— World Enduro 2013 – Round Four – Portugal
— Nambotin Takes Victory On Day Two in Portugal – Phillips makes it four in a row, leads EJ – Jess Gardiner takes first win
E1 Results (indicates results for both days)
1, Antoine Meo, France, KTM (1 – 1)
2, Anthony Boissiere, France, Sherco (6 – 2)
3, Matti Seistola, Finland, Husqvarna (4 – 3)
4, Thomas Oldrati, Italy, Husaberg (8 – 4)
5, Eero Remes, Finland, TM (3 – 5)
E1 Standings after Round 8
1, Antoine Meo, 151
2, Matti Seistola, 117
3, Juha Salminen, 116
4, Eero Remes, 105
5, Thomas Oldrati, 85
E2 Results (indicates results for both days)
1, Alex Salvini, Italy, HM-Honda (1 – 1)
2, Ivan Cervantes, Spain, KTM (2 – 2)
3, Pierre-Alexandre Renet, France, Husaberg (4 – 3)
4, Johnny Aubert, France, KTM (3 – 4)
5, Victor Guerrero, Spain, KTM (5 – 5)
E2 Standings after Round 8
1, Alex Salvini, 149
2, Ivan Cervantes, 134
3, Pierre-Alexandre Renet, 121
4, Johnny Aubert, 116
5, Victor Guerrero, 80
E3 Results (indicates results for both days)
1, Christophe Nambotin, France, KTM (1 – 1)
2, Mathias Bellino, France, Husaberg (5 – 2)
3, Luis Correia, Portugal, Beta (3 – 3)
4, Manuel Monni, Italy, KTM (4 – 4)
5, Aigar Leok, Estonia, TM (2 – 5)
E3 Standings after Round 8
1, Christophe Nambotin, 150
2, Joakim Ljunggren, 116
3, Aigar Leok, 115
4, Luis Correia, 102
5, Manuel Monni, 97
EJ Results (indicates results for both days)
1, Matthew Philips, Australia, Husqvarna (1 – 1)
2, Giacomo Redondi, Italy, KTM (5 – 2)
3, Loic Larrier, France, Husaberg (4 – 3)
4, Luis Oliveira, Yamaha, Portugal (2 – 4)
5, Mario Roman, Spain, Husaberg (3 – 5)
EJ Standings after Round 8
1, Matthew Philips, 143
2, Giacomo Redondi, 126
3, Daniel McCanney, 102
4, Mario Roman, 91
5, Luis Oliveira, 89
Youth Cup (indicates results for both days)
1, Jamie McCanney, Great Britain, Husaberg (1 – 1)
2, Albin Elowson, Sweden, Husaberg (2 -2)
3, Dawid Ciucci, Italy, KTM (5 – 3)
Youth Cup Standings after Round 8
1, Jamie McCanney, 154
2, Albin Elowson, 110
3, Benjamin Herrera, 102
4, Dawid Ciucci, 84
5, Matteo Bresolin, 82
EW Results of Round 4 (indicates results for both days)
1, Laia Sanz, Spain, KTM, (0 – 1) – competed and won gold at the X=Games EnduroCross in Barcelona on Saturday, rejoined the women’s competition on Sunday in Portugal)
2, Jessica Gardiner, Australia, Sherco (1 – 2)
3, Geraldine Fournel, France, Husaberg (2 – 3)
4, Jane Daniels, Great Britain, Husaberg (3 – 4)
5, Audrey Rossat, France, KTM (6 – 5)
EW Standings after Round 4
1, Jessica Gardiner, 67
2, Jane Daniels, 60
3, Laia Sanz, 60
4, Juliette Berrez, 48
5, Jemma Wilson, 43
— Day Two Report (Overall)
France’s Christophe NAMBOTIN (KTM) secured his second win of the Maxxis Enduro World Championship GP Cross Pro of Portugal with victory in the Enduro 3 class on day two in Torres Vedras. Italy’s Alex SALVINI (Honda) ended his weekend of racing on a high by topping the Enduro 2 category while France’s Antoine MEO (KTM) capped off a perfect weekend with his second Enduro 1 class victory. After her stunning win in the Women’s Enduro X race at X Games Barcelona, Spain’s Laia SANZ (KTM) returned to EWC competition for day two in Portugal and claimed a comfortable win in the Women’s Cup category.
Topping the first two special tests of the day in E1, MEO began day two in a determined mood. Maintaining his strong pace throughout the day, the Frenchman continued to extend his lead and secured his seventh victory of the season. “I started strong and just tried to build on it throughout the day,” confirmed MEO. “Today was the beginning of the second half of the championship and I knew it was important to win. I’ve gained some important points in Portugal and I hope to keep improving at the next round in Romania.” Behind MEO the battle for the runner-up result was fought out between France’s Antony BOISSIERE (Sherco) and Finland’s Matti SEISTOLA (Husqvarna). Crashing on the penultimate cross test, SEISTOLA handed a sizable advantage to BOISSIERE that helped him to secure his debut EWC podium result with second overall. Placing just seven tenths of a second behind the Sherco rider, SEISTOLA completed
the third step of the podium. Italy’s Thomas OLDRATI (Husaberg) finished just two seconds behind SEISTOLA to place fourth with Finland’s Eero REMES (TM) a further three seconds behind in fifth.
