STRONG START TO 2014 FIM ENDURO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR BEL-R

[totalmotorcycle]

STRONG START TO 2014 FIM ENDURO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR @BEL-RAY @HUSQVARNA FACTORY #RACING TEAM AT GP OF #CATALUNYA


GIVING HUSQVARNA REASON TO CELEBRATE ENDURO 2 CLASS RIDER PELA RENET ENJOYED A WINNING RIDE ON DAY TWO OF THE EWC SERIES OPENER IN SOLSONA, SPAIN.

A slow start might have cost FE 450 mounted Renet significantly on day one, but come the end of the GP of Catalunya it was a very different story. Unable to match the pace of his classmates during the opening lap, Pela improved his speed during laps two and three to end the first day third and having won two of the final lap’s three special tests. Determined not to hand any advantage to his rivals at the start of day two, Renet was quickly up to speed while others made mistakes. Only once finishing lower than third during the day’s nine special tests, the Frenchman managed to keep himself out front and claim a well-deserved Enduro 2 class win.

In the Enduro 1 category Thomas Oldrati rode well throughout the event, but was unable to secure a podium result. A little over one-minute from the top three in seventh on day one, on day two Thomas found himself locked in a four-rider battle for the podium. Eventually placing sixth he completed close to one-hour of special test racing just 17 seconds from the third position.

It was a mixed event for Husqvarna’s Enduro 3 class riders with Mathias Bellino finishing with third and sixth place results, while Joakim Ljunggren struggled to master the conditions and placed outside the top 10 on each day. The only four-stroke mounted rider in a class filled with 300cc two strokes, Bellino made a winning start by posting the fastest E3 time on the Super Test. From there he battled hard throughout the first full day of competition and despite a few mistakes finished on the podium alongside Ivan Cervantes and Matt Phillips. Day two saw Bellino drop to sixth, less than five seconds behind the third placed rider.

Delivering one of the most determined performances of any rider in Solsona, Loic Larrieu overcame a huge crash during his Super Test lap on Friday night to finish in second and third in the Enduro Junior class. Visiting hospital on Friday night for x-rays on his neck, the Frenchman rode each of the two days of competition wearing a medical neck brace, yet still managed a double podium visit.

Also forced to dig deep was Manxman Jamie McCanney, who completed the tough GP of Catalunya less than one week after having a cast removed form his left wrist. Unable to ride since the closing round of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, Jamie nevertheless picked up seventh in class on both days.

In the Enduro Women class Husqvarna supported rider Jane Daniels produced two impressive performances, securing second on both days to local hero Laia Sanz. Winning the Friday night Super Test Jane put in two consistent performances to make a promising start to her EWC campaign.

Albin Elowson was another rider to fall heavily during the Friday night Super Test. Then forced to retire on day one he bounced back with a determined runner-up result in the 125cc Youth Cup class on day two.

Pela Renet: “I’m so happy to get the win on day two. I fought all day with Johnny Aubert and Antoine Meo. On the final lap Antoine pushed me very hard but luckily I was able to control my advantage over him and win. The E2 class is tough – the level is very high. I think it will be important not to make a mistake this year to fight for the title. Starting the year with two podium results is exactly what I needed. I’m looking forward to next weekend’s race in Portugal.”

Mathias Bellino: “Day one was good. I won the Super Test and was able to keep a strong pace all day to finish on the podium in third. I’m not very happy with my day two result. My times in the Extreme Test were really good but even though I felt equally as fast on the other two tests my times just weren’t good enough. That cost me a podium result. I will try to come back stronger next weekend in Portugal.”

Loic Larrieu: “The weekend started badly with a massive crash in the Super Test. It resulted in a trip to the hospital on Friday night but thankfully nothing was broken and I was able to race. Despite the pain I gave my best effort, finished on the podium and gained some valuable points. It’s not the start to the championship I hoped for but it could have been a lot worse.”

Jane Daniels: “I’m really happy with how the weekend went. My test times were good both days. Laia was faster than me but I made a lot of progress and really closed the gap to her on a few tests, so I’m pleased with that. Two second place results are a great start to the championship.”

Thomas Oldrati: “Day one was not very good for me. I struggled to find a fast line on the motocross test and that cost me a good result. Day two was better – despite a bad start. I crashed on the first Extreme Test and had to fight hard to recover from that mistake to place sixth, but only one second off a top five result.”

Results – Enduro World Championship, Round 1 Catalunya

Enduro 1
Day 1: 1. Christophe Nambotin (KTM) 56:41.12; 2. Cristobal Guerrero (KTM) 56:55.19; 3. Jeremy Tarroux (Sherco) 57:09.02; 4. Jaume Betriu (Husqvarna) 57:32.82; 5. Eero Remes (TM) 57:33.76… 7. Thomas Oldrati (Husqvarna) 57:46.86...

