastic. I head straight back to Europe now for the opening race of the SuperEnduro World Championship this coming weekend, which Im really looking forward to.
Spending little time on a bike following his participation in the penultimate round of the Enduro World Championship held in Andorra, Taddy arrived at the fourth round of the Endurocross tour with high hopes of maintaining his winning ways. The fastest rider on track from the first practice session, Blazusiak remained as the night's fastest competitor topping the Hot Laps session, comfortably winning his heat race, before firing out of the start gate and into what would soon become a comfortable lead in the main event. Making one mistake mid-way through the final, Taddy needed less than two laps to rebuild his lead, claiming the chequered flag some 10 seconds ahead of his nearest rival. Taddy now holds a 39-point advantage at the top of the 2011 Endurocross points standings. Round five of the 2011 Endurocross series takes place at the National Western Complex in Denver, CO, on October 1. Taddy: "Just about everything was great this weekend, I really couldn't have asked for anything more. From the start of the first practice session I felt great and the more time I spent on the track the more I was sure I could win. I'd not spent too much time on a bike after the Enduro World Championship race I competed in two weeks ago but it didn't make any difference to my riding. The first and second practice sessions both went really well and then I got a time two seconds faster than anyone in the Hot Laps session, which was great. I knew that as long as I didn't make any mistakes I'd be able to claim another main event win. Things went well in my qualifying race - my bike was awesome and I felt really strong. Getting the holeshot in the main event really made things much easier for me. I made one silly mistake, which meant I lost the advantage I'd opened up, but it wasn't long before I was clear out front again. It was a great night. I have a pretty good points lead now so I'll just keep pushing at the next round and see what happens." Results - Endurocross 2011, Rnd 4
Landing back in Europe the Tuesday before the event following his third successive 2011 Endurocross victory, Blazusiak made a great start to the opening days competition but frustratingly ended up sixth having found it hard to readjust to EWC competition. With fierce competition in the Enduro 2 class, on day two Taddy found his rhythm and produced a much-improved performance, earning fifth behind EWC regulars Cristobal Guerrero, Ivan Cervantes, Antoine Meo and Pela Renet. Taddys next event is the fourth round of the US Endurocross series, in Ontario, CA, on September 17. Taddy Blazusiak: Overall Im pretty pleased, especially when
you consider that I came here straight from the US just for a one-off race. It
took me a while to find my rhythm because Enduro World Championship events are
very different to Endurocross, which is what Ive been focusing on recently.
I struggled a little on day one and I finished sixth, which I was a little bit
disappointed with. Day two went much better and I finished fifth, but I was
fourth just before the start of the fifth lap. I backed off a little bit
during the last two laps because I felt like I was riding a little too close
to my limit. With things going really well in Endurocross I didnt want to
take any risks. I only backed off a little bit but my times dropped off quite
a lot. Normally, I look forward to the extreme test, thats where Im able
to make up some time, but we only had two timed runs on the extreme test
during the whole weekend. Enduro World Championship 2011 Grand Prix of Andorra Day one Enduro 2 1. Antoine Meo (Husqvarna) 32.21:71; 2. Ivan Cervantes (Gas Gas) 32.24:43; 3. Pela Renet (Husaberg) 32.32:73; 4. Cristobal Guerrero (KTM) 32.34:82; 5. Seb Bozzo (Kawasaki) 33.16:28; 6. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 33.41:91 Enduro World Championship 2011 Grand Prix of Andorra Day two Enduro 2 1. Cristobal Guerrero (KTM) 42.00:36; 2. Ivan Cervantes (Gas Gas) 42.03:81; 3. Antoine Meo (Husqvarna) 42.18:46; 4. Pela Renet (Husaberg) 42.46:14; 5. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 43.32.31
KTM Enduro Factory Team rider Taddy Blazusiak has further extended his lead in the 2011 US Endurocross championship claiming his third straight main event win at round three of the series held in Indianapolis, IN. Once again taking charge of the 10-lap main event Blazusiak claimed a comfortable win to extend his championship advantage to 22 points. With the opening three rounds of the 11 Endurocross championship taking place within a five week period, Taddy now heads back to Europe where he will race a 350 EXC-F machine in the Enduro 2 class at the penultimate round of the Enduro World Championship in Andorra. We caught up with the Polish indoor enduro star shortly before he jetted off back to Europe to find out more about his hugely successful start to the US Endurocross campaign and his return to the EWC Q: Congratulations on a third consecutive Endurocross win, how was the event in Indy? TB: The event went really well, I got a third straight win and I extended my championship lead so it was pretty much perfect. The track was much easier than the first two rounds, so I knew good starts would be important. Unfortunately, I made a small problem during the hot laps session and lost four seconds when I got stuck on the tyres. I finished seventh, which wasnt ideal, but still managed to have a good heat race. By winning that and having the fastest heat race time I got the first gate pick for the final. I started in second but kept out of trouble during the first lap and dropped to third for a while. But I was soon battling with Mike Brown and after a few laps moved into the lead. It was 10 laps of 100 per cent effort with no mistakes and a winning result, which I was really pleased with. Q: With three wins from three events you must be pleased with the way your championship campaigns started? TB: Definitely, it couldnt have gone any better. Like every rider I wanted to start the series by winning, which Ive been able to do at the first three races now. I feel really good on the 350, and feel like my fitness is better than ever. And Im really enjoying the races. Everythings come together perfectly and I hope I can continue winning. Q: Switching to KTMs 350 four-stroke seems to be working well, what is it that you like about the bike so much? TB: I switched because I was looking for a new challenge after a lot of years on a two-stroke. When I first tested the bike I liked it. The bikes great off the start, which is really important for Endurocross. Its also incredibly fast out of the corners. And its light enough that it doesnt feel too different to my old two strokes. I was sure Id be faster on the 350 and so far things are working out really well. Q: Youve had some mixed fortunes during the Hot Laps sessions at Endurocross, how important are they to you? TB: The Hot Lap sessions are really important. That determines you gate pick for the heat race and that result determines your gate pick for the final. Its hard getting one lap perfect, especially for me. You have to push hard but not too hard. Maybe sometimes I try a little too hard, or other riders have a little more luck than me. But so far this year Ive finished with the first, second and seventh fastest times. Im happy with that. Q: With three events in five weeks its certainly been a busy start to the 11 Endurocross series, have you enjoyed the week-on, weekoff schedule? TB: Ive really enjoyed it. Its been cool having a race every second weekend. I knew I was ready for the first round of the series, so having three in a row hasnt been a problem for me. I like it because you stay in race mode. You stay focused on the next race and dont feel like you have to wait weeks before youre back racing again. Q: You head back to Europe now but going straight back into competition at the penultimate EWC event of the year. What are your expectations for that race? TB: Im just looking forward to racing the 350 outdoors for the first time. Ive done plenty of outdoor training on the bike but not raced it yet. The Enduro World Championship events are very different to indoor races, but Ill be giving it everything. Itll be the first time Ive raced in the Enduro 2 class but with all my training being focused towards Endurocross Im not expecting too much of myself. I just want to have fun and enjoy the event. Q: Youve managed to open up a good lead in the Endurocross championship, are you thinking about the title yet? TB: Im always thinking about the title because thats the thing I work so hard to try and win each year. I have a 22-point lead now so I cant just keep going all out for race wins now, I have to think about the championship. My goal for the next four races is to get on the podium each time. If I feel I can win then Ill push to win but maintaining my championship lead is the most important thing now. Round four of the 2011 Endurocross series takes place at the Citizens bank Arena, Ontario, CA, on September 17. Taddy wins AMA Endurocross round two KTM Enduro Factory Team rider Taddy Blazusiak has