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All content © Bob MuIIins |
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Maxxis SuperEnduro Review of 2014/15 After a complete season composed by six Grand Prix and a bigger rider level than last season, it’s time now to make a resume of this 2014/2015 edition of the Maxxis FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, class by class. Let’s start with the most attracting category: the Prestige class...
Paul BOLTON (GB – KTM): The Brits made some apparition during the past season in Liverpool (not qualified) and in Tours (8th) but we didn’t clearly think that he could be at this level so early. Indeed, “Lightning Bolt” has made a true rise all along the year. 8th after the three first Grand Prix, he stepped up in Latin America to finish the season with a Top 5. Result: an excellent 6th final rank and an honorific title of “Rookie of the Year”. We’ll have to keep an eye on BOLTON in 2016 especially as he could maybe interest some official teams... Mario ROMAN (E – KTM): As BOLTON, the Spanish made an apparition in the UK (10th) last season and like the Brit, he has decided to try the SuperEnduro adventure in 2015. And what an adventure! Surprising and consistent during the six Grand Prix, “Super Mario” had his word to say in the fight for the “Rookie of the Year” award. He can still be happy with a nice 7th final position... His good results could open to him also, the doors of an official team!
Aurélien ADDESSO (F – HVA): Only French in the category after BELLINO’s withdrawal, not a lot of people believed on the ADDESSO’s capacity to get out of the qualifications and have the opportunity to race among the 16 best riders of the category. But at the end, the Husqvarna rider has realized very encouraging Grand Prix and integrates the Top 15! In place... Taddy BLAZUSIAK (PL – KTM): And six titles for King BLAZUSIAK! However the KTM official rider arrived from an Endurocross Championship where he was dethroned by Cody WEBB... who was defying him also in the SEWC! But the Poles signed a nice Hat Trick on the opening round of the Championship and then continued with three Grand Prix victories... Undermined in Brazil and France, nobody could stop the N°111 to clinch his sixth crown! Cody WEBB (USA – KTM): Freshly crowned of an Endurocross title, we were not waiting less from the Californian! But the transition hasn’t been easy during the firsts GP’s. Indeed, a quick change of bike from Beta to KTM and a complete different race format than in the US, gave him some adaptation difficulties. However, if he won this first heat in Gdansk where he crashed just 100 meters before the Finish line, the series could be completely different! Approachable, smiling and very professional, we really hope to see WEBB next season... Jonny WALKER (GB – KTM): In compared to the others seasons, the Brit had a very serious off-season and he said he was ready to finally clinch this first GP and to show that we had to count on him in the race for the title. But, even if he impressed everybody with his speed on the track, the KTM official rider had bad luck in each Grand Prix... until in Cahors (France) where he broke the Indian sign winning nicely the evening... A ramp-up that, we hope so, will permit him to really have shot for the World crown...
Alfredo GOMEZ (E – HVA): If last season, GOMEZ signed some podiums, he seemed to be the most suffering from the strong American presence... Even if he couldn’t grab a podium position, the Spanish remains the best rider behind the “Fantastic Four” and we know that he is already well-determined in the preparation of the next season... Taylor ROBERT (USA – KTM): Despite his scaphoid injury that deprived him to race the second half of the season, the American shown nice things and has offered a nice show to the spectators (fourth in Riesa, Germany). ROBERT was in the race for the Top 5 before his injury... We hope to see him next season in order to see him regale us with his riding style! They improved
Xavi LEON (E – HVA): The Spanish is a great SuperEnduro fan and fight during the entire season to find budgets to be present in the races. If he couldn’t take the plane to Mexico and Brazil, LEON fought for the Top 10 against riders such as Danny MCCANNEY, Giacomo REDONDI and Kyle REDMOND... A 12th final place is very encouraging for the Husqvarna rider who’s already impatient to come back next year! They disappointed Danny MCCANNEY (GB – HVA): 9th as last year (he didn’t made the South American tour in 2014), we were waiting much better from the 2014 EWC Junior World Champ’! Often fast and despite an encouraging Grand Prix of Finland, the season has been difficult for the HVA official rider who even received the nickname of “MCCRASHEY” after the Latin American tour... But we know the perseverance of this young man...