Day 2: 1. Christophe Nambotin (KTM) 56:19.16; 2. Anthony Boissiere (Sherco) 56:58.11; 3. Eero Remes (TM) 56:58.98; 4. Cristobal Guerrero (KTM) 56:59.80 (KTM); 5. Jeremy Tarroux (Sherco) 57:13.14; 6. Thomas Oldrati (Husqvarna) 57:15.56; 7. Jaume Betriu (Husqvarna) 57:46.07…

Enduro 2
Day 1: 1. Antoine Meo (KTM) 55:32.62; 2. Johnny Aubert (Beta) 56:04.02; 3. Pela Renet (Husqvarna) 56:16.06; 4. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) 57:23.39; 5. Oriol Mena (Beta) 57:27.71… 9. Manuel Monni (Husqvarna) 58:59.54; 10. Jamie Lewis (Husqvarna) 59:07.98; 11. Jonathan Barragan (Husqvarna) 59:15.81…

Day 2: 1. Pela Renet (Husqvarna) 56:00.32; 2. Antoine Meo (KTM) 56:01.39; 3. Johnny Aubert (Beta) 56:33.49; 4. Jonathan Barragan (Husqvarna) 57:12.94; 5. Alex Salvini (Honda) 57:17.62… 11. Jamie Lewis (Husqvarna) 58:38.23…

Enduro 3
Day 1: 1. Ivan Cervantes (KTM) 56:37.52; 2. Matthew Phillips (KTM) 56:48.69; 3. Mathias Bellino (Husqvarna) 57:18.87; 4. Luis Correia (Beta) 57:26.91; 5. Jeremy Joly (KTM) 57:27.73… 12. Joakim Ljunggren (Husqvarna) 58:18.90; 13. Mario Roman (Husqvarna) 58:21.12; 16. Johan Edlund (Husqvarna) 1:00:56.78; 17. Jeff Goblet (Husqvarna) 1:00:58.44…

Day 2: 1. Ivan Cervantes (KTM) 56:29.42; 2. Matti Seistola (Sherco) 57:02.15; 3. Matt Phillips (KTM) 57:14.76; 4. Luis Correia (Beta) 57:14.96; 5. Aigar Leok (TM) 57:18.08; 6. Mathias Bellino (Husqvarna) 57:18.94… 8. Mario Roman (Husqvarna) 58:08.01… 14. Joakim Ljunggren (Husqvarna) 59:39.00; 15. Jeff Goblet (Husqvarna) 1:00:19.04… 17. Johan Edlund (Husqvarna) 1:01:29.02…

Enduro Junior
Day 1: 1. Danny McCanney (Beta) 56:59.76; 2. Loic Larrieu (Husqvarna) 57:26.73; 3. Giacomo Redondi (Beta) 57:28.33; 4. Nicolo Mori (KTM) 58:28.49; 5. Alessandro Battig (Honda) 58:29.13… 7. Jamie McCanney (Husqvarna) 58:56.39… 11. Jack Rowland (Husqvarna) 59:43.12… 22. Robert Johnson (Husqvarna) 1:01:17.03…

Day 2: 1. Danny McCanney (Beta) 57:16.20; 2. Giacomo Redondi (Beta) 57:48.71; 3. Loic Larrieu (Husqvarna) 58:04.12; 4. Diogo Ventura (Gas Gas) 58:23.74; 5. Nicolo Mori (KTM) 58:37.47… 7. Jamie McCanney (Husqvarna) 59:15.12… 9. Jack Rowland (Husqvarna) 59:35.64…

125cc Youth Cup
Day 1: 1. Davide Soreca (Yamaha) 59:05.38; 2. Michele Marchelli (KTM) 59:36.01; 3. Jeremy Miroir (Yamaha) 59:51.53; 4. Nicholas Trainini (KTM) 1:00:30.29; 5. Jesper Borjesson (Husqvarna) 1:00:38.14… 7. Josep Garcia (Husqvarna) 1:00:41.41…

Day 2: 1. Davide Soreca (Yamaha) 59:43.49; 2. Albin Elowson (Husqvarna) 59:53.72; 3. Michele Marchelli (KTM) 1:00:32.78; 4. Jersper Borjesson (Husqvarna) 1:00:35.45; 5. Jeremy Miroir (Yamaha) 1:00:41.82… 8. Josep Garcia (Husqvarna) 1:01:02.40… 18. Tim Appolle (Husqvarna) 1:10:54.80…

Enduro Women
Day 1: 1. Laia Sanz (Honda) 42:39.09; 2. Jane Daniels (Husqvarna) 44:49.48; 3. Jessica Gardiner (Sherco) 45:54.78; 4. Juliette Berrez (Yamaha) 47:40.03; 5. Geraldine Fournel (Sherco) 48:25.46…

Day 2: 1. Laia Sanz (Honda) 43:51.21; 2. Jane Daniels (Husqvarna) 45:05.11; 3. Jessica Gardiner (Sherco) 45:18.56; 4. Jemma Wilson (Yamaha) 47:34.57; 5. Juliette Berrez (Yamaha) 47:35.72…