extended his lead at the top of the 2011 AMA Endurocross series by winning the second round of the championship held in Everett, WA. Making it two wins from two starts, Blazusiak, who powered his way to victory at the opening round of the series following a trip to the Last Chance Qualifier race, enjoyed a much less frantic night and again proved his dominance in Endurocross racing. Riding KTM's 350cc four-stroke Blazusiak immediately got to grips with the Everett track setting the fastest time during the Hot Laps qualifying session. Placing ahead of Geoff Aaron and Graham Jarvis, Taddy then made light work of his qualifying race claiming a comfortable win to breeze into the final without problems. Forced to cautiously make his way through the opening few laps at the first round of the series due to being one of the last riders to line up for the start, second time around Taddy blasted out of the gate and into an early lead. Managing to avoid the hustle and bustle of the early laps, Taddy was followed by the likes of Mike Brown, Cody Webb and Geoff Aaron. But while his rivals battled one another the two-time Endurocross champion was able to break away at the front of the race. Steadily extending his lead Taddy was able to complete a trouble free race, eventually lapping up to the third placed rider. Claiming the chequered flag for the second time in two races, the Polish rider secured another maximum 30 point score. Round three of the 2011 Endurocross series takes place at the Pepsi Coliseum, Indianapolis, IN, on August 26, a part of the Moto GP weekend. Taddy: 'Everything went to plan this time, not like at X Games where I had to go to the LCQ. The first round of the series was amazing, and to win the first Endurocross event at X Games was unbelievable, but it's good that things are kind of back to normal now. There's always a lot of pressure at the first race of any championship and X Games was pretty crazy. I made a few mistakes there so I wanted to get back to how things were last year this weekend - getting a good Hot Laps time in before winning my qualifying race to get a good gate pick for the main event. That's what I was able to do, and it made things much, much easier for me. I got a great start in the final and just focused on getting a few good laps completed without mistakes. The riders behind me were at each other, which I guess helped me a bit, and I was able to pull away. I just made sure I didn't make any mistakes and tried to ride smart. Everything worked out great, I hope I can keep it that way at the next round in two weeks.' Results - 1. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 2. Geoff Aaron (Honda/Christini) 3. Cody Webb (Beta) 4. Mike Brown (KTM) 5. Graham Jarvis (Husaberg) Taddys the man at Endurocross Rnd 1 Starting the defence of his Endurocross championship in the best possible way Taddy Blazusiak has won the opening round of the 2011 series staged at the Staple Centre in Los Angeles, CA, on Saturday night. Claiming gold at the first ever X Games Endurocross event, Blazusiak was made to work hard for his winning result as he failed to qualify for the main event from his heat race, forced instead to qualify through the LCQ race. The second fastest rider during the pre-qualifying hot laps session, Blazusiak was struck from behind soon after the start of his qualifying race, which dropped him to the back of the field. Battling his way back up to third, Taddy was forced to race the LCQ a race he had to win in order to make it through into the main event. Thankfully a strong ride saw him pass into the main. Cautiously making his way through the opening lap Taddy quickly set about working his way into the lead. Feeling the best he had all night he moved into the #1 position after only a handful of laps before opening up a 10 second advantage at the head of the race, claiming a well-deserved and hard fought victory. Round two of the 2011 Endurocross series takes place at the Comcast Arena, Everett, WA, on August 13. Taddy: Winning is exactly the result I wanted but it was a seriously tough night. The main event went really well, and the night started well, but my qualifying race was a disaster and having to ride the LCQ wasnt something I was planning on doing either. I got the second fastest time during the hot laps session, which I was happy with. I made a few mistakes but it went well. I got a great start in my qualifying session then got hit from behind on the first log section, which put me right at the back of the pack. I had a wild couple of laps after that but then got things together and started to put some good lap times together. But I got third and had to go to the LCQ because the qualifying procedure was a little different to normal. That race went well but I got a really bad pick of the gate in the main event. I saw a gap in the first turn of the main and went for it off the start, which moved me up to about fourth or fifth. At the end of the first lap I was third. I felt like I was riding well then and pushed hard. I worked my way into the lead and really enjoyed the second half of the race. The event was awesome, but hard work. Riding the 350cc four-stoke worked out great, I loved it. I have to head back to Poland now, just for a few days, but will soon be back in the States for the second round of Endurocross. Results Enduro cross 2011, Rnd 1 1. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 2. Mike Brown (KTM) 3. Justin Soule (Kawasaki) 4. Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg) 5. Geoff Aaron (Honda-Christini) 6. Destry Abbott (Kawasaki) 7. Kurt Caselli (KTM) 8. Cody Webb (Beta) 9. Taylor Robert (Kawasaki) 10. Kevin Rookstool (KTM) 11 Enduro World Championship 2011, Preview CATCHING UP WITH TADDY Recently crowned as the .11 Indoor Enduro World Champion Taddy Blazusiak is about to switch disciplines and turn his attentions to the Enduro World Championship and this weekend's GP of Spain. Here's what the Polish KTM factory rider had to say about his upcoming return to the EWC Firstly Taddy, the premature end to the '11 Indoor Enduro World Championship must be something you're disappointed about, but on the flip side you must be thrilled to have won the title? Taddy: .It's always sad when a championship gets cancelled early. My job is to compete in the races and do as best I can, which I did. What happened with the last two races getting cancelled was out of my hands, but I'm happy that I won the title. I had to ride with broken ribs at the first round after I crashed, and I'm so pleased I did now. If I hadn't I wouldn't have been able to win the title. I'd have loved more races, and hopefully things will get sorted out for next year. But I got the title and I'm thrilled about that.' Did the early cancelation of the IEWC series change your plans in any way? Taddy: .Not so much. Obviously, I was planning on sticking to my indoor enduro training until the series was over, when it finished early it gave me three or four weeks to have a little fun and mix my training up a little. I've been able to get some great training done with no pressure at all.' The '11 Enduro World Championship kicks off this weekend, which you're competing in. Was that always your plan? Taddy: .Yes, I was always planning on doing some EWC races, like I did last year. The only thing that's different is that I've been brought into the KTM Enduro Factory Team this year, I'm not an additional rider. Other than that not a lot's changed. I'm still the indoor and extreme enduro rider, I'm just doing some EWC races as well. The events I raced last year went well, so I'm hoping for some more good results this year. I'll race Spain, Portugal and Italy and see how things are going. So far you've enjoyed good results in the opening rounds of the Italian and Spanish Enduro championships, were you surprised by your results? Taddy: .I wasn't really surprised because I've been working hard to improve my speed over the last three years, but I think some people were surprised. The first Italian race was great. I used the event to test the bike for the world championship as I'm riding a 300 and not a 250, like at the indoor races. There was no extreme test, which made the result of fourth overall even better for me. It was a very positive race for me.' Last weekend saw the first Spanish Enduro Championship event. Did you expect a result as good as second overall there? Taddy: .I didn't really go into the event expecting or wanting to finish with any definite result, but I'm pleased it went so well. I was the fastest E3 class rider and was leading until the mid-way stage of the event. I made some mistakes because I was trying too hard, that's when I dropped from first to third. I got back to second, which I'm really pleased with.' So what are you expecting from this weekend's GP of Spain? Taddy: .It's going to be tough but my approach will be the same as for all events I'm just going to do my best. I have my title, the IEWC title, so there's no pressure on me really. I'll give it my all and see how it goes. I know my speed is good, my bike is great, and my fitness is good, too. I'm not too worried about my result but I'll give 100 per cent and see how it goes, I'm really looking forward to it.'
