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Nearly a month and a half after the Grand Prix of Finland and Sweden, the Maxxis FIM Enduro World Championship resumes with the sixth and penultimate round of the season that will take place in the nice town of the province of Brescia: Lumezzane, Italy. After a year out, the Grand Prix of Italy makes its return to the Enduro World Championship through the Moto Club Lumezzane. This Motorcycle Club, chaired by Damiano BUGATTI, intended to run a round in 2013 before the FMI decided to take a sabbatical year from the EWC and concentrate 100 per cent on the ISDE. Highly motivated and experienced the MC Lumezzane, which was created in 1951, will twin this Grand Prix Acerbis of Italy with the eighth edition of its "Xtreme Lumezzane." Well known, this "Extreme" race, which was won by Antoine MEO (FRA - KTM) at it last edition in 2012, will conclude the weekend on Sunday evening (Excluding GP race). Italy back to the calendar! On the track side, the Moto Club, with the advice of the FIM Race Inspector Giovanni SALA, drew a 45 km loop in Lombard Mountains that the stars of the EWC will have to complete three times during each day of racing. The paddock situated at the foot of the Stadio Comunale of Lumezzane will host the start and podium celebrations. The Enduro Test, with a length of 7.5 kilometers, will be located in Premiano while the Cross Test (5.2 km) is located in Bione and the Xtreme Test (4.2 km) to Val de Put. Note that, as in Torres Vedras (Portugal), there will be no KTM Super Test on Friday night. The small town of Lombardy Lumezzane has approximately 24,000 inhabitants and is divided into 13 villages (Faidana, Fontana, Gazzolo, Gombaiolo, Mezzaluna, Piatucco, Pieve Premiano, Renzo, San Sebastiano, Sant'Apollonio, Termine, Valle). This city is located just 20 kilometers from Brescia and 110 kilometers from Milan. The province of Brescia is a fertile ground for the practice of Enduro and no doubt that Italian riders like Alex SALVINI (Honda), Thomas OLDRATI (HVA), Simone ALBERGONI (KTM) and the prospects Giacomo REDONDI (Beta) and Davide SORECA (Yamaha) will wear the colors of the "Nazionale" in front with pride... With over 120 entries, the Grand Prix Acerbis of Italy proves that it still appeals to riders and we expect that this success will also be mirrored on the audience side with the expected arrival of Italians, French, Austrian and Swiss supporters. CERVANTES in attack mode The Enduro 3 class took a different turn after the tiring Scandinavian tour. Indeed, with the ankle injury of Ivan CERVANTES (ESP - KTM), who was forced to abandon on Sunday in Enköping (Sweden), it was his young teammate Matthew PHILLIPS (AUS - KTM) who took the lead and edged 19 points ahead. The "Torito" will have to attack without calculation and therefore beat the Australian in order to close the gap and keep his title chances alive until the final round in Brioude (France). For this, he must hope that some riders will also shine too. Unfortunately this will not be the case of Mathias BELLINO (FRA - HVA), injured in the France Enduro Championship – rupture of the LCA in his left knee. Matti SEISTOLA (SF - Sherco) was also injured in training (fractured cheekbone and upper jaw) and doesn’t know if he will be able to race. With the top t wo main "referees" probably out, CERVANTES therefore relies on Luis CORREIA (P - Beta) – still looking for his first podium this season – Jeremy JOLY (FRA - KTM), Aigar LEOK (EST - TM) and Simone ALBERGONI to spice things up. Antoine BASSET (F - Gas Gas), Fabien PLANET (F - Sherco) or Deny PHILIPPAERTS (I - Beta) could also shine in Italy. In Enduro 1, Eero REMES (SF - TM) has shown since Greece that Christophe NAMBOTIN (FRA - KTM) was not unbeatable on his 250 EXC-F after beating him three times. Although the Frenchman looks set to win a third consecutive world title during this Grand Prix – he is 37 points ahead – the Finn, full of confidence, will do anything