E1 Results Rd. 5
1, Antoine Meo, France, KTM
2, Marc Bourgeois, France, Yam
3, Eero Remes, Finland, KTM
4, Simone Albergoni, Ita, HM-Hon
5, Rodrig Thain, Fra, HM-Honda
E1 Results Rd. 6
1, Antoine Meo, France, KTM
2, Thomas Oldrati, Italy, KTM
3, Simone Albergoni, Ita, HM-Hon
4, Fabien Planet, France, Sherco
5, Nicolas Deparrois, Fra, Kawa
E1 Standings
1, Meo, 120
2, Albergoni, 83
3, Thain, 74
4, Bourgeois, 68
5, Remes, 63
E2 Results Rd. 5
1, Pierre-Alexandre Renet, Fra, Husa
2, Johnny Aubert, France, KTM
3, Cristobal Guerrero, Spain, KTM
4, Jeremy Tarroux, KTM
5, Juha Salminen, Finland, Husq
E2 Results Rd. 6
1, Pierre-Alexandre Renet, Fra, Husa
2, Cristobal Guerrero, Spain, KTM
3, Juha Salminen, Finland, Husq
4, Johnny Aubert, France, KTM
5, Jordan Rose, GBR, TM
E2 Standings
1, Renet, 96
2, C. Guerrero, 92
3, Cervantes, 86
4, Salminen, 77
5, Aubert, 61
E3 Results Rd. 5
1, Christophe Nambotin, Fra, KTM
2, David Knight, GBR, KTM
3, Joakim Ljunggren, Sweden, Husa
4, Oriol Mena, Spain, Husaberg
5, Aigar Leok, Estonia, TM
E3 Results Rd. 6
1, Christophe Nambotin, Fra, KTM
2, Joakim Ljunggren, Swe, Husa
3, David Knight, GBR, KTM
4, Marcus Kehr, Germany, KTM
5, Oriol Mena, Spain, Husaberg
E3 Standings
1, Nambotin, 120
2, Knight, 96
3, Ljunggren, 86
3, Leok, 79
5, Mena, 70
EJ Results Rd. 5
1, Mathias Bellino, France, Husaberg
2, Jonathan Manzi, Italy, KTM
3, Victor Guerrero, Spain, KTM
4, Kevin Benavides, Argentina, KTM
5, Mario Roman, Spain, KTM
EJ Results Rd. 6
1, Mathias Bellino, France, Husa
2, Jonathan Manzi, Italy, KTM
3, Daniel McCanney, GBR, Gas-Gas
4, Alexander Rockwell, GBR, Husa
5, Kevin Benavides, Arg, KTM
EJ Standings
1, Bellino, 114
2, Manzi, 90
4, McCanney, 81
4, Benavides, 78
5, V. Guerrero, 72
— NAMBOTIN Proves Unbeatable On Day Two At The EWC GP of Euskadi
The French continue to deliver winning results in the Maxxis FIM Enduro World Championship as Antoine MEO, Pierre-Alexandre RENET and Christophe NAMBOTIN secure victory on Day Two at the GP of Euskadi in Munitibar, Spain.
With heavy overnight rain ensuring a physical and demanding day of racing, it was once again the French that claimed victory in the Senior classes. However the day was also one to remember for exceptional results and costly retirements. Making his EWC debut, Britain’s Jordan ROSE claimed an incredible result in Enduro 2 by finishing fifth. In Enduro 1 the day ended prematurely for championship contenders Marc BOURGEOIS (F – Yamaha) and Finland’s Eero REMES (KTM). With both riders pushing for a podium result, BOURGEOIS crashed heavily on the second Enduro Test while REMES was forced to retire due to a technical fault with his bike.
France’s Christophe NAMBOTIN (KTM) continues to remain unbeatable in Enduro 3. Making short work of the slippery early morning special tests, the KTM rider quickly edged out a sizeable advantage over his nearest rivals. Again producing some of the fastest times of the day on the all-important Enduro Test, NAMBOTIN secured his sixth victory of the season.