KTM Enduro Factory Team rider Taddy Blazusiak endured a challenging first round of the 2011 FIM Indoor Enduro World Championships staged in Genoa, Italy, as two crashes in the night's first final left the Polish rider severely beaten up and with a mild concussion. With a simple fall dropping him into the mid-pack, Taddy then came up short on the track's triple jump, which fired him and his bike into the ground. Thankfully able to continue, but with handlebars bent so badly that his bike was almost unrideable, Taddy salvaged a ninth place result. Aggravating a shoulder injury picked up at the start of the year Taddy fell in the second final while leading. Unable to raise his left elbow due to pain from his shoulder, Taddy simply lost his front end but quickly remounted to claim second behind Finland's Mika Ahola. Somehow managing to save his best until the third final Taddy lead from start to finish to claim an impressive win. Despite his disappointing ninth place result in the first final Blazusiak sits third in the IEWC series standings, just eight points behind leader Ahola. Taddy Blazusiak: 'I'm sure a lot of people would have been expecting me to win, and of course that's what I wanted, but my style is always to push as hard as I can, to give 100 per cent, and tonight it didn't quite work out. I had two crashes in the first final - the first was a simply indoor enduro fall where I lost my front wheel after hitting a log. But the second was much bigger. I was riding with a good pace and was sure I could get back to the front but I lost some traction on the take off of the triple jump and came up short. I knew that doing the triple had its risks and when I came up a little short it fired me and my bike into the ground. After that I just tried to score as many points as possible on a really bent and twisted bike. My shoulder was really sore after that crash so I was struggling a bit on the second race. I didn't have a loft of power in the shoulder and I just ended up on the ground again when I was leading. I got back to second, which was ok. The last race was the perfect way to end the night. I pulled the holeshot and then stayed out front and upright all race. I felt like my speed was good enough to win all three races but after my first final crash to still be third in the championship is really good. There's still a long way to go in the series and retaining my IEWC title is still my number one goal.' Results - 2011 Indoor Enduro World Championship, Rnd 1 Championship standings - 2011 Indoor Enduro World Championship
US
Endurocross, Rnd 6, Las Vegas, NV, 20.11.2010 Taddy Blazusiak has won the '10 AMA Endurocross champion, successfully defending his '09 title following a near perfect night in Las Vegas. Carrying a 21-point lead into the sixth and final round of the series Blazusiak was focused on ending the championship in style and dominated the event to rightfully take his place at the top of championship standings. Unable to maximise his chances of wrapping up the championship at the
penultimate round of the series, Taddy made sure he arrived at the Vegas final
100 per cent ready to clinch the title. And in posting the fastest time during
the qualifying Hot Lap session, he showed he was ready to do exactly that.
Then going on to comfortably win his heat race Taddy moved into the main event
confident of championship success. Taddy now heads to Genoa, Italy this coming weekend (November 27) where he will start the defence of his Indoor Enduro World Championship title. Taddy Blazusiak: 'I couldn't be happier with the way the Las Vegas final went. I was a little disappointed not to have won the championship at the penultimate race, but in some ways wrapping up another Endurocross championship in Vegas is the best place to do it. I felt strong right from the start of the event. I knew I couldn't afford any mistakes, but being cautious isn't my style. I really wanted to win the championship with another victory and that was what I managed to do. I enjoyed the whole night. Getting the fastest time in the Hot Laps session was a great start and then when I won my heat race I was really looking forward to the main event. There's not too much to say about the main event. I gated well, quickly got into the lead and then just started putting good laps together. I just didn't want to make any mistakes and slowly started to move ahead at the front. Winning the Endurocross title again feels great. I have to say a big thanks to everyone who's supported me, to all my sponsors, my mechanic, and the fans that cheered me on at each round of the series. I head straight into the first round of the Indoor Enduro World Championship now, so I'll have to wait a while before I start celebrating winning the Endurocross title.' Results Rnd 6 - '10 AMA Endurocross championship Final championship standings - '10 AMA Endurocross championship
10
US Endurocross, Rnd 5 Taddy Blazusiak's hopes of wrapping up the '10 US Endurocross championship at the penultimate round of the series in Denver were dealt a cruel blow as the KTM Enduro Factory Team racer was unable to place higher than fifth in the event's final due to a damaged front brake. Hopeful of continuing his winning ways and securing the title prior to the championship's final event in Las Vegas at the end of November, Taddy posted a qualifying lap time nearly two seconds faster than any other rider before going on to top his heat race ahead of the main event. With the main event starting in the best possible way as the Polish ace as he claimed the holeshot Taddy soon ran into troubles as a damaged front brake system slowed his pace. Doing his best to remain in contention with the front-runners, Taddy dropped back to fifth - an impressive result considering he'd ridden the majority of the race with no front brake. The sixth and final round of the US Endurocross series takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 20. Taddy Blazusiak: 'Of course I'm disappointed that things didn't go the way I hoped they would, but that's racing. What happened to my front brake is just one of those things. Everything else went really well and my bike and riding was good. With Endurocross racing so many things can happen and having won the first four rounds of the series I guess it was my turn to have a small problem. It's not really a big deal, after all it's not like I got injured. It just means that I have to wait until the final round of the series in Las Vegas to try and win the title. Before I got my front brake problem I'd got the fastest lap time in qualifying and then won my heat race, I even got another holeshot in the main event. It could easily have been another perfect night, it just didn't quite work out that way.' Results - Endurocross '10, Rnd 5
Claiming his fourth consecutive win in the '10 US Endurocross championship KTM Enduro Factory Team rider Taddy Blazusiak has further extended his lead at the top of the prestigious indoor enduro series. Picking up win #4 inside the Comcast Arena in Everett, WA, Blazusiak maintained his so far perfect season despite a mistake early in the night's final, which forced him to work his way from mid-pack to battle past early race leader Geoff Aaron and into the lead. Third fastest in the Hot Laps qualifying session Taddy claimed yet another heat race win to move into the final as favourite to top the main event podium. Claiming the all-important holeshot before launching himself off the track Taddy was forced to fight his way back towards the race leaders. Needing just one lap to pick-up the second place position, Blazusiak moved ahead of Geoff Aaron on lap seven and then steadily pulled away. Claiming the chequered flag for the fourth time in four finals so far this year Taddy once again proved to be simply too strong for his rivals. Round five of the US Endurocross series, where Blazusiak can win the '10 US Endurocross title, takes place in Denver, CO on October 30. Taddy Blazusiak: 'This was a much more eventful final that at the
earlier rounds of the championship, but I got the win again so I'm happy. It
was fun having to work my way to the front. The last few races I've had good
starts and lead from the front - having to think about passing riders made it
interesting. It didn't take me long to get up behind Geoff Aaron and although
it took a wh Results - Endurocross '10, Rnd 4
Taddy
Blazusiak withdraws from The Tough One Suffering with a bad dose of Flu, and having been put on antibiotics and
advised to do nothing else other than rest for the next seven days by his
doctor, Blazusiak will remain at his home in Poland. With The Tough One being
the final extreme event of the 09/'10 winter season Taddy is obviously
disappointed not to be racing but will be back in '11. Taddy Blazusiak: "It goes without saying that I'm really disappointed that I can't compete this weekend. But if I'm not 100 per cent then there is no point in me racing. The Though One is a great race and like all extreme races you have to be fully fit and healthy to perform at your best. I had a great time at the event last year, and I'm sure that Steve and his team will put on another great event this year. It wouldn't be right to start the event knowing that there's little chance of me being able to ride at 100 per cent for the full race."