to reverse the deadline. He could be supported by the two Sherco riders Anthony BOISSIERE (F) and Jeremy TARROUX (F). The Bergamasco Thomas OLDRATI (I - HVA) will also be very close. He has never been more dangerous than during his home GP where his fans urge him on! The presence of Cristobal GUERRERO (ESP - KTM) is highly uncertain after dislocating his elbow two weeks ago during training. But Spain will still be well represented by Jaume BETRIU (HVA). In the race for the honorary title of "Most Improved Rider of the Year", the Catalan will attempt to keep by all costs his sixth place facing the repeated assaults of OLDRATI, Rudy MORONI (I - KTM), Maurizio MICHELUZ (I - Suzuki) and Kevin ROHMER (F - Yam). RENET and NAMBOTIN titled? With the absence of Antoine MEO (FRA - KTM) until the end of the season, the road to the world title seems clear for Pierre-Alexandre RENET (FRA - HVA). He’s now 34 points ahead of his closest rival Johnny AUBERT (F - Beta). But Aubert, the double World Champion, is a regular in the Italian Championship and is very efficient in Italy. The defending E2 champion Alex SALVINI (I - Honda) who will be at home and will have the home support on his side will be also very dangerous. To overcome the lack of MEO, Fabio FARIOLI and KTM rely on the five-time SuperEnduro World Champion Taddy BLAZUSIAK (PL - KTM). But since the Grand Prix of Andorra in 2011, the Indoor Enduro maestro has not participated in a single round of the EWC. Will he come to play spoilsport in the category and put KTM back on the podium? For his part, Lorenzo SANTOLINO (E - Sherco) has a nice card to play with a view on the 4th place in the provisional rankings but he must also be wary of the return to form of Oriol MENA (E - Beta) after his collarbone injury in Sweden and of the Italians Mirko GRITTI (KTM) and Manuel MONNI (HVA). We saw Jonathan BARRAGAN (E - HVA) in big trouble when the race became very technical and hard, so he will need to consolidate his performance this weekend while Romain DUMONTIER (FRA - Yam) will continue his merry way and try to get closer to the 7th place of GRITTI... A note on the comeback on the EWC of the Italian Edoardo D'AMBROSIO who will ride a Honda with Jolly Racing. Will Alex SALVINI manage to clinch his first win of the year? Finally in the Juniors, Danny MCCANNEY (GB - Beta) is 22 points ahead of Giacomo REDONDI (I - Beta) and 35 points up on Loïc LARRIEU (FRA - HVA). But the Brit must have nerves of steel to face the fury of 2014 SuperEnduro Junior World Champion who will race in front of thousands of spectators supporting his cause. In search of his first win of the year, LARRIEU will also throw all his forces into the battle. Local Nicolo MORI (I - KTM), Alessandro BATTIG (I – Honda) and Nicolo BRUSCHI (I - Honda) will give the best of themselves while Diogo VENTURA (P - Gas Gas), Jamie MCCANNEY (GB - HVA), Rannar UUSNA (EST - KTM), Lars LOFGREN (S - KTM), O liver NELSON (S - KTM) and Eloi SALSENCH (ESP - KTM) will seek to consolidate their place in the Top 10. In the FIM Youth Cup 125cc, Albin ELOWSON (S - HVA) took control of the class but Davide SORECA (I - Yam) will have the considerable advantage of being at home and could reverse the trend. Jérémy MIROIR (F - Yam), Jesper BORJESSON (S - HVA) and Benjamin HERRERA (CL - TM) remain in ambush looking for the slightest mistake of one of the two favorites. Many hopes are also held by Michele MARCHELLI (I - KTM) Matteo BRESOLIN (I - KTM), Nicolas PELLEGRINELLI (I - KTM) and the Moto Club Lumezzane rider Nicholas TRAININI (I - KTM). With all the necessary ingredients, this Grand Prix Acerbis of Italy should be exciting where the Italians will be over motivated and where two titles could be decided in Enduro 1 and Enduro 2! See you on August, 2nd and 3rd in Lumezzane for the sixth and penultimate Grand Prix of the Maxxis FIM Enduro World Championship! Information: - Lumezzane (Province of Brescia);
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