2015 FIM Maxxis Enduro World Championship – Round One – Chile
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An explosive start to the opening day of competition in the sees Antoine Meo lead everyone home… The first day of action in the 2015 EWC series delivered tight, close racing across most classes in Talca, Chile.
Rising to the front, favourites Christophe Nambotin (KTM) and Antoine Meo (KTM) secured victory in Enduro 1 and Enduro 2 respectively. Mathias Bellino (Husqvarna) made a welcome return to action with a confident win in the Enduro 3 category while Jamie McCanney (Husqvarna) claimed first blood in Enduro Junior.
As the defending champion, Christophe NAMBOTIN (F) proved that he will be the rider to beat in 2015 by claiming a massive 62-second margin of victory. Despite suffering a 10-second penalty when his engine failed to start in the morning, Nambotin kept his composure. Working his way to the front at the end of lap one, he pulled clear to win the Enduro 1 class. “It was a tough day, but I got the win so I am happy, explained NAMBOTIN. “With the 10-second penalty, and the fact that Marc Bourgeois was very fast on the first lap, I had to keep pushing all day. It was very easy to make mistakes, especially on the extreme test, but it’s great to start the new season with a win.” Back in the EWC following an injury hit 2014 season, Frenchman Marc BOURGEOIS (F-Yamaha) was in top form. Leading early on, he remained strong all day to claim second. Class rookie Husqvarna’s Daniel MCCANNEY (GB) stepped up to E1 in style and worked his way from fifth to record his debut class podium result in third. Keeping the pressure on MCCANNEY until the very end, Eero REMES (FIN-TM) placed eight seconds behind the British rider in fourth with Cristobal GUERRERO (S-Yamaha) battling back from 10th to take fifth.
The Enduro 2 class delivered plenty of excitement on the opening day of the season with Antoine MEO (F-KTM) fighting through to victory. After topping Friday’s Super Test, MEO slipped back to third midway during the day as Husqvarna’s Pela RENET controlled the race lead. But a big crash on the final enduro test from RENET turned the standings on their head. Capitalising on RENET’s error, MEO picked up his pace to take the lead and with it win the day. “The competition is always close in the Enduro 2 class and today it was exactly like that. I pushed hard during the final lap and things worked out great. The terrain was very slippery but the day ended in a very good way for me,” said MEO. With RENET dropping back to second, the fight for the final step of the podium was played out between Alex SALVINI (I-Honda) and Johnny AUBERT (F-Beta). Fastest on the final test of the day, SALVINI edged out AUBERT for third. Behind the leading quartet it was Victor GUERRERO (S-KTM) who completed the top five.
Making a very serious statement on his return to competition following a season ending knee injury last year, Husqvarna’s Mathias BELLINO (F) powered to victory in the Enduro 3 class. Clearly well adapted to his new two-stroke, the Frenchman grabbed the race lead immediately and never looked back. “It’s fantastic to start the year with a win, especially after my injury last year,” commented Mathias. “I felt good and just kept pushing throughout the day. The extreme test was difficult for me, but with no big mistakes everything went well.” With BELLINO out front, Matti SEISTOLA (FIN-Sherco) made a late race charge to snatch the runner-up result from Matt PHILLIPS (AUS-KTM). Third during the first half of the day, Seistola passed PHILLIPS on the penultimate test to secure second. For PHILLIPS it wasn’t the winning start to his title defence that he hoped for. Although topping the Super Test, the KTM rider was unable to hold off both BELLINO and SEISTOLA and following numerous crashes had to settle for third. Ensuring a strong start to his 2015 EWC campaign, Gas Gas’ Antoine BASSET (F) placed fourth with Aigar LEOK (EST-TM) finishing just over 13 seconds behind in fifth.
In the Enduro Junior class there was triumph for Husqvarna’s Jamie MCCANNEY (GB) as he claimed victory on day one. Second went to Giacomo REDONDI (I-Beta). Gas Gas rider Diogo VENTURA (PRT) produced one of the most impressive rides of the day. An early leader, VENTURA held off an attack from Alessandro BATTIG (I-Honda) in the closing stages to secure his debut EWC podium with third. One second behind DIOGO, BATTIG was fourth with local favourite Benjamin HERRERA (CHL-TM) fifth.
In the Youth Cup, Spain’s Josep GARCIA (Husqvarna) recorded a very comfortable victory from Diego HERRERA (CHL-TM) and Ruy BARBOSA (CHL-Husqvarna).
Matt Seistola Claims Debut Enduro 3 Win
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Day two of the FIM Maxxis Enduro World Championship GP of Chile marked a debut Enduro 3 class win for Sherco’s Matti Seistola while Antoine Meo finished as the outright fastest Heavy overnight rain ensured a complete contrast in conditions for competitors at the GP of Chile in Talca. Forced to abandon the extreme test and shorten the enduro test for the first two laps, Chile dished out a tough day for all.