Finishing 31 seconds ahead of his nearest rival during his qualifying race Taddy made the demanding Genoa course look easy. Claiming the holeshot in the opening final Taddy was never headed and claimed a commanding win. In the second final Poland's number one enduro racer was made to work hard for his winning result as a less than perfect start was followed by a fall on the opening lap. Quickly chasing down race leader Cervantes, Taddy went on to win the race following his best performance of the night. In the third final Taddy enjoyed a relatively trouble free race and in winning remains unbeaten so far in the '10 IEWC series. Taddy now heads to Australia for some well-earned rest and relaxation. 'I didn't feel that good during the first practice session but I soon got into things and, well, everything worked out perfectly. I was really struggling with all of the right hand corners because I didn't want to put my foot down. One thing that helped me again was my starts. I had a great start in the first race and got the holeshot, but I accelerated too hard out of the gate in the second race, lost traction, and paid the price. 'Then I fell and about three riders all landed on my bad knee. But I knew that if I didn't make any other mistakes I'd be able to get to the front, which I did. Then the third final went well again so I won all three races like I did in Sheffield. I'm heading to Australia now to first take a few weeks off and relax before starting riding again ready for the third IEWC event in Spain.' Results - '10 IEWC series standings after two rounds
US Endurocross Rnd 6, Las Vegas, NV, 21.11.2009 KTM Enduro Factory Team / Red Bull rider Taddy Blazusiak brought his participation in the '09 US Endurocross series to a close this past weekend when he placed fifth in the final round staged within the Orleans Arena, Las Vegas. The already crowned Endurocross champion topped his qualifying heat after falling in the first turn but was unable to claim victory in the main event. Third exiting the first corner Taddy pushed hard to move into the lead but his hopes of winning were soon ended. Opting to take the inside line around a corner he was struck by one of his rivals injuring his knee. Forced to ride the nearly the whole event in pain Taddy placed fifth, a disappointing result for the '09 US Endurocross champion. Taddy's next event will be the second round of the Indoor Enduro World Cup, which takes place in Genoa on December 5. Taddy Blazusiak: "Considering how well the rest of the championship went it's disappointing that things ended with a fifth place result, but I guess that's how it goes sometimes. The important thing for me is that I managed to win the championship. That was my goal, and it's great knowing that I achieved that. The evening started pretty well with getting the second fastest time during the hot lap session. I made one small mistake so I was happy with that. My heat race was a good workout. I went down in the first corner and had to push really hard after that. I managed to come back from last to win so I knew I was riding well. "I felt good ahead of the final. A lot of people were talking about the money that I could win, but I really just wanted a good result to end the championship well. I got a good start and was third coming out of the first corner, but then things didn't go so well. I took an inside line around one of the corners about half may through the first lap and Ricky Dietrich slammed into me. I had my leg out as I was riding over a log, and my knee folded. I was in a lot of pain and couldn't push hard after that. It's not how I wanted to end the series but there's not much I can do about it now. I head back to Europe soon so I'll be busy in the coming weeks getting ready for the IEWC race in Italy." Results - US Endurocross Rnd 6 '09
US Endurocross Rnd 5, Denver, Co, 24.10.2009 KTM Enduro Factory Team / Red Bull rider Taddy Blazusiak is the 2009 US Endurocross champion. Dominating the series since it's start back in late June, Taddy secured his first AMA Endurocross title with yet another winning result. Posting the fastest time in the event's Hot Lap qualifying session, before going on to win his heat race having lead from start to finish, Blazusiak then won the penultimate round of the series to put his name to the prestigious title. Starting well in the main event Taddy spent the opening lap battling with Geoff Aaron before making a pass over the tyre section. Then pursued by Colton Haaker, Taddy stuck to his game plan and maintained a pace he was comfortable with. Edging ahead of Haaker as the race progressed Taddy kept himself out of trouble and claimed his fourth win of the season. In doing so he became the '09 AMA Endurocross champion. Taddy now heads back to Europe for this weekend's opening round of the Indoor Enduro World Cup, which takes pace in Sheffield, England. Taddy Blazusiak: "I think this was the best race of my life. It went better than I even hoped it would. From setting the fastest Hot Lap to winning my heat to getting the win in the main, just about everything went perfectly. It's a massive relief to have secured the title before the final in Vegas and I'm so pleased the championship's mine. Getting the holeshot in the main was exactly what I wanted to do. The track was pretty fast so it was important to be up front early on. I must have changed places with Geoff Aaron about three times during the first lap. I'd been jumping the tyre section all night, which Aaron hadn't, so I knew it was my chance to pass him. Unfortunately we came together and he went down. "Colton Haaker was riding really well and was with me for a few laps after that. I could see exactly where he was and just kept my own pace. The track was great fun, not too technical and quite fast. I'm so pleased that the championship's mine. The pressure is off now, which is great because I can really focus on the Indoor Enduro World Cup race this coming weekend now, as well as going to final round of the Endurocross championship in Vegas and just going for it. If I win there I'll get $50'000, which would be a great end to the series. The important thing is that I have the championship. I have to say a big thank you to all of my sponsors and my mechanic." Results - US Endurocross Rnd 5 '09 Taddy runner-up at US Endurocross Rnd 4 2009 US Endurocross series points leader Taddy Blazusiak has claimed his fourth consecutive podium result, this time finishing second in Columbus, Ohio. Winner of the opening three rounds of the series the KTM Enduro Factory Team/Red Bull rider once again dominated the Hot Lap qualifying session where he placed comfortably ahead of his closest rival. Passing through his heat race after falling at the first turn, Blazusiak was the fastest rider in the main event, but was unfortunate not to win. Getting caught up in the first corner Taddy then tangled with another rider mid-way around the opening lap while Geoff Aaron took the lead. Quickly into his rhythm Taddy worked his way up to and past Aaron before a mistake in the 'fire wood' section dropped him back to second. With only a few laps remaining Taddy caught back up to Aaron but was unable to claim a fourth straight victory. Taddy nevertheless still holds a healthy advantage in the series points standings. Taddy Blazusiak: "Although I would have loved to have won again, I'm more than happy with my performances and result from Ohio. It was bad luck rather than bad riding that cost me the win. My goal at the start of the series was to be on the podium at every race, and so far I've done that. "I really felt great on my bike all night. I got the fastest time in the Hot Lap qualifying session and then won my heat race. I went down in the first corner and was leading by the end of the first lap, which I was really pleased about. In the main event I got a reasonable start but then got hung up in the first corner. I got caught up with someone on the first lap and was in about fourth or firth. I managed to work my way into the lead but caught a log in the fire wood section, which brought me down. I was able to catch back up to Geoff but I just ran out of time to pass him. Like I said I'm more than pleased with finishing as runner-up. I can't wait until the next round of the championship now." Results - US Endurocross Rnd 4 '09 US Endurocross - mid-season interview, 21.9.2009 