Giacomo REDONDI (I – Beta): The 2014 Junior World Champion arrived in the Senior class. And the step has been pretty high for him! He couldn’t manage to find the good rhythm! The Italian never found the way to be among the ten best riders during a Grand Prix...But we know he is a big “fan” of this discipline and no doubt that “RED” will work hard to come back stronger in 2016! We would love to see them more often Mathias BELLINO (F – HVA): 2014 “Rookie of the Year”, the French couldn’t race the 2015 season because of an LCA knee injury on July… He made his return in France but on a track not really adapted for his riding style. However, bookmakers see in him a brilliant future in the discipline… So it would be great to see him back in the entire series!
Good vibes! The public from Cahors is well-known in France as being a motorcycle sports expert public and this Grand Prix AMV of France has confirmed this reputation! Indeed, if the Exhibition Center of Cahors could host only 4 000 spectators, it was already sold-out two weeks before. White hot thanks to the French speaker Maxime MARTIN and the “Dragon Ladies” Cheerleaders from Slovenia and also thanks to the show made by the riders, the crowd never stops to applause, cheering on each overtakes or crashes and was impressed by so much talent and art... Completely conquered, the 4 000 people have also offered to Taddy BLAZUSIAK six “olas in a row” to celebrate his six titles of World Champion! No doubt, between Cahors and motorcycles sports, it’s a real love story with a bright future!
Definitely, the RPM/FMF/KTM Maxxis team makes some noise for his second season in SuperEnduro. Indeed, Mike HURLBERT’s team has seen Cody WEBB (USA – KTM) clinching a Vice-Champion position for his first SEWC year and has won the Junior title thanks to Ty TREMAINE (USA – KTM). The young gun from Nevada has, in the mean time, offered to Maxxis Tyres its first off-road World title! He became also the first American to win a World title in SuperEnduro... TREMAINE is making the history of this sport and should make some noise next year in Prestige class, especially as he is already a 2016 Grading List rider (FIM rules says: The Junior World Champion has a reserved place in Grading List for the next season.) Unlucky Andreas LINUSSON (S – KTM) is very discreet in the assistance zone but then impresses when he is on his KTM. The talent, the very technical riding style and the ardour of the Swedish often stun the public and offer some nice and intense races in Junior with his rival Ty TREMAINE. Unfortunately, this ardour has harmed him during the free practice of Saturday afternoon. Indeed, while the Juniors were starting to discover the track with their first Free practice, LINUSSON already tried to jump the pool... But, he landed a bit too far and crashed hard. In addition to “drink the water of the pool”, the 2014 and 2015 Vice Champion broke his wrist and had to forget his hopes to be title without racing even a heat... Holeshot 100% It was the last Holeshot 100% of the season and to finish well, Carlos MAS and his team have made an unusual first corner! Indeed, few meters before this first corner, riders entered directly in a rock section! It has offered a great show to the French public and some cold sweats to the riders! And the result i... Taddy BLAZUSIAK (PL – KTM) wins the 300 USD of the Prestige category for the 4th time of the season while Manuel LETTENBICHLER (D – KTM) has been the Junior Holeshoter! Like the Super Pole powered by Akrapovic, the Holeshot 100% was appreciated by the riders and it permits to add some extra spice to this first corner.
... By a virus! Absent from the International SuperEnduro of Barcelona two weeks ago due to a virus, David KNIGHT (GB – KTM) made the trip to Cahors to defend his Vice-Champion position. Unfortunately weak, KNIGHTER seen his condition deteriorate all along the day. After signing only the 7th best time in the Super Pole, he conscientiously decided to stop: “I had to stop! If I raced tonight, I would just have won an injury! Of course it has been difficult to take this decision because I couldn’t defend my chances for the podium, but it was the best choice...” has confided KNIGHTER on the RedBull.tv. A sad end of season for one of the four fantastic who didn’t lost his words and his sense of controversy on his social medias... virus or not! Courageous In addition to Andreas LINUSSON, another rider injured himself during afternoon practices. It was the Spanish Alfredo GOMEZ (E – HVA). Indeed, during the Time practice, the Husqvarna official rider crashed and injured his finger! He had to go quickly to the closest hospital to make X-Rays! Result, index ligaments were broken! But GOMEZ has decided to race the main event. Without any possibility to break from the front because of his finger, the Spanish has signed three nice four places that permitted him to take the last Top 5 position in the overall! A nice lesson...
