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All content © Bob MuIIins | |||
 
SUPERENDURO IS BACK WITH A BANG PRESTIGE: BOLT TURNS THE SCREW Billy BOLT made it clear from the get-go that he was ready to start where he left off. The factory Husqvarna rider and reigning SuperEnduro champion looked very comfortable on the short but technical Polish track. After setting the best time in the practice sessions, he proceeded to log an impressive time in the Akrapovic SuperPole (55.133), BOLT was emphatically back. In this important qualifying it was BOLT’s teammate Colton HAAKER next up and Germany’s Manuel LETTENBICHLER 3rd. Home hero Taddy BLAZUSIAK (POL-GasGas) and Cody WEBB (USA-SHERCO) got off on the wrong foot after they both fell in SuperPole, forcing them to start at the back of the grid in the Prestige class. At the start of the 1st race, things didn’t improve for WEBB and BLAZUSIAK, the two men separately found themselves on the ground in the 1st turn, they had to push extremely hard to stand a chance of a comeback as the pace hotted up. WEBB, plagued with brake issues, was in big trouble and was not able to demonstrate his potential. He fell several times over the course of the race and finished 10th. Meanwhile, BLAZUSIAK, carried by a crowd totally committed to his cause, managed to fight back to a strong 3rd position. Despite his bad start, the Polish rider put together a string of very quick laps and overtook his opponents on all the most technical parts of the track. This top three finish was certainly the result of Taddy not willing to give up. Out front it was a different story for Billy BOLT as he controlled the race pace to perfection. For a while he was followed by his teammate HAAKER, but as soon as the American went down in a sandy corner, the Brit was away. Feeling the effects of jet lag, HAAKER couldn’t fight off a tenacious Taddy in the closing laps. Jonny WALKER (GBR-Beta) had a good opening race with his new Beta machine, taking his first top 5 of the season and keeping himself in the game. The 2016 Junior champion, Manuel LETTENBICHLER finished a decent second to Billy BOLT by showing calmness and consistency; which could be great qualities to have this year! The podium of the first race, therefore, was as follows: BOLT, LETTENBICHLER, and the hero of the crowd: BLAZUSIAK. As is tradition in SuperEnduro, the second race of the night saw a reverse grid start. This offered a great opportunity to Magnus THOR (SWE-Husqvarna) to take the holeshot and run with it. The European Champion did a good job but was not able to hold off Colton HAAKER for long, as the Husqvarna rider made an excellent start to the second race. HAAKER seemed to have everything under control as he rode smoothly, but that's without taking into account the thunderous comeback of Billy BOLT. Incredibly, the Brit caught Colton, but just as he was on his tail he dropped it, he was quickly back in the saddle and made up the lost ground. The two teammates then engaged in the most spectacular battle of the night. BOLT made an amazing pass on HAAKER before making another mistake and suffering another crash. Billy once again made up all the time he lost, closing Colton in the last 3 corners of the Polish track and executing an amazing pass just before the closing section of the lap. This second victory of the night for BOLT not only demonstrated his pace and skill, but also his sheer determination. It was another tough race for Taddy BLAZUSIAK, who made another brave comeback after falling heavily at the start. He had to be content with 7th place. Cody WEBB, still struggling with brake problems, took his first top 5 of the year. Behind BOLT and HAAKER, a quietly quick Jonny WALKER rounded off the race 2 top 3. The Brit is making his mark with his brand new two-stroke, and this podium is sure to have given him a confidence boost. The last race in Poland was practically a formality for Billy BOLT who began by taking his second “Airoh Holeshot” of the night. He won the final by more than 26 seconds ahead of a once again impressive LETTENBICHLER. This victory, taken with relative ease, was the icing on the cake for the Brit after not feeling his best in recent days. BOLT is already laying a very solid and serious foundation this season, and showing his rivals what he’s capable of. But SuperEnduro is always unpredictable and there are many talented and quick riders filling the ranks this year. After his excellent start and consistency, LETTENBICHLER has to be counted as a contender. And plenty more, such as Jonny WALKER, Colton HAAKER, and Taddy BLAZUSIAK have lost none of their fight or desire. We also hope to see Cody WEBB back at 100% next time out. This new season in the Prestige class will be a fascinating one for sure.
Prestige
Junior: Dominik OLSZOWY Does It For Poland. Over in the Junior class, Dominik OLSZOWY (POL-GasGas) put together a perfect night at his home race. The Pole won all three races and, cheered on fervently by his fans, the young GasGas rider showed three sides to his skillset; the first being that of a combative attacker capable of ensuring a good fight against one of his most anticipated opponents Milan SCHMUESER (GER-GasGas). He won the first final in style. The pair were joined in the Top 3 by Leon HENTSCHEL (GER-GasGas). In the second race, despite the reverse grid, OLSZOWY was able to take the lead early, but he had to show his ability to stay calm under pressure as a messy crash on the final lap almost cost him the win. In the last round, the Pole could demonstrate his power over the pack, winning ‘easily’ by more than 18 seconds. He did not disappoint his supporters and he won this GP in Poland ahead of Germany’s HENTSCHEL and SCHMUESER. Dan MUNDELL was 5th, Harry EDMONDSON 7th, Robert CRAYSTON 12th and Samuel DAVIES 15th.
European Championship: GOGGIA Does The Double Former Prestige rider Sonny GOGGIA (ITA-Rieju) made the decision to enter the European Championship again this year after narrowly missing out on the crown in the 2019/2020 season. This proved a wise choice as the Italian dominated the class from start to finish, winning both races with his neat and precise style. Joining him on the overall podium were France’s Aurélien ADDESSO on his Sherco and Poland’s Oskar KACZMARCZYK on his GasGas. What They Said Billy BOLT (GBR-Husqvarna): “What a night! The amazing thing was that I was feeling a little rusty at the start of the week. I rode on Monday and I didn’t feel great. Luckily tonight everything was back to normal and I was able to ride at a good pace all night. I feel happy and relieved because this is the best possible start to the season. I'm very happy that I was able to pick up my pace all evening, despite a few mistakes, already keen for the next one!" Manuel LETTENBICHLER (GER-KTM): “I'm super happy with this first SuperEnduro of the year, and I'm not going to hide it from you, I'm extremely surprised with my performance. I'm glad I got to fight at the forefront with Billy and Colton. Since my absence, one thing is certain, the level of SuperEnduro has jumped forward! I can't wait to be at the next round so I can try and confirm this good form and good result." Colton HAAKER (USA-Husqvarna): “I'll be blunt, I never thought I would come back to SuperEnduro, but when I got the phone call to return I quickly made the decision to join these guys - I am so happy with my choice! I suffered quite a bit from jet lag which completely ruined my start to the day, but I made up for it I think and I’m glad to see I'm in the game against Billy. Some adjustments will have to be made and I’ll see you again in Israel…” |
We should also take note of the solid results by Will HOARE (GBR-GasGas) who
finished 6th overall on this opening night. The youngster showed great control
and fought hard against regulars in the Prestige category such as Diogo VIEIRA (POR-GasGas)
and Pol TARRES (ESP-Yamaha).
Juniors