Thoughts of a Christophe NAMBOTIN (F-KTM) double win in the Enduro 1 class where quickly squashed when Eero REMES (FIN-TM) dominated the class from start to finish. Taking control of the lead immediately, Remes kept his wheels clean to record a comfortable win. “Day one was terrible for me,” explained Remes. “I just rode badly. So for day two I wanted to do better. I could see that the conditions weren’t so bad on the first test so I pushed hard. It worked and Nambotin made a mistake. I kept pushing hard all day and was riding well. It was a great day for me.” For Nambotin, his day got off to a bad start when he lost over 31 seconds on the first cross test. Under pressure to recover, the KTM rider battled his way back to second but was unable to gain any advantage on Remes. Proving he’s going to be a serious factor in this year’s E1 championship, 2014 Enduro Junior champion Daniel MCCANNEY (GB-Husqvarna) claimed his second podium result of the weekend with third. Despite a strong run during the morning, Marc BOURGEOIS (F-Yamaha) was knocked off the podium and placed fourth. Chasing the leaders hard throughout the day, Cristobal GUERRERO (S-Yamaha) finished four seconds behind Bourgeois in fifth.
On a mission in the Enduro 2 class, Antoine MEO (F-KTM) was simply unstoppable in the slippery conditions. Building a massive 18-second lead at the end of the opening cross test, Meo continued to extend his advantage throughout the day and secure an almost 80-second margin of victory. “I was surprised to be as fast as I was on the first test,” commented Meo. “Normally Renet is faster than me when it’s wet and slippery. But I got a big advantage immediately and felt better and better on each test after that. It was a great day.” Unable to offer a challenge to Meo, the rest of the E2 class fought for the remainder of the podium positions. Feeling the effects of his crash on day one, Pela RENET (F-Husqvarna) worked his way from fifth to salvage second. Placing 14 seconds behind the Husqvarna rider, Alex SALVINI (I-Honda) completed the podium. Fighting right until the very end, Beta’s Johnny AUBERT (F) just missed out on his chance of a top three result and ended his day in fourth. Jaume BETRIU (S-Husqvarna) held off a last lap charge from Sherco’s Loic LARRIEU (F) to complete the top five.
Securing his debut win in the Enduro 3 class, Sherco’s Matti SEISTOLA (FIN) topped the podium on day two. Fast and consistent for the entire day, Seistola finally ended his three-year dry stretch in the EWC. “It’s been a great day today. I felt good on day one and knew that I would be able to fight for the win so I pushed hard. I just felt really good with my bike. Once I started well and felt confident I just kept doing the same thing. I started to get a little nervous towards the end of the day, but finally to win is a great way to end the first GP.” Delivering a much-improved performance over day one, TM’s Aigar LEOK (EST) found the wet conditions much more to his liking and placed as runner-up to Seistola. E3 newcomer Jonathan BARRAGAN (S-Gas Gas) claimed a career first EWC podium with third. After a disastrous start to his morning, day one winner Mathias BELLINO (F-Husqvarna) climbed his way back up to fourth while Jeremy TARROUX (F-Sherco) was fifth. Defending champion Matt PHILLIPS (AUS-KTM) had a tough day at the office and placed eighth.
The Enduro Junior class saw a new winner emerge with Italian Alessandro BATTIG (I-Honda) taking victory. Holding off both Giacomo REDONDI (I-Beta) and Jamie MCCANNEY (GB-Husqvarna), Battig carded his debut EWC win. With Redondi and McCanney completing the podium, Luis OLIVEIRA (PRT-Yamaha) and Benjamin HERRERA (CHL-TM) rounded out the top five.
Day two marked another commanding victory for Josep GARCIA (S-Husqvarna) in the Youth Cup. He was joined on the podium by Diego HERRERA (CHL-TM) and Ruy BARBOSA (CHL-Husqvarna).
The FIM Maxxis Enduro World Championship continues with round two in Jerez, Spain on May 9/10.
