It was another dominating performance by Johnny Aubert as he swept the weekend in Sardinia for the E2 class.
Aubert continues his dream run in E2 in Sardinia
KTM factory rider Johnny Aubert continued to dominate the Enduro 2 World Championships sweeping both top podiums in Rounds Five and Six at the weekend on the Italian island of Sardinia.
Aubert, new to the KTM Enduro Factory team this season but also the current title holder now has an unblemished record in the six races held so far and a perfect score card of 150 world championship points.
Team boss Fabio Farioli was already encouraged after Aubert's victory on Saturday after some rain had made parts of the track slippery saying: "Johnny was fast but is still capable of going faster". The French rider then went out on Sunday and made his team boss happy with an even better performance.
While Aubert had another dream weekend, his teammate Alessandro Belometti was not so fortunate, scoring a sixth on Saturday and a seventh on Sunday. KTM extreme Enduro specialist factory rider Taddy Blazusiak of Poland was also in Sardinia at the weekend to hone his racing skills. Taddy, who is not a regular starter in the world championship series picked up an impressive eighth place on Saturday but had to retire in the second test on Sunday.
Ivan Cervantes leads the E3 World Enduro class by 18 points after a win on Sunday in Sardinia.
Ivan Cervantes, clearly in his element back in the big bike category went out on Sunday in Sardinia to snatch the top podium slot after having to settle for third place in Saturday's race for a great Round 5 & 6 of the E3 category.
The Spanish KTM Enduro Factory Team rider has an 18-point lead over his nearest rival Frenchman Sebastien Guillaume. Saturday's third place was the only occasion when he has not topped the podium so far this season and came following a race day where some rain made the rocky ground slippery in the rugged mountain terrain of the Italian island. Speaking after Saturday's race, KTM team boss Fabio Farioli said Ivan had been very close to the two leaders but then lost some time in the final test and had to settle for third. Sunday was a different story with the Spaniard returning to his old form and taking the race." "Ivan was incredibly fast today," Farioli said after Sunday's race.
Samuli Aro was holding down the E3 class with his 4th and 3rd place finishes for the weekend.
Cervantes factory teammate Samuli Aro also had a good weekend. The Finn had made a somewhat cautious approach to the racing season taking care of a knee injury but was back to his old form on the tough terrain in Sardinia. He was just off the podium on Saturday in fourth place attracting the following comment from team boss Farioli: "Samuli led in the first lap but then he got stuck on a steep ascent. Without this he could have finished in the top three. The rain made it very slippery and the MX test was quite tight, so it was not so good for the big bikes," Farioli added.
Farioli happy with team's results in Sardinia
The weather gods then shined on the championship on Sunday and Aro joined Cervantes on the podium in third place. He is now just three points shy of third place in the standings behind Cervantes and French riders Sebastien Guillaume and Christophe Nambotin. Farioli expressed satisfaction with all of his riders in all three categories at the close of the Sardinia racing weekend. On Saturday, after Round Five he had had called on them for some more concentration and speed for Sunday's battle.
Like other KTM Enduro Factory team members, Cervantes will now compete in his national championships and other events to stay on top of his game while the world championships series breaks until June. The world championship next returns to Finland after a break of some years, giving Aro the opportunity to go out and thrill his home crowds.
Courtesy of Husaberg
Husaberg's Ljunggren finished 5th and 2nd in E2.
The Husaberg Factory Racing Team were in good form in Sardinia to contest the E2, E3 and EJ categories at the weekend with Joakim Ljunggren on the E2 podium and Oriol Mena continuing his domination of the EJ category
Joakim set the stage on Saturday finishing in a creditable fifth place after a tough day’s racing. “It was a very hard physical race,” he said on Saturday. “But I am feeling strong. I lost some time in the first Enduro test but I was going better as the race went on. I made no mistakes, the bike is going great and tomorrow I will try to give some more gas and make a podium.” That prediction came true on Sunday when the Swede came home in second place and elevated himself to second pace on the standings behind the dominant rider in the class, Johnny Aubert of France. Rain stayed away and riders did not have to deal with the slippery conditions they experienced on Saturday.
When the going gets tough, Ljunggren likes it
Ljunggren, who prefers a technical challenge, likes it best when the going is tough so conditions on Sunday were made to measure. “The track was rougher but there was more grip,” he said of Sunday’s ride. “I was feeling very strong, I made no mistakes and the bike was perfect. I had very good times in the MX test and I made a very good time in the Enduro test in the last lap.”
Salonen regaining form
Ljunggren’s Husaberg teammate Valtteri Salonen also laid some ghosts to rest and got down to the kind of racing for which he is well known on Sunday, narrowly missing the podium in fourth place. After a slow start to the season it was just the result to boost the Finn’s confidence. “Now I am happy to be back and my right level of racing,” he said. “It was a good day for me, I found a good rhythm and I had no crashes. Now I can look forward to racing in front of my home crowd in the next rounds in June.” The World Championship Rounds Seven and Eight are being run close to Salonen’s home town in Finland.