“It’s been yet another fantastic day for me,” confirmed NAMBOTIN. “I was able to set a fast pace in the morning and open up a nice lead. From there I tried to build on it throughout the day to win.”
With NAMBOTIN setting a blistering pace out front, it was the duel behind him for second that stole most of the focus. Starting the morning in a determined fashion, Sweden’s Joakim LJUNGGREN (Husaberg) was able to hold off a challenge from Britain’s David KNIGHT (KTM) to finish as runner up. Struggling to match the pace of his rivals in the muddy conditions, KNIGHT dropped back to finish in third place.
Germany’s Marcus KEHR (KTM) produced his best ride of the season so far to secure fourth while Spain’s Oriol MENA (Husaberg) finished less than 20 seconds behind KEHR to complete the top five.
Working hard to overcome a difficult start to the day, France’s Antoine MEO (KTM) once again topped the Enduro 1 standings. Crashing twice in the opening Cross Test, MEO set about working his way back to the front. Securing the fastest times on both the technical Enduro Test and the rutted Extreme Test, he took control of proceedings to claim his sixth win of the season.
“I’m so happy with my result today,” remarked MEO. “This morning I crashed in the Cross Test and it set me back. I had to work hard to overcome that and thankfully was able to win again.”
Recording his best result of the season so far, Italy’s Thomas OLDRATI (KTM) was second in Enduro 1. Taking advantage of the retirement by both REMES and BOURGEOIS, the KTM rider fended off a challenge by Italy’s Simone ALBERGONI (HM Honda) to finish as runner up.
ALBERGONI improved on his previous day’s result of fourth to secure his fourth podium result in 2012 with third.
Sherco’s Fabien PLANET (F) put in a strong ride to place fourth while France’s Nicolas DEPARROIS (Kawasaki) benefitted from his early morning pace to finish in fifth.
France’s Pierre-Alexandre RENET (Husaberg) rejoiced in the muddy Spanish conditions to claim his second victory of the weekend in Enduro 2. Engaged in a fierce battle with Spain’s Cristobal GUERRERO (KTM), RENET was able to hold off the advances of the KTM rider to capture his third victory of the season and with it the championship lead in Enduro 2.
“The conditions suited me perfectly this weekend,” commented RENET. “I felt very comfortable on the bike in the muddy ruts and could maintain a strong pace. It was a good battle with GUERRERO for victory and I’m happy to have won.”
Keen to impress at his home Grand Prix, GUERRERO held a slender lead after the second Extreme Test. Making a costly crash on the final Enduro Test, he eventually had to settle for second place. Finland’s Juha SALMINEN (Husqvarna) delivered a better result on day two to finish in third.
France’s Johnny AUBERT (KTM) recovered from a poor start to his morning to finish fourth. Recording one of the standout performances of the day, Britain’s Jordan ROSE (TM) placed fifth in his debut race in the EWC.
In Enduro Junior France’s Mathias BELLINO (Husaberg) claimed a double victory at the GP of Euskadi. Facing a stiffer challenge from his class competitors, his winning margin was much tighter on Day Two.
Battling back from a crash on the second Extreme Test, Italy’s Jonathan MANZI (KTM) pipped Britain’s Danny MCCANNEY (GAS GAS) by one-second to secure the runner up position. MCCANNEY returned to the podium for the third time this season to finish in third.
Hampered by his 10-second morning penalty, Britain’s Alex ROCKWELL (Husaberg) ended his day fourth while Argentina’s Kevin BENAVIDES (KTM) completed the top five.
Italy’s Giacomo REDONDI (KTM) recorded a comfortable win in the Enduro Youth Cup with Matteo BRESOLIN (I – Husaberg) finishing second with Guido CONFORTI (I – Yamaha) in third.
In the Womens Cup Spain’s Laia SANZ (Gas Gas) produced yet another winning performance. Taking a clear victory on day two, the multiple trials world champion has made the perfect start to the season in her bid to win this year’s world title. Again France’s Ludivine PUY (Gas Gas) finished in second while Blandine DUFRENE (F – Husaberg) completed the top three.