Feeling extremely confident in the terrain, SALVINI delivered a dominant performance in the highly competitive E2 class to win day two. Posting the fastest time in seven of the day’s 12 special tests, the Italian claimed a 38-second margin of victory. “It been perfect weekend for me,” told a pleased SALVINI. “I really enjoyed these special tests and felt so comfortable on the bike. Winning in Portugal was important to prove that I could win in Europe and challenge for the E2 world title.” Unable to match the pace set by Salvini, Spain’s Ivan CERVANTES (KTM) was forced to settle for second position. Improving on his previous day’s result of fourth, France’s Pela RENET (Husaberg) completed the top three. Placing just eight seconds behind his fellow compatriot, KTM’s Johnny AUBERT ended his day in fourth. Spain’s Victor GUERRERO (KTM) rounded out the top five.
Proving that he’s now back to full speed, NAMBOTIN delivered an incredible display of riding to win the Enduro 3 class while also topping the unofficial outright classification. Setting the fastest time in all of the day’s 12 special tests, the Frenchman topped his class by over 57 seconds. “It’s been an incredible day for me,” commented NAMBOTIN. “After my problems during the early part of the year I now feel like my normal self. It’s been fantastic to win the E3 class but also the outright classification. I’m looking forward to the next round of the season in Romania.” Claiming his first podium result of the season, France’s Mathias BELLINO (Husaberg) placed as runner-up to NAMBOTIN. Portugal’s Luis CORREIA (Beta) ended his home race on a high by finishing third overall. Italy’s Manuel MONNI (KTM) ended his day in fourth with Estonia’s Aigar LEOK (TM) placing fifth despite a costly crash on the third enduro test.
Repeating his winning result from day one, Australia’s Matt PHILLIPS (Husqvarna) secured his fourth consecutive victory of the season in the Enduro Junior class. Italy’s Giacomo REDONDI (KTM) improved on his fifth position from day one to place as runner-up to PHILLIPS. Ending his day less than six seconds behind REDONDI, France’s Loic LARRIEU (Husaberg)completed the top three. Portugal’s Luis OLIVEIRA (Yamaha) was fourth with Spain’s Mario ROMAN (Husaberg) rounding out the top five. In the Enduro Youth Cup class, Manxman Jamie MCCANNEY (Husaberg) secured his second win of the weekend. Sweden’s Albin ELOWSON (Husaberg) placed as runner-up with Italy’s Dawid CIUCCI (KTM) rounding out the top three.
In the Women’s Cup class, SANZ produced an impressive display of riding to secure her class win by almost three minutes. Behind her Australia’s Jessica GARDINER (Sherco) ended her day in second position with France’s Geraldine FOURNEL (Husaberg) rounding out the top three.
The Maxxis Enduro World Championship continues with round five, the GP of Romania on June 15/16.
— Day One – Salvini Leads The Way On Day One In Portugal
Italy’s Alex SALVINI (Honda) returned to the top of the Enduro 2 class with victory on day one at the Maxxis Enduro World Championship GP Cross Pro of Portugal. France’s Antoine MEO (KTM) topped the Enduro 1 class while his compatriot Christophe NAMBOTIN (KTM) claimed a comfortable win in the Enduro 3 category in Torres Vedras.
With the forecasted rain showers staying at bay, day one at the fourth round of the series was treated to warm sunny skies that ensured perfect racing conditions. A fast flowing cross test, technical enduro test and challenging extreme test provided a spectacular day of racing for the thousand’s of spectators that turned out to watch the world’s best enduro riders in action.
Slow to start, MEO found himself trailing early pacesetter Finland’s Juha SALMINEN (Husqvarna) during the opening lap. Gaining confidence in the terrain, MEO upped his pace and topped eight of the nine remaining special tests to secure the E1 class win. “I made some mistakes early on and it allowed Juha to gain some time on me,” told MEO. “I had to fight very hard to close the gap. It was a tough battle.” Posting the fastest time in the first three special tests of the morning, SALMINEN looked headed towards victory. However, unable to hold off the charging MEO, the Finn was pushed back to second position. Placing over 30 seconds behind SALMINEN, Finland’s Eero REMES (TM) claimed the third step of the podium. Matti SEISTOLA (Husqvarna) held of a late charge from France’s Jeremy TARROUX (Sherco) to finish fourth.