Looking forward with confidence Theres little denying that Taddy Blazusiak has taken the 09 US Endurocross championship by storm. At the half way stage of the six-round series the KTM factory rider is almost 30 points ahead of his nearest rival. Coming back from the horrific facial injury he sustained at the second round of the 08 series, Taddy is now performing at his best and looking forward to the second half of the US Endurocross championship... Last year was particularly difficult following your serious facial injury, do you feel thats 100 per cent behind you now? Taddy: At the start of 08 I was looking to have a great season. I thought I was 100 per cent ready, and hungry to win. But my injury took a lot out of me. I really suffered a lot. I kept telling myself that I was ok, that I was getting stronger and that I was fit enough to race, but I was a long way from being where I needed to be. Now things are really good. I can feel that I am stronger and fitter than Ive ever been. Its taken me one-year to get over my injury and its only now that I feel really good on a bike again. I think thats showing in my results. The big difference is that because my fitness is good now Im fresh all the way through my races. You make mistakes when you get tired, so being able to stay relaxed in the last laps of a race makes a big difference. I put in a lot of work before the season started, which is really paying off now. So far things have gone perfectly for you as far as the US Endurocross series is concerned, you must be thrilled with winning each of the opening three races? Taddy: Its been great. My goal at the start of the season was to win the championship. To do that I need podiums at every event. Winning the first three races is a real bonus. The level of racing is extremely high so I never expected to be as successful as Ive been. The first race was great. It was my mistake that made that final as close as it was at the finish. The second round went perfectly, and the third round was exactly what I hoped for as well. Things have really come together my fitness, my bike, my confidence, everything. A lot of people were expecting yourself and Ricky Dietrich to battle it out for the 09 title. Are you disappointed your expected number one rival has been out injured? Taddy: Injuries are a part of our sport, I guess I know that better than most. To win a championship you have to be fast, fit and healthy, which means trying to avoid injuries. Id love to have been racing with Ricky at the second and third rounds of the series. Hell be back for the next round, so Im looking forward to that. My focus is winning the championship so Im not going to take any crazy risks to win races. I have a solid championship lead, which I want to look after. Late October sees the start of the Indoor Enduro World Cup, have you started preparing for that yet? Taddy: Yes, Ive been getting my bike set up in Europe for a while now. Im really looking forward to the start of that championship. Last year I was coming back from injury and finished second. Im looking forward to racing against the best riders in Europe, hopefully fully fit. The tracks and racing is different to in the States. Im really looking forward to the first race in the UK. Finally, you have three rounds of the US Endurocross series remaining, and the chance to win $50000 if you top the Triple Crown, what is your plan for the second half of the series? Taddy: $50000 is a lot of money, a great bonus if Im able to win it, but the championship is whats really important to me. My goal is to secure the number one plate. Now I have such a good championship lead winning races gets harder because I have to think about the title. Im going to be pushing hard at the final races, I want to win for KTM, Red Bull, and all my sponsors and fans, but the championship is the biggest prize. Thats what Im really after. Round four of the US Endurocross series takes place in Columbus, Ohio on October 4. US Endurocross Rnd 3, Florence, South Carolina, 12.9.2009 Taddy wins againtops US Endurocross Rnd 3 KTM Enduro Factory Team Red Bull rider Taddy Blazusiak remains unbeaten in the '09 US Endurocross series after claiming his third consecutive victory in Florence, South Carolina. Earning himself a hard fought win at the opening round of the championship in Las Vegas before then going on to dominate the second round of the series in Oklahoma, Blazusiak enjoyed a relatively straight forward night in South Carolina, despite failing to claim the holeshot in the main event. Setting the fastest time during the qualifying hot lap session, Blazusiak moved through into the final with little trouble. Confident of a winning result the KTM factory rider quickly worked his way to the front of the race, where he remained until he claimed the chequered flag. Canadian Cory Graffunder put most pressure on Taddy but once past the mid-way stage of the race Blazusiak opened up a comfortable lead and remained unchallenged as he picked up win number three of the '09 US Endurocross season. Taddy Blazusiak: "Winning the first three
rounds of the US Endurocross championship is great, things just keep going
well for me. I went home for a few weeks after the second round of the
series to rest a little and I'm feeling really good now. I put in a lot of
work before the championship started and it's starting to pay off now. I
was confident that I could win again but you never know with Endurocross
racing, anything can happen. I'm pretty pleased with the way I rode to be
honest. Again, not making too many mistakes was important to me. I made a
pretty good start and then just tried to stay as smooth as I could during
the first half of the race. Once I past halfway I knew I was safe. Well,
pretty safe. I have to say a big thanks to all my team." Results - US Endurocross Rnd 3 '09
With just a few days to go before the 15th running of the world's toughest one-day extreme enduro - the mighty Erzberg Rodeo - two-time event winner Taddy Blazusiak is ready and waiting for his chance to claim a third consecutive Erzberg Hare Scramble victory. Triumphant first time out as an enduro newcomer in '07, in '08 Taddy switched borrowed machinery for a place in the KTM Enduro Factory Team and again claimed victory. This year, having spent much of the last two months preparing himself for toughest extreme enduro in the world, the talented Pole is hopeful he can make it three wins from three starts. Erzberg also marks the start of Taddy's extreme enduro and indoor enduro season. Almost five months to the day since the final round of the '08/'09 Indoor Enduro World Cup in Madrid, from Erzberg Taddy will head to the States where he will live for the next five months while competing in the '09 US Endurocross series. Following that it will be back to Europe and the start of the '09/'10 Indoor Enduro World Cup. The '09 US Endurocross series starts in Las Vegas on July 25 before heading to Oklahoma, South Carolina, Ohio, Colorado, and finishing back in Las Vegas on November 21. Taddy Blazusiak: "I feel confident about my
chances of winning at Erzberg for the third consecutive year. I've been
working hard recently, riding in lots of different types of events, so I
know I'm in good shape. It would be great to win again and get three
victories in a row, but Erzberg is an event that's hard to win and easy
not to finish. As always there's going to be lots of strong competition
from experienced Erzberg riders and some new competitors, I'm just going
to do my best and try and use my experience to good effect. I'll take one week off after Erzberg and then I head to the US and the start of the Endurocross series. I'm going to base myself in the States for the whole series this year - I'll be living with Mike Metzger in California. I'll be close to the KTM team and have lots of great places to go practicing. The injury I sustained to my face last year took a lot to get over, but I feel I'm in the best shape I can be right now, considering everything I went through. Competition in the Endurocross championship is always fierce, but I'm focused on podium results. Obviously my goal is to win the championship - to do that I'll need to be consistent throughout the championship. I'm really looking forward to it. But first I'm focusing on Erzberg, and trying to get around the Iron Mountain faster than anyone else."