A respectable 9th and 7th for E3 rider Carlsson.
In the big bike category Bjorne Carlsson rounded off the weekend with a ninth and seventh place and was happy to be racing without pain from a recent knee injury. “It was a good day for me,” Bjorne said after Sunday’s race. “I can still feel that my knee has been injured but it didn’t bother me during the race. I am fit again but I need the race practice to get back in form. The bike feels great and now I’ll go back to Sweden and do a lot of training an also compete in two rounds of the Swedish championships before then next races in Finland.”
Two more podiums for Mena
Meanwhile in the EJ class, Husaberg’s junior star Oriol Mena continued his run of success with a second podium place on Saturday and yet another victory on Sunday, his fifth from six rounds. The young Spaniard pledged after his second place on Saturday that he would be going for the victory on Sunday and he did not disappoint. After Saturday’s race he said it had been a tough day. “I had many crashes but I still managed to make the podium. And I am still ahead in the points so that is important. It was very stony and it was difficult when it rained.” The rain stayed away on Sunday and Mena delivered what he had promised. “Now I am in a good position for the championships he said, adding that he will now return to Spain and compete in the Spanish National Championships and some other races to stay in form for the next round in Finland. Mena is 20 points clear of his nearest rival in the standings and has quickly established himself as the one to beat in thi s year’s junior division.
Courtesy of BMW Motorrad Motorsport
BMW return to World Enduro Championship podium
Salminen lead BMW's way with two 3rd-places in E2.
Finn Juha Salminen has secured the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team’s first ever World Enduro Championship double podium result having placed third in the Enduro 2 class on both days of the GP of Italy, staged in Iglesias, Sardinia. With the opening two rounds of the championship in Portugal and Spain having ended disappointingly for Salminen the GP of Italy -round three of the ‘09 WEC series - finished with the vastly experienced rider both encouraged by the changes that he’d made to his bike for the event and also his performances.
As expected the GP of Italy proved to be every bit as challenging as the opening two rounds of the ‘09 WEC series. With the event marking a return to an all-natural extreme test, it also featured one of the longest and toughest enduro tests seen for many years in the WEC. In addition a slow speed motocross test and two long, rocky time controls ensured that all competitors were made to work hard throughout both days of competition. With testing in Italy prior to the third round of the World Enduro Championship series having enabled Salminen to significantly change the set-up of his G 450 X, the opening day’s competition in Sardinia ended with the Finn having battled hard to claim a place on the podium. Much more confident in his riding Salminen performed well throughout the day. With only a handful of seconds separating Salminen from Polish rider Bartosz Oblucki and Spaniard Cristobal Guerrero as the day drew to a close, Juha used his many years of experience to claim his and BMW’s first podium result of the ‘09 WEC season.
David Knight withdrew after falling in the enduro test.
Day two again saw Salminen claim third in the Enduro 2 class. Starting well he recorded the fastest E2 class time on the long and demanding enduro test, and remained in a podium position throughout the day. Unable like many riders to get to grips with the short but incredibly slippery extreme test, Juha eventually finished just eight seconds behind the second placed rider after another determined performance. Salminen’s Enduro 2 class team-mate Simo Kirssi found the conditions in Iglesias tough and on day one placed 14th. On day two Simo improved both his speed and consistency and claimed a top 10 result with ninth in the E2 class. While Juha’s results in the Enduro 2 class were extremely encouraging BMW Motorrad Motorsport Enduro 3 class riders David Knight and Marko Tarkkala frustratingly enjoyed little success in Sardinia. Following a determined start to day one Knight crashed heavily on the enduro test hitting his head, which forced him to withdraw with vision problems. Day two also ended early when a clutch problem prevented him from continuing. Finishing both days Marko Tarkkala placed seventh and ninth.
Juha Salminen – Enduro 2 class:
“Considering the way the first two GPs went I’m really pleased with my results this weekend. I’m really happy to be on the podium, especially as it was very close between a handful of riders on the second day. We are not completely there with the bike yet, but we have made some big improvements. We are moving things in the right direction and now I am able to push hard, which I wasn’t at the first two GPs. I felt pretty good in the motocross and enduro test but I was losing time in the extreme test. Like I said there was a bunch of riders all fighting for the podium so I enjoyed being in among the competition.”
Wolfgang Fischer – BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team Manager:
“It’s especially pleasing that Juha finished on the podium on both days. Last week he made some changes to his bike settings after a test in Italy, and they have really helped him. He is now able to attack the special tests. His fighting spirit was really clear on both days. Although third position isn’t where Juha wants to be there was a lot of competition for the final rostrum place and he made sure that he was the rider that got it. Juha also put in the fastest time on the opening enduro test, which was extremely demanding, and with the exception of one or two of his extreme tests he was consistent throughout the first day as well. Although the event went well for Juha it was disappointing that David crashed on the enduro test on day one and hit his head quite badly. Also, Marko and Simo both failed to find their rhythm.”