In the Enduro 2 class, Honda’s Alex SALVINI returned to the top step of the podium following his runner-up results at the GP of Spain. Fastest on the SuperTest, SALVINI maintained his pace throughout the day to secure his fourth win of the season. “I really enjoyed this race. The tests were fun to ride and I felt comfortable all day,” confirmed SALVINI. “I was fast in the morning and was able to hold my advantage despite a tough battle with Cervantes on the final lap. It’s great to win again.” Despite losing ground to SALVINI on the opening lap, Spain’s Ivan CERVANTES (KTM) charged hard during the final two laps to place within seven seconds of the Italian in second position. In the battle for the final step of the podium, France’s Johnny AUBERT (KTM) held off a determined Pela RENET (Husaberg) to secure third. Finishing less than three seconds behind AUBERT, RENET ended his day in fourth with Spain’s Victor GUERRERO (KTM) completing the top five.
With a crash on the first corner of the opening enduro test, NAMBOTIN struggled to find his usual winning form during the morning. Settling into a fast rhythm on the third lap, the Frenchman topped the five remaining tests of the day to take the win. “I had a strange morning,” confirmed NAMBOTIN. “I crashed at the beginning of the first enduro test and lost some confidence. It took a while to recover from that and I had to fight hard to win.” After starting fast, Estonia’s Aigar LEOK (TM) was unable to hold off the late challenge from NAMBOTIN and ended his day as the runner-up. Delivering a strong performance at his home race, Portugal’s Luis CORREIA (Beta) claimed his second EWC podium with third position. Italy’s Manuel MONNI (KTM) was fourth with France’s Mathias BELLINO (Husaberg) rounding out the top five.
Australia’s Matt PHILLIPS (Husqvarna) secured his fourth consecutive victory with a commanding win in the Enduro Junior class. Claiming his first podium result of 2013, home favourite Luis OLIVEIRA (Yamaha) finished in second position. Spain’s Mario ROMAN (Husaberg) finished just seven tenths of a second behind OLIVEIRA to end his day in third. France’s Loic LARRIEU (Husaberg) placed a further two seconds behind ROMAN to claim fourth while Italy’s Giacomo REDONDI (KTM) rounded out the top five. In the Enduro Youth Cup class Manxman Jamie MCCANNEY (Husaberg) was again the rider to beat as he secured a commanding 78-second margin of victory. Sweden’s Albin ELOWSON (Husaberg) placed as runner-up to MCCANNEY with Oliver NELSON (Husaberg) completing the top three.
Australia’s Jessica GARDINER (Sherco) took her first win of the season in the Women’s Cup category. France’s Geraldine FOURNEL (Husaberg) finished in second position with Britain’s Jane DANIELS (Husaberg) completing the top three.
— Husqvarna Report
Australian Matt Phillips led the Husqvarna Monster Energy CH Racing team’s charge at the Enduro World Championship GP of Portugal where the Enduro Junior class racer claimed an impressive double win. Opening up a solid lead in the EJ class as a result of his two victories, Phillips wasn’t alone in delivering podium success for the Husqvarna squad. Eight-time Enduro World Champion Juha Salminen took an early lead in the Enduro 1 class on day one, going on to claim a hard fought eventual runner-up result. On day two Matti Seistola placed third in E1.
Officially marking the start of the second half of the 2013 EWC series, the GP of Portugal remained dry throughout despite the constant threat of rain. High-speed enduro and motocross tests were mixed with a technical extreme test with riders completing four laps of the 40km course.
For Matt Phillips it was a near perfect weekend. Winning six special tests on the opening day to claim a 33-second margin of victory, the EWC newcomer then went on to top the Enduro Junior class on day two. In doing so Philips moves 17 points clear at the top of the EJ championship standings. On day one the young Australian stamped his authority on the class early on. Quickly building a commanding lead he then maintained his position at the head of the class to claim a deserved win. Day two saw Matt deliver another solid opening lap, from which he was able to keep ahead of his rivals before building a 15-second advantage and claiming his fifth win of the year.
It was a weekend of mixed fortunes for Husqvarna’s Enduro 1 class riders Juha Salminen and Matti Seistola. Both riding well, but both seeing mistakes hamper their performances, it was Salminen who delivered the best result on day one. Leading the E1 class at the start of the first day, Juha battled with Antoine Meo to eventually place as runner-up, just 12 seconds behind the Frenchman. With numerous mistakes stopping him from challenging for a podium result, Seistola placed fourth. Day two saw a reverse in fortunes for the two Finns. With a fall on the enduro test mid-way through the day derailing Salminen’s podium chances, Seistola removed the mistakes that had hampered his performance on day one and placed on the podium in third.
Salminen ended the day in seventh.
In the Enduro 2 class Lorenzo Santolino secured two seventh place results. Ending his home GP one week earlier disappointed with his performances, Lorenzo delivered two consistent performances in Portugal while battling against countrymen Oriol Mena and Victor Guerrero.
