 
2018 Starts Strong!
Take a look back at the second round of the 2018 SEWC season, an event
which kept all its promises in terms of a great show and exciting races...
Sold Out
When Alain BLANCHARD (ABC Communication) met with the German organiser at
the opening round of the season at the Tauron Arena in Krakow (Poland), he
told him that there were only one hundred seats left to sell - and this was
a full month before the event! The SachsenArena was completely sold out last
Saturday when the organisers welcomed the stars of the SuperEnduro. 7,000
fans came to enjoy another fantastic night of racing and they were once
again treated to a great show which lasted for more than three hours…
Without doubt, Riesa and Germany has become a key location for the FIM
Maxxis SuperEnduro World Championship!
Transfer
We often see some brand changes ahead of each SuperEnduro season... and
after the announcement from Alex SALVINI (I), who switched from the Beta
Factory team to the JET Zanardo Racing team, another rider appeared in new
colours in Germany. Portugal's Diogo VIEIRA who was on a Beta in Krakow,
where he did not qualify for the finals, switched to Yamaha in Germany. This
time he qualified for the finals and finished in an encouraging 12th place!
Track Inspector News
For the third season, Paul EDMONDSON is the Track Inspector chosen by ABC
Communication to watch over SuperEnduro and improve the quality of the
tracks. "Fast Eddy" was joined by a well known former Enduro
rider: Tom SAGAR. The multiple European Champion was present in Riesa to
learn the tricks of the Track Inspector trade, and will be ready to replace
EDMONDSON when he is not available to attend...
Imbroglio
At the Riders' Briefing on Saturday morning, FIM Officials Pedro MARIANO and
Christian DEJASSE announced that, for safety reasons, the riders could not
double the jump that was just after the first corner at the start of the
race… Subsequently, during the second final Taddy BLAZUSIAK (PL - KTM),
who was on the second row, saw an opportunity and managed a shock holeshot,
he then hit the double jump! At the end of the heat, the FIM officials
naturally handed a 20 second penalty to the six-time World Champion, which
relegated him to 6th place. Then, suddenly, the Factory KTM rider was called
to the podium after all. The FIM reduced his penalty from 20 seconds to 10
seconds, which allowed BLAZUSIAK to get on the third step of the podium,
much to the chagrin of Billy BOLT (GB - Husqvarna)! All of this added some
controversy to an intense night of racing!
Fixing Problems
That being said, Taddy BLAZUSIAK's evening was not easy. Indeed, in addition
to this "penalty drama", the Pole was hampered during the first
race by a loose left boot. Did he run out of time to do it up before the
race? Or did it come undone during contact with another rider? We will never
know, but despite that, the Factory KTM rider still managed to get 4th place
in that heat!
Live Timed Practice
On the occasion of this German Grand Prix, ABC Communication offered all
followers of the SuperEnduro on Facebook, live coverage of Junior and
Prestige Timed Practice! While these practices were not the most important
moment of the afternoon, they did determine the starting grid positions for
the Juniors as well as the seven qualified riders for the Prestige Super
Pole. In any case, fans could enjoy 30 minutes of free Live Streaming on
Facebook before going to see the real show the same evening on our EnduroTV
service on superenduro.org!
Crazy Cavallo?!
The young Italian hopeful Matteo CAVALLO (I - Beta), who came to Krakow, was
the revelation of the Junior category in Poland with a win, and second place
in the championship standings. While he registered for the event in Germany,
the Beta Boano team rider, to our astonishment, did not show up to the
SachsenArena. The reason appears to be a financial one, a real
disappointment for this endearing rider who had the capability of fighting
for the title, and who seemed to be the revelation of the 2018 season!
Dedicated to his Father!
The triple win of Kevin GALLAS (D - Husqvarna) in front of his home fans put
him in control of the Junior class, but this victory was a bittersweet one
and will be etched in the mind of the young German. He explained: "This
victory is so beautiful! I want to dedicate it to my father, who died
shortly before the start of the season. I'm sure he would be super proud of
me. Winning at home with a Hat Trick is the best tribute I could give him!”
The rider from Baden Baden signed off this emotional night by taking the
24MX Championship Leader Plate from Kyle FLANAGAN (RSA - Yamaha).
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