| The WEC in the country of world best riders |
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| Written by Adrián Molina |
| Friday, 19 June 2009 11:56 |
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Holidays are finished for the stars of MAXXIS FIM WEC. The fourth meeting of world championship will join together on June 13th and 14th in Riihimäki the cream of Enduro for the GRAND PRIX BIKE MAGAZINE OF FINLAND. Regarded as the greatest nation of enduro of these ten last years, Finland had not organized a stage of world tour since 2005 and the test of Heinola. About only 69 kilometers from the capital Helsinki, Riihimäki is located in the middle of the rail junction which furrows Finland. Because of this position, it logically became one of the industrial hearts of the country, specialized in the arms factories and agro alimentary. Riihimäki also attracts a increasing part of the population of Helsinki, choosing a lifestyle more economic and country, and many hunters. The local Moto Club is the most prestigious of Finland. It counts in its rows some great champions: Mika Ahola, Marko Tarkkala and Kari Tiainen. The current sporting manager of the TEAM BMW MOTORRAD SPEEDBRAIN was at the top of his art in 1995 when the WEC stopped for the last time at Riihimäki. The heroes of the World Championship were also called Anders Eriksson, Petteri Silvan and Giovanni Sala. “The memory dates a little, tells Giovanni SALA the FIM course inspector. But I remember it was a very hard race, with mud pits at the bottom of the forest. Besides, that remains Finland, it does not have too much relief there. The special tests are generally fast, mixing sand and under woods. In Riihimäki, the riders will meet more small stones than large roots. ”At home, Mika AHOLA (SF-HM) is incontestably the great favourite of the event, although the adversity does not miss in ENDURO 1. His two direct rivals for the title, Simone ALBERGONI (ITA-KTM) and Antoine MEO (FRA-HVA) will try to oppose him. For the first time, the Husqvarna factory rider will discover the Scandinavian enduro without spiked tyres. Note that Marc GERMAIN (FRA-YAM) will be absent from the race. His difficult beginning of season, stained by a mechanical breakage, definitively killed his world ambitions. In ENDURO 2, Johnny AUBERT (FRA-KTM) perhaps undermined his adversaries, but he will be a beginner at Riihimäki. Following the example of this new generation of WEC riders, he never ran in Finland before. This Grand Prix will become a real test for the reigning world champion. In this category, the Finnish representatives are many. Among them the new comer Matti SEISTOLA (SF-HVA), Valterri SALONEN (SF-HSB), always capable of blows of glare, and BMW factory riders Simo KIRSSI (SF-BMW) and Juha SALMINEN (SF-BMW). Awarded by a double podium on the last Sardinian test, the national hero wants to offer a first world success to the Bavarian manufacturer. The WEC hardest fans remember that the last coming of the championship in Finland in 2005 had shown a victory of Marko TARKKALA (SF-BMW) in ENDURO 3. Like David KNIGHT (GB-BMW) his teammate, in the grip of problems of adaptation to his new machine, the Finnish giant worked hard to prepare this special event. “I spend the break testing the bike and trying to find better settings, explains Marko Tarkkala. It is not big changes but some small modifications like suspensions. The best thing is that we had a little time for testing during this break. I trained but I also spend some time as a holiday. The terrain in Finland will be something between hard rocks and soft sand areas. The challenge of the track depends of the weather: in Finland there are many rain days per month. No problem with the organization, the cities of Riihimäki and Kahvakopla, which welcome the course, are traditionally and highly respected in Finland as organizers of Enduro races. I have to admit that the beginning of the season wasn't as well as I hoped, but now I just have to push harder and believe that we have found better settings for the bike. Now for the five races to go, I hope to ride better, to get better results and to find the best settings for the bike. The main goal for me now is to find my speed again, and I really want to succeed in my home race !” While we still wait to discover among JUNIORS the next hope of the suomi enduro, by beating Oriol MENA (ESP-HSB) during the penultimate round of the championship, Jérémy JOLY (FRA-HM) showed that the fate of the less than 23 years category was not played in advance. Besides a major sporting interest, this Finnish round marking the mid-season, the GRAND PRIX BIKE MAGAZINE OF FINLAND remains a spectacle, the motor bikes passing at high speed in the middle of the trees. As the famous Rally of the Thousand Lakes, do not miss the fastest and most spectacular event of the season, in Riihimäki on June 13th and 14th.
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 24 June 2009 14:57 ) |