The Maxxis FIM Enduro World Championship continues next weekend with the GP Polisport of Portugal in Torres Vedras on May 12/13.
— Day One Report
French Delight For Meo, Renet and Nambotin on Day One in Euskadi
It was another strong day for the French in the 2012 Maxxis FIM Enduro World Championship as Antoine MEO, Pierre-Alexandre RENET, Christophe NAMBOTIN and Mathias BELLINO all claimed victory in their respective classes at the GP of Euskadi. In the Womens Cup it was Laia SANZ that grabbed the first win of the season.
With 112 competitors taking to the start of the EWC in Munitibar in northern Spain, the forecasted rain held off to provide an exciting and thrilling start to the EWC’s arrival in Europe. With MEO (F – KTM) and NAMBOTIN (F – KTM) continuing to remain unbeaten in Enduro 1 and Enduro 3, it was the performance by RENET (F – Husaberg) in Enduro 2 that confirmed his intention to be a real championship threat this season as he delivered his second victory of the season.
It was yet another victorious day in the EWC for France’s Christophe NAMBOTIN as he claimed his fifth win of the year in Enduro 3. Edging out an early lead on the Friday evening KTM Super Test, the Frenchman continued to stretch his advantage throughout the day. Proving unbeatable on the challenging Enduro Test, the KTM rider posted his first time of the day almost 30 seconds faster than his competitors. Opening up a comfortable lead at the end of lap one, NAMBOTIN went on to claim victory on Day One by over 95 seconds.“It was another perfect day for me,” commented NAMBOTIN. “I felt really comfortable on the Enduro Test and was able to set some fast times on it. Once I opened up a safe lead I concentrated on controlling it to the finish.”After a daylong battle with the Husaberg pairing of Joakim LJUNGGREN (S) and Spain’s Oriol MENA, Britain’s David KNIGHT (KTM) eventually claimed the runner up position to NAMBOTIN.
Fending off a last lap charge by LJUNGGREN, KNIGHT finished 13 seconds clear of the Husaberg rider to finish in second place. Following a slow start to the morning, LJUNGGREN upped his pace during the final lap to place third.Unable to capitalise on his strong start to the morning, MENA eventually slipped back to fourth while Estonia’s Aigar LEOK (TM), whose progress was hampered by numerous crashes, finished fifth.
Making it five wins from five starts, France’s Antoine MEO was again the clear winner of Enduro 1. After a cautious start to the morning, the KTM rider soon overhauled the fast starting Marc BOURGEOIS (F – Yamaha) as conditions dried out. Setting the fastest time in the final six special tests of the day, MEO eventually placed 52 seconds ahead of BOURGEOIS.“I found it difficult this morning,” confirmed MEO. “It was quite muddy early on and I struggled to find grip in some of the grassy corners but once the conditions dried I was able to up my pace and secure my fifth victory of the season.” BOURGEOIS once again proved to be the revelation of Enduro 1. Posting the fastest time in the Friday evening KTM Super Test, the Frenchman etched out an early lead on Day One over MEO. However, unable to match the pace of his fellow Frenchman during the afternoon, BOURGEOIS eventually settled for second. Finding the conditions to his liking, Finland’s Eero REMES (KTM) recorded his third rostrum finish of the season with third place. With Italy’s Simone ALBERGONI (HM Honda) ending his day in fourth, Rodrig THAIN (HM Honda) completed the top five.
In the highly competitive Enduro 2 class, France’s Pierre Alexandre RENET secured victory on Day One. Settling into an early lead after the first Extreme Test of the morning, RENET gradually grew his lead as the day progressed to claim a well-earned win.“I’m so happy to have won today,” remarked RENET. “The conditions were perfect and it reminded me of my home tracks. Once I got into the lead I just tried to build on it throughout the day and end the day strongly.”For France’s Johnny AUBERT (KTM) second place on Day One was a satisfactory result. Putting his disappointing results in South America behind him, the Frenchman put in a strong ride to finish 20 seconds behind RENET. Continuing to deliver solid results in the EWC, Spain’s Cristobal GUERRERO (KTM) ended his day in third place just 10 seconds adrift of teammate AUBERT. Although only his first race in the 2012 EWC season, KTM’s Jeremy TARROUX wasted little time in making his presence felt by finishing fourth overall. Finland’s Juha SALMINEN (Husqvarna) completed the top five.