E1 DAY 1 : 18-Apr 2015 – GP of Chile (CHL)
1 NAMBOTIN Christophe FRA KTM
2 BOURGEOIS Marc FRA YAMAHA
3 MCCANNEY Daniel GBR HVA
4 REMES Eero FIN TM
5 GUERRERO Cristobal ESP YAMAHA
6 SANTOLINO Lorenzo ESP SHERCO
7 ALBERGONI Simone ITA KAWASAKI
8 HUBNER Edward DEU KTM
9 MORONI Rudi ITA SHERCO
10 MARTINI Gianluca ITA YAMAHA
11 GUNDERSEN Kjetil NOR HONDA
12 ROJAS Diego CHL YAMAHA
13 URRUTIA Nicolas CHL YAMAHA
E1 DAY 2 : 19-Apr 2015 – GP of Chile (CHL)
1 REMES Eero FIN TM
2 NAMBOTIN Christophe FRA KTM
3 MCCANNEY Daniel GBR HVA
4 BOURGEOIS Marc FRA YAMAHA
5 GUERRERO Cristobal ESP YAMAHA
6 ALBERGONI Simone ITA KAWASAKI
7 SANTOLINO Lorenzo ESP SHERCO
8 MARTINI Gianluca ITA YAMAHA
9 MORONI Rudi ITA SHERCO
10 HUBNER Edward DEU KTM
11 ROJAS Diego CHL YAMAHA
12 GUNDERSEN Kjetil NOR HONDA
13 URRUTIA Nicolas CHL YAMAHA
14 PIZARRO Gaspar CHL TM
E2 DAY 1 : 18-Apr 2015 – GP of Chile (CHL)
1 MEO Antoine FRA KTM
2 RENET Pierre Alexandre FRA HVA
3 SALVINI Alex ITA HONDA
4 AUBERT Johnny FRA BETA
5 GUERRERO Victor ESP KTM
6 MENA Oriol ESP BETA
7 LARRIEU Loïc FRA SHERCO
8 BETRIU Jaume ESP HVA
9 DUMONTIER Romain FRA YAMAHA
10 PHILIPPAERTS Deny ITA BETA
11 MORI Nicolo ITA KTM
12 SMITH Josue CHL SUZUKI
13 MOSSINI Fabio ITA HONDA
14 BALUT Gabriel CHL YAMAHA
15 GARATE Javier CHL KTM
E2 DAY 2 : 19-Apr 2015 – GP of Chile (CHL)
1 MEO Antoine FRA KTM
2 RENET Pierre Alexandre FRA HVA
3 SALVINI Alex ITA HONDA
4 AUBERT Johnny FRA BETA
5 BETRIU Jaume ESP HVA
6 LARRIEU Loïc FRA SHERCO
7 GUERRERO Victor ESP KTM
8 DUMONTIER Romain FRA YAMAHA
9 MORI Nicolo ITA KTM
10 MENA Oriol ESP BETA
11 PHILIPPAERTS Deny ITA BETA
12 MOSSINI Fabio ITA HONDA
13 SMITH Josue CHL SUZUKI
14 BALUT Gabriel CHL YAMAHA
15 GARATE Javier CHL KTM
E3 DAY 1 : 18-Apr 2015 – GP of Chile (CHL)
1 BELLINO Mathias FRA HVA
2 SEISTOLA Matti FIN SHERCO
3 PHILLIPS Matthew AUS KTM
4 BASSET Antoine FRA GAS-GAS
5 LEOK Aigar EST TM
6 OLDRATI Thomas ITA HVA
7 TARROUX Jeremy FRA SHERCO
8 MONNI Manuel ITA TM
9 CORREIA Luis PRT BETA
10 JOLY Jérémy FRA KTM
11 CERVANTES Ivan ESP KTM
12 LEON Ricardo CHL HONDA
13 RAMDOHR Francisco CHL SUZUKI
14 GALLARDO Manuel CHL TM
15 MILLA Fernando CHL HVA
E3 DAY 2 : 19-Apr 2015 – GP of Chile (CHL)
1 SEISTOLA Matti FIN SHERCO
2 LEOK Aigar EST TM
3 BARRAGAN Jonathan ESP GAS-GAS
4 BELLINO Mathias FRA HVA
5 TARROUX Jeremy FRA SHERCO
6 OLDRATI Thomas ITA HVA
7 MONNI Manuel ITA TM
8 PHILLIPS Matthew AUS KTM
9 CORREIA Luis PRT BETA
10 JOLY Jérémy FRA KTM
11 BASSET Antoine FRA GAS-GAS
12 CERVANTES Ivan ESP KTM
13 LEON Ricardo CHL HONDA
14 GALLEGOS Alvaro CHL YAMAHA
15 RAMDOHR Francisco CHL SUZUKI
EJ DAY 1 : 18-Apr 2015 – GP of Chile (CHL)
1 MCCANNEY Jamie GBR HVA
2 REDONDI Giacomo ITA BETA
3 VENTURA Diogo PRT GAS-GAS
4 BATTIG Alessandro ITA HONDA
5 HERRERA Benjamin CHL TM
6 OLIVEIRA Luis PRT YAMAHA
7 MIRABET Kirian ESP KTM
8 BRESOLIN Matteo ITA KTM
9 SORECA Davide ITA BETA
10 LANZ Esteban CHL YAMAHA
11 TAVERNE Sebastian CHL HONDA
12 PETROWISCH Franco CHL HONDA
13 MARIN Alonso CHL KTM
14 CORREA Martin CHL HONDA
15 PARAUD Arturo CHL HONDA
EJ DAY 2 : 19-Apr 2015 – GP of Chile (CHL)
1 BATTIG Alessandro ITA HONDA
2 REDONDI Giacomo ITA BETA
3 MCCANNEY Jamie GBR HVA
4 OLIVEIRA Luis PRT YAMAHA
5 HERRERA Benjamin CHL TM
6 VENTURA Diogo PRT GAS-GAS
7 BRESOLIN Matteo ITA KTM
8 MIRABET Kirian ESP KTM
9 SORECA Davide ITA BETA
10 LANZ Esteban CHL YAMAHA
11 TAVERNE Sebastian CHL HONDA
12 MARIN Alonso CHL KTM
13 PETROWISCH Franco CHL HONDA
14 CORREA Martin CHL HONDA
15 DIEZ Jorge CHL HONDA