Taddy
wins Hells Gate 09 Just
one week after claiming a solid runner-up position in the Indoor Enduro
World Cup Polish extreme enduro star Taddy Blazusiak has won the gruelling
Hells Gate event in Italy. Victor for the second consecutive year the
KTM Factory Enduro Team rider finished the two-stage event as winner of
both the morning qualifying enduro before going on to top the main
Hells Gate race. Finishing alongside Taddy on the podium were Italian
Alessandro Botturi and Britains Dougie Lampkin. Conditions
at the 09 running of Hells Gate were bitterly cold, with
temperatures barely rising above freezing during much of the near nine
hours of competition. Making the 09 event especially challenging was
the fact that the ground was frozen solid, making not only the slow-speed,
technical sections of the course difficult, but also the higher speed
tracks and trails. Despite
a big crash during the morning enduro when Taddy hit a large patch
of ice, two winning special test performances and one runner-up result
ensured that Taddy started the main Hells Gate event on pole position.
Faced with four laps of a lengthened Hells Gate course Taddy made the
most of his advantage and opened up an early lead as the rest of the 30
competitors jostled for position. Ahead
at the end of the first lap Taddy dropped back to the runner-up position
on lap two when he found himself stuck while riding up one of the many
riverbeds. Struggling to push his bike free due to his painful wrist,
Taddy dropped between two and three minutes behind Botturi before catching
and passing the KTM mounted Italian. Once again out front Taddy made no
further mistakes and started to pull away from the riders behind him. Knowing
that even the smallest of falls could be costly Taddy maintained a steady
pace as darkness started to fall and reached the events finish line -
Hells Peak having successfully negotiated the fourth and final lap.
Claiming his second consecutive Hells Gate victory Taddy finished
around eight minutes ahead of Botturi with Dougie Lampkin a few minutes
behind. Results
Hells Gate 09 1.Taddy
Blazusiak (KTM Enduro Factory Team); 2. Alessandro Botturi (KTM); 3.
Dougie Lampkin (Beta); 4. Graham Jarvis (Sherco); 5. Tom Sagar (Husaberg);
6. Andreas Lettenbichler (BMW); 7. Piero Sembenini (Gas Gas) Taddy
Blazusiak: This
years event was really, really tough. The course was frozen slid
everywhere and incredibly slippery in places. I had a big crash, like lots
of riders in the morning qualifying event, and hurt my right wrist and
fingers. That made it really hard for me. But of course its great to
win again. The morning event went well. I felt good and despite my big
crash I won two of the timed special tests and finished second on the last
one. You couldnt relax anywhere because when you did the frozen ground
would catch you out. Finishing in front of some of the World Enduro
Championship riders was good, but the main thing was that I qualified on
the first row for the main race, which I did. I
got a good start and opened up a bit of a lead off the start in the main
race, but with the conditions it was easy to make mistakes. My wrist was
giving me a lot of pain but I was riding as hard as I could. I made a
mistake on the second lap, which allowed Alessandro Botturi to pass me. He
was riding really well so I had to push hard to catch him. Once I did I
moved past quickly and again tried to push as hard as I could. I guess I
managed to open up a pretty good lead and on the third lap I was just
trying not to make too many mistakes. The last lap was tricky because the
track became even more slippery in places once the sun went down. I
managed to stay upright and got to the finish on one piece. Its great
to have won Hells Gate again.
Runner-up
finish for Taddy at Madrid Indoor and IEWC KTM
Factory Enduro Team rider Taddy Blazusiak has finished second in the
Indoor Enduro World Cup following two race wins at the third and final
round of the series staged in Madrid, Spain. Trailing KTM team-mate Ivan
Cervantes coming into the last round of the three-event championship,
Taddy was hopeful of claiming the IEWC crown but knew that to do so he
would need luck on his side. As
it turned out things didnt start well for Taddy, despite being close to
four seconds faster than any other rider in timed practice, as an early
lead in the first final was short lived. Blasting into the lead following
a convincing holeshot, Blazusiak was unable to turn his lap one advantage
into a race winning performance as he suffered a clutch problem, which saw
him gradually slip down the finishing order. Ending the race in seventh
Taddys disappointment was clear as it meant that his hopes of claiming
the IEWC title had all but ended. Race
two saw another strong start from Taddy and ended with the Pole finishing
close to six seconds ahead of Cervantes. Untroubled during the race, Taddy
claimed the result he should have secured in the first race. With Ivan
finishing second the Spaniard secured the IEWC title. The
last final of the night was without question the best, and one in which
Taddy battled Cervantes for two complete laps before coming out on top and
claiming his second win of the night. With little to separate the two
riders as they exited the first turn, for two complete laps there was
little more than one bike length between them. With both riders enjoying
time at the front of the race it was eventually Taddy that edged ahead to
win the race and bring his participation in the Indoor Enduro World Cup to
a victories end. With
his indoor enduro duties over for a while Taddy will now turn his
attention to a number of extreme enduro events, starting with Hells
Gate next weekend. Winner of the event in 08, Taddy will be looking to
retain his number one position at the Italian event. Results
Madrid Indoor Enduro, overall 1.
Ivan Cervantes (KTM) 39 points; 2. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM Factory Enduro
Team) 34 points; 3. Dougie Lampkin (Beta) 22 points Results
Indoor Enduro World Cup, overall 1.
Ivan Cervantes (KTM) 117 points; 2. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM Factory Enduro
team) 99 points; 3. Fabio Mossini (Honda) 57 points Taddy
Blazusiak: First of
all I would like to congratulate Ivan. He has ridden well at all rounds of
the championship and although I am disappointed not to have won the IEWC
championship Im happy for him. When your goal is to win a championship
it doesnt matter how well you ride, if you dont win it you are
disappointed and Im disappointed. Ive had some not so good
races, especially at the first round in Barcelona, but in Madrid I felt I
rode well. I was much faster than any other rider in qualifying, and I
felt like I should have won all three races, not just two. I had a problem
with my clutch in the first race, which put me out of contention for a
good result. That was the championship gone then really. I started well
but wasnt able to get the acceleration I needed to get over some of the
obstacles, and finished a long way behind. The second race went well. I
started well, stayed at the front and won. The third race was great. I had
a really good battle with Ivan and claimed the win, which was a nice way
to end the championship. Yes, I am disappointed not to have won the IEWC
series, but my performances were much stronger at the end of the series.
Ill be back next year to try and win.