In Enduro Junior Mathias BELLINO (Husaberg) set the fastest time in all but two of the ten special tests to record a commanding victory. Powerless to match the pace of the Husaberg rider, Italy’s Jonathan MANZI (KTM) beat Spain’s Victor GUERRERO (KTM) by five seconds to finish in second. With GUERRERO in third, Argentina’s Kevin BENAVIDES (KTM) placed fourth while Italy’s Mario ROMAN (KTM), now fully recovered from a knee injury, completed the top five. Italy’s Giacomo REDONDI (KTM) recorded another commanding win in the Enduro Youth Cup. Husaberg’s Matteo BRESOLIN (I) was second with Portugal’s Luis OLIVERIA (Yamaha) third.
With the GP of Euskadi marking the first outing in the Womens Cup, it was Spain’s Laia SANZ (Gas Gas) that claimed the opening victory of the season. Withstanding a fierce battle from defending champion Ludivine PUY (F – Gas Gas), SANZ narrowly placed just nine seconds in front of her teammate. KTM’s Audrey ROSSAT (F) finished third while the French duo of Juliette BERREZ (TM) and Blandine DUFRENE (HUSABERG) rounded out the top five.
– KTM Report
Riders in the KTM Enduro Factory Team picked up a slew of podiums in Rds. 5 & 6 of the World Championships in Munitibar in the autonomous Basque region of Northern Spain at the weekend, particularly underlining their dominance in E1 and E3 classes.
The team’s new French signings Christophe Nambotin and Antoine Meo both drew respect and praise from team boss Fabio Farioli when they continued their unbeaten record so far this season. Both riders have cleaned up every round in the E1 and the E3 classes and leave Spain with a perfect scorecard of 120 points each.
“Nambotin was incredible this weekend,” Farioli said. “He was perfect and Meo also was excellent this weekend.” Indeed the pair cleaned up in the majority of the tests over the two days of intense riding on the 3 x 70 km laps. Farioli said muddy and slippery conditions had prevailed over the weekend and the extreme test had proved very difficult because there were many different lines in the mud.
While Meo won eight of nine tests on Saturday and continued to dominate the E1 class on Sunday, his teammate Eero Remes was not so lucky. Remes finished third on Saturday and was in the lead on Sunday when he was forced to retire with a technical problem.
The E2 class riders also put in a solid weekend, particularly Cristobal Guerrero of Spain who wrapped up the weekend with an excellent 3-2 result. While he didn’t take the outright victories team boss Farioli said he was always very close to the top and was confident that he would be delivering top performances in future rounds. Johnny Aubert, Guerrero’s teammate finished second on Saturday just 20 seconds in front of the winner Pierre Alexandre Renet with teammate Guerrero closing in just 10 seconds behind him. Aubert went on to finish fourth on Sunday and is beginning to find his rhythm after a slower than usual start to the season in the four South American rounds.
David Knight, the second E3 factory rider is having some difficulty matching the pace of Nambotin but was still very strong and on the podium twice this weekend. He was second on Saturday and third on Sunday to complete an excellent weekend for the team.
In the EJ division KTM’s Jonathan Manzi of Italy and Cristobal’s brother Victor Guerrero were 2-3 on Saturday and 2-6 respectively on Sunday while Giacomo Redondi secured two wins in the Youth Cup.
Meo now has a 37-point lead in E1 and Nambotin has a 24-point lead over teammate Knight in E3. In E2 Guerrero trails the leader Renet by just four points.
Riders convene next weekend for the next two rounds in the GP of Portugal.
