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Mathias Bellino delivers Bel Ray Husqvarna Enduro team’s best result
at round four of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in Guadalajara, Mexico… 

Finishing fourth overall and claiming his first ever race win FE250 mounted Mathias Bellino ends Husqvarna’s South American SuperEnduro tour in impressive style.

For the second consecutive event the Bel Ray Husqvarna Enduro Team enjoyed race-winning success in the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship. Following on from Alfredo Gomez’ victory during the night’s second final in Brazil, it was Mathias Bellino who triumphed in Mexico, topping the third and last final following a determined race-long performance. 

Enjoying the Mexican track Bellino’s night didn't get off to the best of starts. Second fastest in the Super Pole qualifying session, two costly mistakes early in the night’s opening final saw the hard charging Frenchman end the race in a frustrated eighth position. Determined to improve in the second final Bellino again saw mistakes hamper his progress, and another crash in the log pile section of the track again saw him fail to turn his speed into a top three result. 

Thankfully, in the night’s third and last final Mathias got almost everything right. Again he fell in the logs, but quick to remount he battled with David Knight before establishing himself in the runner-up position. Going after then race leader Taddy Blazusiak, Bellino capitalised on a mistake made by the championship leader and moved into the lead before securing his first ever SuperEnduro final victory.

The Bel Ray Husqvarna Enduro Team will next be in action at round five of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in Barcelona, Spain on February 9th.

Mathias Bellino: “I seem to be either very good, or very bad at SuperEnduro. Thankfully, this race in Mexico was mainly good for me. I felt comfortable in practice, and my time in the Super Pole was also ok. But in the first final I got stuck in the log pile as well as the rocks. I was really angry about that and could only finish eighth. The second final was going ok, but again I crashed in the logs. I was really mad with myself and decided to give the last race everything I had. I got a good start, but then I crashed in the logs again. I went from leading to second, but got up really quickly. Knight also passed me but after several passes I eventually got back to second. And with Taddy making a small mistake in the rocks I was able to get back into the lead and to win. I know it is only one race win, but against riders like Knight and Blazusiak, with so much more experience than me, I am very, very pleased about it.”

Interview Mathias BELLINO (F – HVA)
Rookie’s confessions…

Brand new on the SuperEnduro World Championship, the 2012 EWC Junior World Champion Mathias BELLINO (F – HVA) lived his first race in the Echo Arena in Liverpool. During the flight back to France, we collected his words about his experience and his goals for the reminder of the season…

Mathias BELLINO, you’ve just started the SuperEnduro season in Liverpool. Give us your first impressions…
Mathias BELLINO: “I really hope that it will not be so difficult and selective as it was in Liverpool! Which reassures me is that the regulars’ riders told me that it is not always like this. It was really too much trial style for me; and I don’t know how to ride trial! But expect this, I really loved the atmosphere in the Arena, it made me think about Supercross!”

Were you expecting a so physically and technically tough track?
M.B: “Sincerely, I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived in the Echo Arena. I knew it would be tough and really intense, but not like this. I was “uncomfortably” surprised but I hope that the other Grand Prix will be different and that I’ll do better!”

“I couldn’t have any serious preparation before…”

How did you prepare for this start of season? Did you have the opportunity to train with your teammates LJUNGGREN and GOMEZ?
M.B: “Unfortunately, I couldn’t have any serious or specific preparation before the start of season. I trained only during two afternoons in Sweden with my new bike and in SuperEnduro mode. I still don’t have any training bike. So it’s very difficult for me to have a real and serious preparation… Also, I didn’t have the possibilities to go to Sweden for a long time in order to train with Joakim (LJUNGGREN) or to go to Spain to GOMEZ house…”

What do you miss to pretend to a Top 10 or a Top 5 before the end of the season?
M.B: “For instance, what I miss is a training bike! I miss also many riding hours in trial sections and a very serious and conscientious SuperEnduro training. Physically, I was good, however I felt very quickly asphyxiated during each heat. As I don’t have for instance the required technic, I had to compensate with my physical and that’s why I get tired faster than normally. Now, and from the next race, I really want to finish every heat in a better position!”

What prompted you to come to SuperEnduro?
M.B: “End of 2012, Husaberg already proposed me to race in SuperEnduro, but with my wrist injury in September during the Grand Prix of Finland I had to cancel. I absolutely had to go to surgery to get ready for EWC season. Then, they proposed me once again in 2013, I did not hesitate a second. What attracts me, it’s to fight with other riders, the sensations of a start behind a grid and the great atmosphere in the arenas. But I was thinking and hoping that the tracks would be faster and less trial… After, I don’t want to make a fast conclusion. I really hope that the other tracks will be more spectacular with nice jumps and of course faster…”

“SuperEnduro can become a major and spectacular discipline!”

You raced in Supercross, can you match the big differences between these two disciplines except the logs, rocks…
M.B: “Except trial parts? There are not so many differences. I will say that the SuperEnduro is much more physical than Supercross. We never have time to rest with all those crossings… But I think that, if the discipline wants to develop, it will need more spectacle, more speed. I’m still pretty sure that SuperEnduro has all the chances to assert and more since ABC Communication get the promotion rights… It’s now to the organizers and to the FIM to build great tracks in order that everything was gathered to make grow the discipline!”

What’s your goal for the next Grand Prix in Poland in Lodz on December, 15th?
M.B: “After Liverpool, I have no more goals! It’s impossible to have serious goals if you can’t have a real training… I’m looking to improve during the races, and that’s not really easy! And be sure that I don’t want to repeat this bad result to each round. I think that a Top 10 would be a minimum, and later in the season, I would like to fight for the Super Pole that is an exercise I really like and why not some Top 5…”