Barcelona Indoor Enduro, Rnd 1 FIM Indoor Enduro World Cup, Barcelona, Spain Enduro Factory Team racer Taddy Blazusiak got his Indoor Enduro World Cup campaign off to a solid start ending the opening round of the series, the Barcelona Indoor Enduro, as runner-up to Spaniard Ivan Cervantes. Performing consistently throughout the opening round of the IEWC series, Taddy set the third fastest lap time during the events qualifying session before comfortably moving through his heat races and into the finals. With the clear goal of winning the championship Blazusiak rode hard and fast, but importantly with improved control and consistency. Faced with a fast but technical track Taddy made a great start to his title hopes by finishing a close second to Ivan Cervantes in the first of three finals. Leading for much of the race, Taddy made his only mistake of the night when his front wheel washed out from under him in one of the slowest corners on the track. Dropping from first to third, Taddy quickly moved back into the runner-up spot and crossed the finish line less than two seconds behind Cervantes. The second final saw Taddy claim the exact same result as he had in the first race. Italian Thomas Oldrati made a quick break away from the rest of the field early on the opening lap, which meant that no rider was able to catch him. Importantly for Blazusiak only a handful of seconds separated the two riders at the finish as Taddy had closed down Oldratis advantage at the front of the race. In the third final Taddy got caught up in the first corner, which saw him end the first lap near the rear of the field. Steadily working his way forward he moved up to fourth at the finish, which gave him a second place result for the night 2008 FIM Indoor Enduro World Cup, Series Standings after Rnd 1 1. Ivan Cervantes (KTM) 40 points; 2. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM Enduro Factory Team) 32; 3. Mika Ahola (Honda) 25; 4. Xavi Galindo (KTM) 22; 5. Thomas Oldrati (KTM) 19; 6. Alessandro Botturi (Honda) 15; 7. Graham Jarvis (Sherco) 12; 8. Bartosz Oblucki (Husqvarna) 9; 9. Fabio Mossini (Honda) 9; 10. Greg Evans (KTM) 7; 11. Andreas Lettenbichler (BMW) 3; 12. Antoine Meo (Husqvarna) 2; 13. Marc Sola (Yamaha) 2; 14. Lorenzo Santolino (KTM) 1 Taddy Blazusiak: Im really happy with the way I performed. Last year I was really fast but I was also riding way over my head and making a lot of mistakes. This year I was pushing hard again but I knew where my limit was, and I was making sure that I didnt make too many mistakes. I wanted to start the championship with a top three result and I finished second overall, which puts me in the perfect place to attack at the next round. Anything can happen with this type of racing, you can get stuck with other riders like I did in the last race, but I really am happy with the way I performed. I just made one mistake during the three finals. It was a silly fall in the first final, which cost me the win, but that was my only mistake. The thing Im happiest about is the improvement in my riding from last year. Since the crash I had earlier this year in the US Ive been working hard to be fit and ready for this race, but also a better racer. I think I showed that, and Im really happy with the way things went.
KTM Enduro Factory Team rider Taddy Blazusiak has claimed a third place result at round four of the US Endurocross series - the event that marked his return to competition after undergoing facial surgery following a practice crash in early August. Although far from being fully fit due to his enforced lay-off, Taddy recorded the fastest lap time during the events hot lap session before going on to win his heat race with relative ease. Knowing that he would find the main event tough due to having not raced in over two months, Blazusiak overcame a mediocre start to round the first turn close behind race leader Damon Huffman. Quickly up to third Taddy was battling with Ricky Dietrich before the Kawasaki rider fell, which allowed Blazusiak to inherit the runner-up position. With the Denver track not overly technical it didnt allow Taddy many opportunities to put his trials riding skills to use. Nevertheless Taddy held second until two laps from the end of the race when he made a mistake and crashed over the bars. Although quickly to his feet and on his way Taddy dropped to third behind Geoff Aaron. Opting not to try and re-pass the Christini KTM rider Taddy settled for third a result that considering all that hes been through in recent weeks he was pleased with. Round 5 of the AMA Endurocross series takes place on October 4, in Columbus, Ohio. Results AMA Endurocross Rnd 4, Denver, OH 1. Damon Huffman (Kawasaki) 2. Geoff Aaron (Christini/KTM) 3. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM Enduro Factory Team) Taddy Blazusiak: After everything that Ive been through since my accident Im pleased with my result. Its just great to be able to put my injury behind me, I can now focus on improving my fitness and improving my results. Everything went well for me in Denver, but I suffered with my lack of fitness, which I was expecting. I got the fastest lap during the hot lap session, I was more than one second ahead of Damon Huffman and Ricky Dietrich. I knew from the moment I won my heat race that I was going to find the final tough. In the main event I made an ok start, I was mid-pack going into the first turn, but I managed to work my way to third in the first few corners. I was having a good battle with Ricky Dietrich until he made a mistake and I moved into second. I didnt try to catch Huffman who was leading because I knew if I pushed too hard I would suffer in the last laps. With two laps to go I crashed and went over the bars. I was up quickly but I dropped to third behind Geoff Aaron. I was really tired by that point so I didnt try and pass him. Im just pleased to be back on the podium. www.taddy.pl
KTM Enduro Factory Team rider and 08 Erzberg Rodeo winner Taddy Blazusiak is recovering well after undergoing a four-hour operation at the Harborview Medical Centre in Seattle, WA during which time numerous metal plates were attached to both of his cheek bones and left eye socket. Hitting his face on the handlebars of his bike when he crashed on a double jump while practicing for the WORCS X event a race he was competing in as preparation ahead of the second round of the Endurocross series in Oklahoma City, OK, Taddy was initially taken to a local hospital for evaluation before being taken to the Harborview Medical Centre in Seattle, WA. Diagnosed as having numerous broken bones in his face but no problems with either his vision or with concussion Taddy underwent a four-hour operation during which metal plates were attached to his left eye socket and both of his cheekbones. What happened to Taddy sounds very nasty, but were hoping that its not that bad, commented Taddys brother Wojtek on Tuesday morning, August 12. Obviously communicating with Taddy is difficult at the moment but he is able to whisper and use his hands, and he has told the doctors that hes not in too much pain. Taddy broke his nose, both cheek bones and fractured his left eye socket when his face hit his handlebars. The good news is that his vision is fine, he has no concussion and the rest of his body is ok. When he crashed he cut his left eyebrow so the surgeon went in through that cut to fix his eye socket rather than making any new cuts. Taddy also cut his tongue, but thats fine now he has a few stitches. The plates for his cheekbones went in through his mouth so there wont be any obvious scars. Were expecting Taddy to stay in hospital for 24 to 48 hours after the operation and then he will probably remain in the States for a week while the swelling goes down. Taddy wants to get back on a bike as soon as he can, but the doctors have told him that it wouldnt be a good idea to race next week. Taddys in pretty good spirits and were hoping that he will be back racing as soon as the swelling in his face has settled down. www.taddy.pl AMA Endurocross Rnd 1, Las Vegas, Nevada, 5.7.2008 Blazusiak wins 08 Endurocross opener in Las Vegas KTM Enduro Factory Team rider Taddy Blazusiak got his participation in the 08 AMA Endurocross series off to a winning start by claiming victory at the opening round of the six-event championship held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Starting as the rider most expected to win aboard his 200cc factory KTM, Blazusiak had to endure one of the toughest nights of racing hes ever experienced. Needing to compete in a heat race, a semi and then the LCQ before moving into the final, Taddy clocked up more laps around the technical Las Vegas course than any other. Thankfully, Blazusiak earned himself the winning result he hoped hed secure, but certainly didnt make things easy for himself inside the Orleans Arena. Confident that he would quickly move into the final having set the fastest lap time during timed practice, Taddys troubles started during the closing stages of practice where he suffered a blown rear shock. Then in his heat race the two-time Erzberg Rodeo winner suffered with yet more suspension troubles, which resulted in a very heavy, and painful, landing over the log jump. Finishing third Taddy was forced to compete in one of the semi races. Forced to switch to a replacement set of suspension Taddys troubles continued as he was hit from behind early in his semi race and sent crashing to the arena floor. Working his way back