The Enduro World Championship continues with the GP of Romania on June 15-16.
Juha Salminen (Enduro 1 – TE250): “Generally the weekend was good, I don’t have anything that I’m too disappointed about although my results were a little mixed. At the beginning of the first day I was very competitive, and won all of the tests on the opening lap. Then the tests had a lot of grip and there were different lines to choose. After that there was just one line and a lot of riders were all going the same speed. In the end I finished second, which was good. I hoped to go one better on day two. Obviously crashing wasn’t what I wanted, and that kept me off the podium. My front wheel washed out in a corner on the enduro test and the time I lost was enough to drop me back to seventh. When it’s as close as it is in the Enduro 1 class one mistake is all it takes to drop you down the results.”
Matti Seistola (Enduro 1 – TE 250): “I made things difficult for myself this weekend. During the first day I wasn’t myself – I made a lot of mistakes and felt tired. Not physically tired, just not able to ride like I know I can. I crashed three times and finished fourth. I really wasn’t happy with that. I was riding really well on the second day until the third motocross test, when I crashed. After that I struggled to find my rhythm and lost my confidence a little. The final lap was really difficult, but I managed to get on the podium and I’m pleased about that. In parts the weekend was great for me as my speed was good. There were just a few too many small mistakes, which stopped me getting better results.”
Matt Phillips (Enduro Junior – TE 310): “I’m really happy with how the weekend has turned out. Getting another two wins has been great but more importantly I’ve been able to extend my lead in the championship. I think I’m starting to find my feet in this championship. I felt a lot more comfortable with my bike and the track this weekend than I have done all season. I was able to hit all my lines almost every time I rode the special tests and could see an improvement in my riding as the weekend progressed. I feel like everything is starting to come together now as we start the second half of the season so I’m hoping to keep building on this momentum at the next round in Romania.”
Lorenzo Santolino (Enduro 2 – TE 310): “I felt a lot better than I did at the GP of Spain and enjoyed the race. I finished seventh on both days, which I was pleased with. I was fighting with Victor Guerrero and Oriol Mena throughout the weekend, and they were one or two seconds faster than me in each special test. I pushed as hard as I could. I didn’t have any crashes and the weekend went well.”
— KTM Report
The KTM Enduro Factory Team had a good weekend out at the GP of Portugal in Rounds 7&8 of the competition with both French riders Christophe Nambotin and Antoine Meo picking up double wins in E3 and E1.
Ivan Cervantes of Spain was also in good form scoring two x second place podiums in E2 and his teammate Johnny Aubert came away with a 3-4 result for the weekend. It was a super human effort by Aubert who took a very hard fall on Saturday, badly bruising his ribs and he rode in considerable pain the whole weekend.
Cristobal Guerrero, Meo’s teammate in E1 was also unlucky. He crashed on Saturday, bumping his old shoulder injury. This hampered him but Guerrero still managed to salvage a ninth on Saturday and improved by three places to sixth on Sunday. Aubert too, had a very strong finish on Sunday and team boss Fabio Farioli said his fourth place result did not reflect how well he had ridden over the weekend.
Riders had uncharacteristically colder weather in Portugal and on Saturday and took time to get into the rhythm of the 70 km loops that keep then on their bikes for up to seven hours. Even the normally dominant Meo and Nambotin, while up with the leaders in Round 7, needed the first tests under their wheels before starting to dominate. Nambotin won five of the 12 tests including the final four but on Sunday he needed no time to get into the swing. The French rider was on the case from the very first test and was number one in all 12 of Sunday’s Round 8. Meo won seven tests in E1 on Saturday and six on Sunday, where his worst finish was a third place in the second cross test of the day.
With the exception of a crash in the final cross test on Sunday, Cervantes had a good weekend in the competitive E2 class, even if he had a little more speed on Saturday than the second day. Aubert overcame his discomfort with his bruised ribs on Sunday and finished the day very strongly in the final three tests on Sunday, winning the final Enduro and Cross tests and finishing second in the Extreme.
Laia Sanz of Spain, who recently switched to KTM, picked up the win in Sunday’s round of the women’s competition, a remarkable performance after she competed in and won the Women’s EnduroCrosss gold Medal at the X-Games in Barcelona on Saturday evening. She then immediately flew to Portugal to join the competition on Sunday.
The KTM factory riders will now compete in national competitions until the championship resumes in Greece for the next two rounds on June 15-16. Cervantes however will contest the notorious and very extreme Erzberg Rodeo in Austria on the last weekend in May.
The Portugal rounds conclude the four rounds in the Iberian Peninsular, the competition’s first events back in Europe after four opening rounds in South America that launched the 2013 season.
Enduro World Championship, Round 8 at Torres Vedras, Portugal.
