Tuesday, May 24 2011
GP of ITALY – The suffering comes to an end…
The first Sicilian Grand Prix in the history of World Enduro has just come to an end, to the relief of the riders who have suffered greatly under the stifling heat that has dominated this weekend at Francavilla di Sicilia.
The heat, the technical difficulty and the incessant sequence of specials have made this Italian GP very difficult, “one of the hardest”, the opinion of one of the protagonists. During this second day, thousands of spectators witnessed a real show as well as numerous falls….
Ahola’s revenge
Alessandro Botturi (ITA – Gas Gas) will be the first to make mistakes in the CROSS TEST and to abandon due to technical difficulties. In this Enduro 3 category, Mika AHOLA (FIN – HM Honda) piqued yesterday by his rival Christophe NAMBOTIN’s (FRA – Gas Gas) victory, didn’t give him any chances for the final victory. The Finn therefore put things straight by sending a strong signal to the Gas Gas representative that he will not be easily beaten in the competition for the World Championship title. Joakim LJUNGGREN (SWE – Husaberg), who makes progress at every GP, succeeds for the second time this weekend, with a third place full of hope. Annoyed by his underperformance the previous day, Alex SALVINI (ITA – HVA) showed his public that he has the potential to figure in the Top 5 within this category, by finishing 4th. The ex Crossman finishes just ahead of Marko TARKKALA (FIN – Husaberg) back to his best after two difficult seasons.
After a brilliant first day, Johnny AUBERT (FRA – KTM) hoped to have recovered from his cramps so as to succeed again and move up the provisional leader board in Enduro 2. But yesterday’s muscular problems affects his speed, and he ends in 4th place…. It is instead Antoine MEO (FRA – HVA) who manages to take control of this race in the first few laps and does not let go. “It’s great to win today, especially as yesterday I was not far off, but I made too many mistakes. Today I was ahead from beginning to end and I had no problems” said the provençal rider at the winning line. He consolidates therefore his lead in this category. The Spaniards Ivan CERVANTES (ESP – GAS GAS) and Cristobal GUERRERO (ESP – KTM) were also successful and shared the last two steps on the podium. In the end, it is the “T orito Rosso” (Ivan CERVANTES) who has the privilege of being just behind the Frenchman. Pierre-Alexandre RENET (FRA – Husaberg) finishes in 5th place behind AUBERT.
SEISTOLA takes first place
In the Enduro 1 category, from the very beginning, the same scenario from the previous day began to unfold itself with Juha SALMINEN (FIN – HVA) in the lead. But the Finn falls in the CROSS TEST and will then lose precious seconds in the XTREM TEST in the 2nd lap. It is at this point that Matti SEISTOLA (FIN – HVA) and Eero REMES (FIN – KTM) will take advantage and take the reins of this race leaving the 3rd place for the seven times World Champion. A difficult race right up to the very last special, it is the HVA representative who grabs the 1st place, a first for him who had not yet won in the FIM MAXXIS Enduro World Championship. “It feels so good to win, I tried in Spain and yesterday as well, and today I win, it’s such a wonderful sensation….” said SEISTOLA “….better late than never, as they say, and now this should make things less difficult, take some pressure off”.
Just like his compatriot SALVINI in the Enduro 3, Thomas OLDRATI (ITA – KTM), annoyed, managed to make up somewhat today in front of his Sicilian “tifosi”, but he was unable to match the rhythm imposed by the Finn trio and ends up therefore just outside a podium finish. Did Juha SALMINEN show signs of weakness during this Italian GP? If this is the case, his two compatriots and rivals will not hesitate to take advantage…..
The Enduro Junior riders have perhaps found a way to curb the “machine” Antti HELLSTEN (FIN – KTM). And it is the French duo Jérémy JOLY (HM Honda) and Benoît FORTUNATO (Yamaha) who showed the way. Right up to the last special, the two “frenchies” gave their everything to win the day and it is the spirited FORTUNATO who takes his first victory of the season. Antti HELSTEN is not too far off and he finishes in 3rd. Jonathan MANZI (ITA – KTM), the only Italian to make it yesterday, finishes in 4th place and also wins the FIM Youth Cup 125cc in front of Luis OLIVEIRA (POR – Yamaha).
After this 3rd GP, in which the riders used up all their energies, in the face of stifling heat, the World Enduro caravan will head toward Turkey in under three weeks. Next meet, therefore, is the 10th and 11th of June at Fethiye, by the Aegean sea, for a GP that marks the middle of the season of this FIM MAXXIS Enduro World Championship 2011.
