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All content © Bob MuIIins | |||
 
Back to the Roots ! Less than a week after the Acerbis Italian Grand Prix in Edolo, it's time to have a debrief about what happened in the paddock during this very rainy round... All Italian Podium In recent years, Italy had been through a bit of a drought in its talent pool; afterall, the last title Senior was in 2013 with Alex SALVINI (I - Husqvarna). But during this Acerbis GP of Italy, the Italians were proudly represented by Matteo CAVALLO (Beta Boano) and Andrea VERONA (TM) in Juniors and in Enduro 2 with the trio of Alex SALVINI, Thomas OLDRATI (Honda RedMoto) and Giacomo REDONDI (Honda RedMoto). These three protagonists also managed the feat of all standing on the podium Sunday night - something that had not been done in 25 years! Italian Enduro returns is returning to the fore, and with a new generation of talent led by CAVALLO, VERONA and SORECA, Italy could well become the dominant nation once again, and tackle the likes of Britain's HOLCOMBE (Beta), FREEMAN (Beta Boano) and others. Special Visits It is well known that Italy is an Enduro country and there is a lot of enthusiasm for the sport from riders, spectators and sponsors. Many important partners of the FIM Maxxis Enduro World Championship therefore joined us this weekend in Edolo. Marco GALLI (Scott Sports), Franco ACERBIS (Acerbis), Niels VAN KEMPEN (FWF), Stefano SCAGLIARINI (Sidi Sport), Tony AMORIELLO (Just1) and Marco BOLETTI (Technomousse) were present this weekend in Edolo and were able to give many prizes to the different winners... Back on Track Since the beginning of the season, the young rider from the French run TM XCentric team, Leo LE QUERE (F), has struggled to adapt to the pace of the highly competitive Junior category. The 2017 125cc Youth Vice-World Champion had only 6th in Junior 1 as the best result of his season. But in Edolo the Breton raised the bar and took two podiums (2/3) in his category, scoring big points in Junior (4/7)... LE QUERE is, we hope, finally back on track, and he could well make a strong end to the season!
Sherco Shines with Young Talents! With Matthew PHILLIPS (AUS) "out" since the GP of Estonia, all the efforts of the team Sherco CH Racing are now focused in the 'young categories'... This weekend, Jack EDMONDSON (GB) and Théo ESPINASSE (F) shined with podiums in Junior; and J2 for the Brit on Saturday and J1 for the Frenchman on Sunday... But where Sherco shone the most, was in Youth 125cc with the double victory of the New Zealander Hamish MACDONALD and the two podiums of Dan MUNDELL (GB - 3/2). Add to that the 3rd place of the Sherco Academy rider Matthew VAN OEVELEN (B) and we were able to witness an 100% Sherco Sunday podium in Youth 125cc! The brand from Nîmes counted 6 podiums and 2 victories from its promising young riders in Edolo …the future is bright for Sherco! 16 Nations At the Acerbis Grand Prix of Italy in Edolo, we were able to count 16 different nationalities among the 85 riders. Some of them from "exotic" places, with Chile represented by Ruy BARBOSA (Husqvarna), Brazil represented by Bruno CRIVILIN (KTM) and Argentina with Cristian ARRIEGADA (Husqvarna). In addition to these three nations and the usual European countries, South Africa was also represented for the first time since 2010, by Kyle FLANAGAN (Yamaha), as well as New Zealand with Hamish MACDONALD. Finally, a special mention for the return to the forefront for the Czech Republic with the nation taking a podium on Saturday through the driver Junior 2 rider Krystof KOUBLE (KTM)... A performance that gives hope to Czech Enduro which we have not seen for over 10 years with a certain Vita KUKLIK!
Maglia Azzura As every season, on the occasion of the Acerbis Grand Prix of Italy, the Federazione Motociclista Italiana (FMI) presented its "Maglia Azzura". That is to say, the team that will represent Italy in the next Six Days that will be played out in Chile at the end of the season. Alex SALVINI, Thomas OLDRATI, Giacomo REDONDI and Davide GUARNERI (Honda RedMoto) will be part of the Trophy team while Matteo CAVALLO, Andrea VERONA and Davide SORECA will serve as favourites in the Junior category! Special Invitation During this sixth round in Edolo, ABC Communication via Dalila AGRATI decided to invite the local and national press to attend the GP... no less than 10 Italian press groups responded and were managed by AGRATI during the three race days to attend the various specials and the 2019 presentation of the Honda RedMoto team. A great way to discover or rediscover our sport and to talk about it. This initiative will also take place at the last two Grand Prix of the season in France and Germany! Beta Blockout! While Sherco, TM, Gas Gas, Yamaha and Husqvarna, through the private team Jolly Racing, have shone since the beginning of the year, there is one brand that seems to stand out: Beta! Out of 8 classes, Rignano Sull'Arno's firm leads the standings in 5 of them: in EnduroGP and E3 with Steve HOLCOMBE, in E1 with Brad FREEMAN and in Junior and J2 through Matteo CAVALLO. At the same time, Beta ranks first in the EGP, E1 and E3 manufacturers rankings. It looks like a good year for Beta, represented by the Factory team and the Boano team. Excellent Organisation "Thank you to the Moto Club Sebino for this wonderful race in Edolo! It was a true Enduro, just as we like it!” These words came from current E1 leader Brad FREEMAN and are shared by the majority of the EnduroGP riders. The MC Sebino, headed by Constante BONTEMPI, did a magnificent job with a high level lap with three excellent special tests and difficult liaison sections. Their organisation was praised by many riders such as Christophe NAMBOTIN (F - Gas Gas) and Romain DUMONTIER (F - Yamaha) with a particular mention for the Enduro Test and the liaison leading to it. It was a true Enduro, just as we like it, which was rewarded by a large number of spectators; 30,000 throughout the weekend, despite the non-stop rain!
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