| They did it again |
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| Written by Adrián Molina |
| Friday, 19 June 2009 12:30 |
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In ENDURO 2, Johnny AUBERT (FRA-KTM) still goes it alone. Eighth round and eighth success for the boss of the category, who tells us his race from the inside: “It was rainy last night and today in the first lap. It was enough to make a little wet layer on the ground. The time controls under woods were harder than the special tests. And it was difficult for me to keep concentrated. When I manage from the beginning to build a little gap, I’d prefer to go on attacking but the strategy is rather to avoid mistakes. It’s a very hard exercise of concentration.”
On his way, Juha SALMINEN (SF-BMW) also dominates the second part of the category, deprived of Cristobal GUERRERO (ESP-YAM) injured to the shoulder. Second at 1 minute 19 seconds of Aubert, Salminen is the best representative of the Team BMW Speedbrain, he precedes Bartosz OBLUCKI (POL-HVA) who exploits to the maximum the potential of his 250 CC 2 strokes and from now aims the final podium of the World Championship. Valtteri SALONEN (SF-HSB) 4th as Joakim LJUNGGREN (SWE-HSB) 5th surely could have expected better result on this kind of familiar terrain. There were not any direct confrontations in ENDURO 3. After the first lap, the positions at the top of the category were frank and established. On a surface marked by the passage of the motorbikes, Ivan CERVANTES (ESP-KTM) easily detached himself from his rivals. He mastered the end of the racing by keeping an eye on the return of Christophe NAMBOTIN (FRA-GAS), also amateur of used special tests. Second, he finishes at 9 seconds of the Spaniard without being worried by Samuli ARO (SF-KTM), third 39 seconds behind him. While brawling for the third place, Sebastien GUILLAUME (FRA-HVA) severely fell in the penultimate special test, a high-speed Cross Test. He lost one minute thirty, ended 7th and had to finish groggy with a bloodied face. This mistake benefits to Fabio MOSSINI (ITA-HM), happy 4th of E3. If David KNIGHT (GB-BMW) always in lack of confidence with his motorbike preferred not to start, Bjorne CARLSSON (SWE-HSB) seemed to have found the good set-up of his machine. But the Swedish colossus fell and hit a tree at full speed in the Cross Test. Injured to the ribs, he gave up. In spite of the ambitions of Jérémy JOLY (FRA-HM) and Benoit FORTUNATO (FRA-YAM) in the morning special tests, Oriol MENA (ESP-HSB) showed his superiority in the JUNIORS category once again. Mirko GRITTI (ITA-BETA) 3rd is intercalated between the two French, Joly 2nd and Fortunato 4th.
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 24 June 2009 10:59 ) |
June is generally rainy in Finland. This second day of the GRAND PRIX BIKE MAGAZINE OF FINLAND in Riihimäki was a confirmation, with a drizzle which did not leave the survivors of the first day of race. On this terrain mixing sand and soil, the riders’ concentration was severely tested, the conditions of adherence changing in each corner of the special tests. Despite a bad weather, the competition was even more beautiful, in particular in the small-engine class of ENDURO 1. Revanchist after a second place synonymous of defeat the day before, Antoine MEO (FRA-HVA) felt a point of tiredness from his adversary and promised Mika AHOLA (SF-HM) to beat him on his homeland. Fighting one against the other, the two men quickly made the difference on the rest of the category. Méo with the maximum attack ends up cracking in the penultimate special test where he falls and losts 30 seconds, offering at the same time a comfortable victory to Ahola, with a 40 seconds advance. More at ease on the Finnish ground than in the more technical tests of MAXXIS FIM WEC, Eero REMES (SF-KTM) signs a new third place, ahead of the Italian connection with Thomas OLDRATI (ITA-KTM) and Simone ALBERGONI (ITA-KTM).