 
Paddock News
A Grand Finale!
Just days after the paddock saw the double crowning of Matthew PHILLIPS
(AUS - Sherco) in EnduroGP and E2, we look back on an emotional AMV Grand
Prix of France...
Paying Tribute
Moments after the closing ceremony of the 2016 Maxxis FIM EnduroGP World
Championship, some of the top stars of the sport (Matthew PHILLIPS, Laia
SANZ, Johnny AUBERT and Mathias BELLINO) went to visit all the volunteers
from the Cahors Trials Club... just as the dedicated crew were about to
celebrate the end of the Grand Prix over a meal, the stars of the EnduroGP
rewarded them with a surprise meeting - and each rider gave a speech heaping
praise on the club for their work throughout the week! A wonderful reward
for the motorcycle club who put in so much effort to make this final round
one of the best in history, despite many added difficulties.
Rookie of the Year
There were four riders this season who were all eligible for 'Rookie of the
Year' honors: Davide GUARNERI (I - Honda), Taylor ROBERT (USA - KTM), Pascal
RAUCHENECKER (AUT - Husqvarna) and Nathan WATSON (GB - KTM). But despite
impressive progress during the course of the season, neither the Italian or
the Austrian could compete with the two factory KTM riders. At the end of
the eight Grand Prix it was finally decided that Nathan WATSON would be
crowned Rookie of the Year, with a final placing of fifth position in
EnduroGP and runner up in E1 (5 wins). This 2016 season bodes well for the
future of Christophe MEYER's protégé. And at just 22 years old, Nathan has
plenty of time to progress even further. He has already joined the MCCANNEY
brothers and HOLCOMBE in the 'Most Promising Brits' group!
Ready to Launch
On Friday afternoon, just hours before the Super Test, Alexandre KOWALSKI
and Marc BOURGEOIS organized a Press Conference. In this, they presented
their goals for 2017 and the new WRF 450 Limited Edition Race Replica - on
sale only in France. Brice LESAGE, from clothing brand and main sponsor
Outsiders, also presented the new collection of team gear. These new outfits
were worn by Loïc LARRIEU (F) and Cristobal GUERRERO (E) on the Sunday and
will be the official colours of the team next year. Meanwhile, Honda RedMoto
also used the final round to allow fans to discover its brand new CR-F 450
on Saturday evening.
Show
If there is one thing in which Didier VALADE excels, it is in putting on a
spectacular show. Indeed, the long-time organiser of the Urban Trial of
Cahors decided to make the AMV Grand Prix of France as big as possible,
offering much more than just the race for the huge mass of spectators this
weekend in Cahors. A trials, cycle and ATV show along with a DJ and
fireworks on Friday night, and a Monster Trials display during the weekend
in Auzole (site of the Maxxis Cross Test and the Enduro Test) to keep the
fans entertained between laps. And finally, a concert on Saturday night in
the Place Charles de Gaulle. The Trials Club Cahors and Didier VALADE made
the weekend of 9, 10 and 11 September a real celebration of Enduro and all
that makes it so special - the public responded by enjoying themselves and
creating a superb atmosphere!
Privateer of the Year
From the very first Grand Prix of the season, all eyes were on one privateer
who was achieving incredible results despite his limited resources. On
Sunday evening at the closing ceremony, Antoine BASSET (F - KTM) was awarded
with a trophy for Best Privateer! When he was called to the stage, the whole
room rose to a standing ovation. Rapturous applause for the rider who
competed at every race of the season with just his red van and friends or
family members filling the role of mechanic at each GP. The Frenchman
confessed afterwards that the award and reception had given him "chills
and brought tears to my eyes”. He was an amazing 4th in E3 (10 podiums)
and 11th in EnduroGP. BASSET has always kept smiling throughout the year and
we now hope to see a factory team reward him for all his hard work and
professionalism.
World's Best Manufacturer
Although Sherco's Matthew PHILLIPS was crowned the fastest rider in EnduroGP,
it was Beta which won the constructors' title! Steve HOLCOMBE took top
honors in E3 and team-mates Alex SALVINI (I) and Johnny AUBERT (F) were
always ready to back up the Brit throughout the year. The Italian brand is
now the top manufacturer in EnduroGP, finishing 20 points ahead of KTM. Note
that Sherco finished 3rd and TM were 4th.
Increased Security
The Trials Club of Cahors had to strengthen its security in the paddock and
the Super Test due to a State of Emergency issued across the whole of France
following the recent terror attacks. The public had access to everything as
usual and did not have to pay to see any of the racing, although security
checks were enforced at each entry into the paddock - a very unusual sight
in Enduro. But the safety measures did not stop thousands of enthusiastic
spectators eager to watch the Super Test. And the paddock was full each
evening when the race was over, this was made clear with a huge crowd at the
autograph session on Saturday evening...
Mr. Nice Guy
This season, ABC Communication decided to award a prize to the friendliest
rider in the paddock, the one who was most available for interviews, and the
one who was most inclined to cooperate with the demands of sponsors, the
media, and all the other requests faced off the bike during a race weekend.
Although there were many candidates, such as Steve HOLCOMBE (GB - Beta),
Ivan CERVANTES and Matthew PHILLIPS, it was finally decided that Taylor
ROBERT would be honored with this award. Always smiling, the American has
never refused a request from the organizers or the promoters, and has even
entertained the paddock with a free stunt show during some Grand Prix!
The Last Dance
It was announced that the AMV Grand Prix of France 2016 would be the last in
the long and successful career of Ivan CERVANTES (ESP - KTM), the Spaniard
opting to race in rallies from now on. This departure created a different
atmosphere from the other final rounds, with French fans displaying a banner
in tribute to the Quadruple World Champion. The spectators were behind the
Spaniard just as much as they were for the strong contingent of French
riders. "El Torito”, we felt, answered their support by dancing with
his bike for one last "bullfight” at the start line on Sunday
morning. Returning to Parc Ferme at the end of the final day, the Spaniard
received a tribute from the entire KTM family, and ABC Communication also
paid tribute by making a nice video for him which was broadcast in the
evening at the closing ceremony. Soon you'll have the opportunity to enjoy
it on our Youtube page "EnduroGP".
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