 
Paddock News
Top Organisation!
Sun, intense heat and dust are usually synonymous with Greece when the
Maxxis FIM EnduroGP World Championship circus comes to town ... only it
seems that the West Macedonia region could not guarantee this, even in May!
For the second time this season, a GP was ruled by rain and mud.
At the Top
Three beautiful special tests, and an enthusiastic crowd of motorcycle,
especially enduro, fans. Everything came together for the organising club,
AMOTOE, with their head Doc ATHANASOULOPOULOS and his squad at the Offroad
Team, along with the Moto Club of Grevena and its president Ioannis SIOULIS
offering up a very beautiful and spectacular Greek Grand Prix.
Unfortunately, the rain wanted to have its say and joined the meeting –
making the planning a much more difficult task for everyone! But in their
usual style (never panicking, never rushing), the organisers masterfully
came out on top! With the help of Course Inspector Maurizio MICHELUZ, they
managed to take the necessary steps to ensure there were no hiccups and
ensure the smooth running of the race weekend. We even got to see the
president of the Greek Federation, Stelios KORELIS, get his hands dirty and
join the helpers! What better reward after so much hard work than a large
number of spectators and a town delighted with the arrival of EnduroGP in
their city and region.
Mushroom City!
Arriving in Grevena, we were surprised to learn that the emblem of the city
is ... the mushroom! And this local delicacy was served in all the town's
restaurants in various different guises; fried, grilled, and served with a
variety of delicious sauces. The symbol of the city is found everywhere –
on roundabouts and in paintings. The organisers therefore decided to use
this fungus as a logo for the event t-shirts! After spending almost a week
in the Macedonian city, it is ultimately not surprising that the mushroom is
so popular here – the rainfall we experienced certainly explains why they
grow so well !
Finland's Young Hope
Less than a year ago, Juha SALMINEN (SF) assured us at the Belgian Grand
Prix that although Finland had experienced a 'trough' in recent years, the
next young generation of riders were on their way. Although he is not yet in
a position to give Giacomo REDONDI (I - Honda) a run for his money, Henric
STIGELL (TM) was able to impress the paddock. Somewhat under the radar in
Morocco (10/9), REMES' great friend has since found his form. He began to
make an impression in Gouveia, Portugal (8/4) and in Grevena he would have
been 'entitled' to a podium if it wasn't for a small mistake on the last lap
on Saturday. He still finished the Grand Prix with a 4th and a 6th, thereby
proving he is learning and progressing. No doubt the young STIGELL will be
keen to continue his success at the next race to be held in Heinola, Finland
- his home country. Will it be a podium this time?
Beta Heading The Standings
After three Grand Prix, Matthew PHILLIPS (AUS) is still the leader of the
EnduroGP category, but Sherco is perhaps surprisingly not leading the
Manufacturers' title. After Portugal, the Franco-Spanish brand managed a 3rd
and a 5th best placing in Greece, while rivals Beta pocketed 4th and 2nd
places. The bottom line is, Beta (95pts) took the Manufacturer standings
lead by 3 points to Sherco's 92pts, while TM, who enjoyed a strong weekend
with the double win of Eero REMES (SF) remain in close contention (88pts)
... note that KTM and Husqvarna are respectively in 4th and 5th position in
the standings.
ALBERGONI, Full Time Manager Before Long?
Since the beginning of the season, Simone ALBERGONI (I) has taken on the
difficult task of rider AND team manager for KE Racing. He has shown so far
that it's not been easy, having finished just two days of the six in which
he has participated since the beginning of the season. The most experienced
rider in the paddock (17 years of racing) confided in us on Sunday night:
"I haven't got my head in the race! When you have two young children at
home, you start to think much more than before, you open the throttle less,
and brake sooner! I think it may be time for me to stop and turn my hand to
the role of a manager on its own...”
Even though nothing is official yet, it may well be that we will no
longer see ALBERGONI as a rider in EnduroGP. But he wants to work in enduro,
and has hinted he may already be looking for some young talent to enrole
into international racing.
PHILLIPS…Sherco's Rock?
Since the beginning of the season, everyone has marvelled at the speed and
performance of Matthew PHILLIPS (AUS) riding his 300cc 4-stroke Sherco!
Whilst Australia's best represents the French brand with the position of
interim leader in EnduroGP, his success also masks the below-par
performances of his teammates ... Indeed, after two Grand Prix, Anthony
BOISSIERE (F) threw in the towel because of a sore back and a crisis of
confidence. And Lorenzo SANTOLINO (E) has not yet scored a point in EnduroGP
and has only managed 10th in E3. Phillips has so far been the leading light
of the brand. But fortunately Kirian MIRABET (E) came out of the latest GP
5th in Junior, despite a difficult Grand Prix of Greece (DNF / 7)...
First Victory For Yamaha
Despite enjoying podium presence since their official return to Enduro in
2015, Yamaha had never experienced the joy of victory! Often well placed -
notably Cristobal GUERRERO (E) last year in Jerez and Jamie MCCANNEY (GB) in
Morocco and Portugal this year - the blue team had to wait for this hard
Hellenic round to finally climb onto the top step of the podium, thanks to
the excellent performance of Loïc LARRIEU (F)! The French rider also
achieved his first victory here in a Senior category, as well as bringing
the all-new Yamaha WR450F its first win. What a superb result for LARRIEU's
manager Marc BOURGEOIS and the boss of Enduro and Rally at Yamaha Europe,
Alexander KOWALSKI!
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