 
Paddock News
Enduro Big Celebration!
Back on that past month full of emotions with the Grand Prix Maxxis of
Greece and the Grand Prix Acerbis of Italy. A lot of things happened and for
those not present, here is a small recap…
Water is my enemy
In main of the European countries, it is now forbidden to cross watercourses
during Enduro races except… in Greece! And we can say that riders and
their bikes are not used to it anymore. A lot of them had some mechanical
problems (water in the air filter…), and it costs a lot to some of them as
Matti SEISTOLA (SF – Sherco), who after a stratospheric first lap, saw his
Sherco in troubles in the river of the Enduro Test… Morality, numerous
seconds lost and then a broken finger in the following Cross Test while
trying to come back to the lead. And the Finn wasn't the only one to have
troubles with this famous river…
"Blood, Sweat and Tears”
This famous sentence of the very late Mika AHOLA (SF) could be applied to
the LAMS Auto-Moto Club of Serres. Indeed, with a reduced roster but with a
big passion and energy, Giorgios "Colonel” VOUDOURIS and Sokrates
KIOSSES (GP chief of timekeeper) team made of this Grand Prix Maxxis of
Greece one of the nicest of the season… An organization complimented by
Alain BLANCHARD (Promoter): "With a small team, the LAMS club managed
to make a very nice race with three very typical special tests. And they had
muck more pressure than any others as some of them are a part of the EWC
official timekeeper (Infomega)!”
Surprising
Never seen in the EWC since 2004! On Saturday in Serres, Marc BOURGEOIS (F
– Yamaha) and Christophe NAMBOTIN (F – KTM) ended the day on the same
step of the podium (2nd)! Indeed, despite an hour and ten minutes of special
tests, the two French couldn't manage to decide: 1'08''09.00. In the
paddock, it was a big interrogation: "How to decide between them? Will
they score 17 points both?” And yes! As the FIM rules says, BOURGEOIS and
NAMBOTIN scored both the 17 points of the second and climbed together the
second step of the podium… letting the 3rd one free!
Acerbis night
Historical sponsor of the EWC and also of the "Valli Bergamasche”,
Acerbis gathered numerous actual riders and also many Enduro legends on
Thursday evening for a big and good meal. In a great ambience, from numerous
story and anecdotes on the Enduro of the 80's and 90's, we heard everything
during this great night in honor to the Bergamo firm important to Franco,
Guido and Michaela ACERBIS.
Live TV
To it big as only Italians know how to do, the Moto Club Bergamo, sponsored
by Polini Motori and a local TV channel, has realized a live TV coverage
during Friday Night's KTM Super Test. A great initiative crowned by the show
proposed by Antoine MEO, Alex SALVINI and the amazing duel between Mathias
BELLINO (F – Husqvarna) and Matthew PHILLIPS (AUS – KTM)… with an
advantage for the French for only 1 hundredths!
Newcomer
"People in the paddock don't really realize the work you have to do…”
Here are the words of Loïc MINAUDIER (F), well-known in the Paddock of the
EWC and of the Enduro French Championship and also future Dakar rider, about
the work done by the ABC Communication team. How can he say that? Simply
because he is the new truck driver and hard worker of the promotion team of
the Maxxis FIM Enduro World Championship till the end of the season,
substituting the famous Alain "Tonton” TICHET… And it surprised
numerous riders who find all the way to joke with him in the special tests.
But when we take a look to this picture taken right after Saturday podium,
to work with ABC is not so easy even for a top athlete physically well
prepared!
Presentation
During this Italian weekend, we had another attraction in the paddock.
Indeed, the famous brand SWM made his come back to the EWC during this Grand
Prix Acerbis of Italy… Not already a team or a rider but a commercial
stand to present the brand new SWM Enduro bike. Moreover, Ennio MARCHESIN
and the engineer Ampelio MACCHI benefited of this GP to organize a Press
Conference on Saturday night right after the Autograph Session and
journalists presents on the GP could test the bike during the entire weekend
on the training area. Will we see one day SWM back on the podiums of the EWC?
Maybe next year where the firm from Varese announce already its arrival in
the paddock…
Fervor
"I've never seen so many people during a Grand Prix of Italy!”
admitted at the end of the weekend Alain BLANCHARD. The small town of
Rovetta has been invaded during three days by more than 30 000 spectators.
"In compared to Lovere, where people were coming also for tourism and
the nice lake, everyone in Rovetta where there for only one thing: the race!”
confided us Moto Club Bergamo chairman Andrea GATTI. Moreover, they come
numerous; "tifosis” put the fire in all the special tests to the
paddock and the podium… It will be difficult to do so much "show”
before the end of the season but no doubt that Belgium and French spectators
are ready to answer!
Implication
For this Grand Prix Acerbis of Italy, numerous partner of the Maxxis FIM
Enduro World Championship were presents. Of course, the Acerbis firm was
mainly present leaded by Franco ACERBIS and his son Guido. There were also
FunnelWeb Filter (FWF) and his chairman Niels VAN KEMPEN, Motorex Italy and
also the usual commercial stand of KTM and Husqvarna that exposed there new
products. Add to this Gregor ZUPAN from Akrapovic, Gilles ALGAY for Scorpion
Exo and also Claudio PE for Technomousse and you have a really big numbers
of sponsors of the World Championship present to this big celebration in the
cradle of the Italian Enduro…
Complete Organization
After 5 years of absence in the EWC, the Moto Club Bergamo was ready! Ready
to prove they were able to realize one of the most beautiful and tough
Enduro of the past years… Ready also to prove that he was one of the
biggest favorite for the honorific title of "Best Organizer of the Year”!
And the Moto Club represented by Andrea GATTI didn't fail! With much more
volunteers than needed and a "Motor Party” organized after each day
race, the Moto Club Bergamo perfectly achieved their 42nd Valli Bergamasche!
First
"It's the very first time that I'm leading the category…” Admitted
with a surprising smile Eero REMES (SF – TM). Effectively, after a victory
and a nice second place, the official TM rider just took the leader plate in
the Enduro 1 overall to Christophe NAMBOTIN (F – KTM)… Despite numerous
seasons in the class, REMES never managed to take the first position of the
category. But the small Finn still has to stay concentrate as the French is
only one point behind and even if he is injured, he remains really dangerous…
To be continued!
Tied
The FIM Youth Cup 125cc is still a bit difficult to follow in reason of the
famous X-4 rules (the four worst results are out). If, at now, Mikael
PERSSON (S – Yamaha) is 9 points ahead of Josep GARCIA (E – Husqvarna),
if we put out there four worst results, the two protagonists are perfectly
tied with 117 points each other… But Josep GARCIA used already three of
his jokers (Absent in Greece/8th on Saturday in Italy) while Mikael PERSSON
just used two of them (Absent in Chile). So, small advantage to the Swedes!
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