up towards the front of the race as he went to move into the lead he tangled with the race leader, which resulted in Taddy being stranded with another riders handlebars stuck in his rear wheel. With just one-and-a-half laps remaining Taddy had no time to move himself into a qualifying position and was forced to compete in the LCQ race. Knowing that a winning result and only a winning result would do Taddy, despite being in considerable discomfort following his heat race, managed to do enough to finish first and secure himself a place in the final. Forced to start on the extreme outside, fatigued, and struggling to compete at his best due to using a spare set of suspension Taddy opted to let the rest go as the gate dropped for the final. Cutting back to the inside of turn one the Pole soon found himself in third and my mid-race had moved into the runner-up position. Battling with Geoff Aaron Taddy managed to move into the lead and despite getting stuck in the rocks during the closing stages of the race he held on to claim a hard fought and deserved win to take an early lead in the 08 AMA Endurocross championship. Round 2 of the AMA Endurocross series takes place on August 16, in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Taddy Blazusiak: Its great to have won, but man that was a tough night of racing. I cant believe how many laps I had to ride it feels like I didnt stop riding all night. And I cant remember the last time I had such an eventful race. I got the result I wanted eventually but at one stage I honestly didnt think I was even going to get into the main event, let alone win it. It started with some suspension problems in practice and my heat race. That, added to the fact that I smashed my balls so hard I couldnt breath properly all night, meant that I ended up in one of the semis, which didnt go well. I got hit by someone in one of the corners and was last, then had to overtake everyone, only to then get tangled up with the leader and have his bars get stuck in my rear wheel. I was really starting to feel the pressure in the LCQ I honestly thought that I might not make the final. My balls were hurting so much, I was tired, and I couldnt ride properly. But I made it into the final, which was a huge relief. With the final taking place just two minutes after the LCQ, and with the LCQ having taken place just a few minutes after my semi, I was finished. I was so tired and had the last pick of the start so I just decided to let the other riders go and see what happened. I somehow got into third quite quickly, then into second, and then I was really struggling for energy. I got into the lead but had to slow down. Then I got stuck in the rocks, which I couldnt believe. I managed to get back into the lead and win the race quite comfortably but I dont think I could have done one lap more. Im hoping Ive had all my bad luck for the championship in one race. If the rest of the races are going to be a tough as this first event then its going to be one hell of a difficult championship. Results AMA Endurocross Rnd 1, Las Vegas 1. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM Enduro Factory Team) 2. Geoff Aaron (Christini KTM) 3. Ricky Dietrich (Kawasaki) Blazusiak finishes 15th at 08 Trefle Lozerien Polands Taddy Blazusiak headed to France last weekend to compete in the Trefle Lozerien Frances most prestigious classic enduro. Only the second time in which the two-time Erzberg winner had ever taken to the start of a traditional enduro, Taddy placed a creditable 15th overall at the end of the three-day competition, just one place behind former World Enduro Championship winner and current Dakar star Stephane Peterhansel. Competing at the request of sponsor Red Bull Blazusiak had little time to fully prepare for the event due to heading to France almost directly from Austria where he claimed his second Erzberg Rodeo victory, but nevertheless enjoyed his time competing against the cream of Frances enduro riders. Disappointingly the weather in France wasnt anything like as good as it was at Erzberg with each of the three days of the Trefle Lozerien event being wet. Knowing that he was competing just for fun Taddy decided to take things steady on the opening two days but still put in some impressive special test times to claim 15th on day one and 13th on day two. On the final day of the event Taddys result took a slight turn for the worse as his decision not to take the advice of a spectator resulted in him getting stuck. Losing valuable seconds Taddy learned that sometimes its good to use the lines spectators recommend. Taddy will now continue his preparations for the opening round of the AMA Endurocross championship, which takes place in Las Vegas on July 5. Taddy Blazusiak: Competing in the Trefle Lozerien was a really interesting experience for me. I was competing at the request of Red Bull, along with Cyril Despres, and despite the weather being extremely wet I really enjoyed myself. Im certainly not looking to start racing in enduros regularly, but its been good to compare my speed against some of the worlds fastest enduro riders. During the event I had some good test times, and got my ass kicked on some others. I managed to beat Ivan Cervantes on a couple of tests on the first two days, which I was really pleased with. I just cant remember the last time I spent so many hours on a bike completely wet to the skin. The French riders are so, so fast in the grass and mud. During the first two days I just took things steady traditional enduro races arent my thing so I didnt want to do anything stupid. I didnt have any crashes on the first two days so I decided to push it a bit more on the last day, but I soon wished I hadnt. On one section of a special test a spectator was showing me a line through some mud, but I thought that I would try my own line. It didnt work. I got completely stuck, and couldnt stop laughing at myself. Considering that it was my second true enduro Im pretty pleased with 15th. Im now going to spend the next weeks getting myself ready for the first round of the AMA Endurocross championship. Results Trefle Lozerien 08 (overall)
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FIM
Superenduro
KTMs
Blazusiak Wins 2012 AMA EnduroCross Championship
Taddy
Blazusiak: "It was a really smooth night, everything went well and I
got the win. I didnft get a great start in the main event, I was a little
late in getting going once the gate dropped, but I worked my way to the front
quickly and after that things were great. I went wide in the second corner and
went around a few riders that got hung up on the inside, then I worked my way
to the front and ended the race 20 seconds in the lead. From the end of the
first lap I was leading so I pushed hard for three or four laps and felt good.
This month is going to be really busy with three Endurocross races, but
thatfs how I like it. Therefs not much time between races, so itfs just
racing, racing, racing. Ifve got a 31--]point lead in the championship
now, which means that I have a little bit of a cushion over the other
guys."
Taddy
finishes third at 2012 EnduroCross opener
Taddy
second at Spanish Enduro Champs Rnd 2
Taddy: This has been one of the best events ever for me. Getting
to race in front of my home crowd is something Ive been looking forward to
all year and to be able to win all three finals and extend my lead in the
championship is just amazing. I knew that I would get a lot of support here,
but I wasnt ready for the reaction of the crowd when I first rode into the
arena I have to say I was a little bit emotional. The event has been
amazing. The organising team really did a fantastic job, and the event was
more than worthy of being a round of the SuperEnduro World Championship.
Results
2012 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, Round 1
Taddy
completes perfect Endurocross season
KTM's
Taddy Blazusiak has put the finishing touches to what has been a truly
remarkable 2011 Endurocross campaign by dominating the final two rounds of the
series in Las Vegas, NV, to win a third successive Endurocross championship.
Taddy
secures AMA Endurocross win #4
Successful
EWC return for Taddy at GP of Andorra
That
makes me even happier with my result, because I did it without the benefit of
an extreme test. I really enjoyed racing the 350 the bikes amazing. I
was using my Endurocross motor, just to see how it worked in Europe. I race an
SX, with the linkage, in the states, and here I was riding a PDS EXC model.
Thats what Ill be race during the European indoor enduro events and we
found some great settings, which is what the weekend was all about really. 
Taddy
continues Endurocross domination
US
Endurocross, Rnd 4, Washington, 11/9/2010
ile
to get in front of him once I did everything went well. Apart from my mistake
after getting the holeshot the whole night went well. Third fastest in the Hot
Laps qualifying session was ok, and then winning my heat race gave me a good
pick of the start. Four wins from the first four races is great. There's a
pretty big break now before the fifth round of the championship so I'll be
training hard so I can hopefully win the championship with one race to go.'
Taddy blitzes IEWC event in Genoa
Blazusiak
ready for Erzberg & looking forward to US Endurocross
Madrid
Indoor Enduro, Madrid, Spain, 7.2.2009 
Impressive start to 08 IEWC for Blazusiak
Blazusiak
third on US Endurocross return AMA
Endurocross Rnd 4, Denver,
Taddy
on the mend following four-hour operation