All along the season, the young British prospects have been in the spotlights! From Gethin HUMPHREYS (HVA) to Jack EDMONDSON (KTM), passing by Jack ROWLAND (Sherco), the British army has proved she has a bright future... But in Cahors, it is three other riders that made some noise. Discreet since the start of the season, Joshua GOTTS (TM) has shown nice things on the technical track of the Exhibition Center. He brought his TM (the only one of the Championship) in fourth position of the Junior class, thanks to that he could join the ten best riders of the season... Gethin brother, Owain HUMPHREYS (HVA) finishes just behind GOTTS (5th) and shown his talent while Luke FLACK (Sherco) ended in 6th for his very first GP! Even if the Brits youth are not on each Junior podiums, the potential is there and no doubt that they will be serious candid ate next season! “Rookie of the Year” The fight for the “Rookie of the Year” award had surely less media attention than the fight for the podium but it has been a long and indecisive battle till last Grand Prix. While Mario ROMAN (E – KTM) seems to be the favourite during the first part of the season, it’s Paul BOLTON (GB – KTM) who won this honorific title thanks to a nice Top 5 during the final! In the overall standing, BOLTON (6th), wins it with a 9 points lead... Even if this distinction can be attributed to both, ROMAN and BOLTON have clearly a bright future in the discipline and could interest some official team for the next season... Didier VALADE pride! Even if Didier VALADE was the organizer of this Grand Prix AMV of France,
he is also and mainly the manager of the Sherco Academy! In the entry list
of Cahors, there were five riders from VALADE team. If Theo BAZERQUE (F) has
been unlucky and couldn’t qualify for the main event, the four other
riders were present! While Maelig BRON-FONTANAZ (F) was out from the first
heat with a K-O thanks to a huge crash and Romain LELOUP (F) and Vincent
GAUTIE (F) signed the 11th and 13th positions, former trial rider Cedric
TEMPIER (F) a signed an enormous performance by clinching a podium. Pushed
by an entire crowd, the number 93 shown nice talent for the discipline and
was the pride of Didier VALADE... “To race this event was a test for the
next season! And when I see what Cedric offered us tonight, there is no
doubt, we’ll do everything in order to make the entire season with him!”
was smiling VALADE! |
They
surprised...
Eloi SALSENCH (E – Gas Gas): 8th in Junior last year, SALSENCH arrived
with the “big fishes” without knowing what was waiting for him. But the
young Spanish has made a nice season... Qualified on each Grand Prix he
entered, he shown himself signing a very encouraging 14th overall rank!
David
KNIGHT (GB – KTM): In the handlebar of a privateer KTM, KNIGHTER made some
noise during the two firsts Grand Prix. He astonished everybody while he
confirmed his participation to the series just two weeks before. Then... a
slowdown from Finland! Despite a last shot in Brazil (2nd), the Manxman
seemed to be quickly out of the race for the title... And we know the Brit
when he is starting to be polemical in the Social Medias, it’s the
beginning of the end! Incurable virus?
Dani
GIBERT (E – Gas Gas): Less flashing than last year, the Spanish
nonetheless has improved all along the season... If he didn’t injure
himself in Finland, he could be in good position to fight for the 6th place.
But the competition is much more intense each season and GIBERT will have to
step up if he wants to fight with GOMEZ, BOLTON or ROMAN...
Kyle
REDMOND (USA – Beta): The very first American to put his wheels on a
SuperEnduro track had a difficult season... 8th in 2014, he finished 10th in
2015. Freshly contracted by the Beta official team, he has been a bit “alone”
during Mexico – Brazil but that didn’t avoid him to show a bit of his
talent during the qualifying heat... We hope to see him again next year, but
in better conditions...
Colton
HAAKER (USA – HVA): We had to see him during the entire season, but
unfortunately, a late change of brand couldn’t permit him to fight with
the best from Poland! Arrived in Cahors (France), but diminished by a kidney
and ribs injury, HAAKER couldn’t shine for his only Grand Prix… But no
doubt that if he comes back next year, it will not be the same song!
TREMAINE
offers the title to Maxxis
The big KNIGHT struck...
A
Brit can hide another one...