The #KTM Enduro Factory Team left Round 3 of the Enduro World Championship with a cache of wins from this two-day event at Gouveia. Not only did they sweep the senior classes on Sunday but also had three out of four wins on Saturday.
Christophe Nambotin was certainly the hero of the weekend, according to Team Manager Fabio Farioli. The French rider wrenched his knee in the KTM Super Test on Friday evening but fought through the pain on Saturday to finish second in E1. He then turned up the pressure on his rivals and took the win on Sunday.
Nambotin: “This morning a the start I just wanted to forget about the pain I had on Saturday. So I went on the attack and that paid off because I took the wins in nine of the 11 tests. I had a really good feeling in the Enduro Test and this helped me to widen the gap to the others.” Nambotin paid tribute to the work he had done in the winter with his physical trainer Julien Vimond, and to the support and motivation he had from the team. “Without this I wouldn’t have been able to tackle to such a tough day like this.” The defending E1 champion now has a 10-point lead in the championship after Round 3.
E2 Action
It was also a great weekend for KTM Factory teammate Antoine Meo, who went up a notch on Sunday to finish on the top of the E2 podium to improve on his second place from Saturday. On Saturday Meo had to concede to Alex Salvini by just six tenths of a second. His hard work this weekend allowed him to put some distance between him and his perpetual rivals, defending champion Pela Renet and the Italian Alex Salvini. Meo also leaves Portugal with a tidy 19-point lead in E2.
E3 Action
Australian Matthew Phillips was at the top of his game on both days this weekend and his two wins in E3, on Sunday by 1.6 seconds has trimmed the gap to points leader Mathias Bellino of France down to nine. Teammate Ivan Cervantes, riding injured the weekend still managed come away with a hard fought 10-11 and will now have surgery to repair damaged cross ligaments in his knee. He will be off the bike for several months.
EW Action
Laia Sanz, the new signing for the KTM Factory Team for the EW class was again in unbeatable form and came away with a double victory in the Women’s Championship. It was Round 2 of the women's competition and Sanz sent a strong message to her rivals, leaving with a perfect scorecard of 80-points and four consecutive race-day wins to her credit.
Team Manager Fabio Farioli said on Friday he had not expected such a sweep of victories. “Nambotin was really impressive this weekend, Antoine (Meo) was very fast and Phillips won today even though he lost some time in the final three tests. Laia (Sanz) was also very impressive so we leave Portugal very satisfied with the team."
Riders next meet in Serres, Greece for Round 4 of the championship (June 6-7), where conditions are likely to again be hot and dusty, like the two rounds just held in the Iberian Peninsular.
Round 3, Stage 2 at Gouveia, Portugal
E1 Results
1, Christophe Nambotin, FRA, KTM, (2 – 1)
2, Eero Remes, FIN, TM, (1 – 2)
3, Daniel McCanney, GBR, Husqvarna, (5 – 3)
4, Lorenzo Santolino, ESP, Sherco, (3 – 4)
5, Cristobal Guerrero, ESP Yamaha, (DNF - 5)
Other KTM
11, Edward Hubner, GER, KTM, (12 – 11)
E1 Standings after Round 3, Stage 2
1, Nambotin, 114
2, Remes, 104
3, D. McCanney, 79
4, Santolino, 69
5, Bourgeois, 66
Other KTM
10, Hubner, 31
E2 Results
1, Antoine Meo, FRA, KTM, (2 – 1)
2, Pierre-Alexandre Renet, FRA, Husqvarna, (3 – 2)
3, Alex Salvini, ITA, Honda, (1 – 3)
4, Jaume Betriu, ESP, Husqvarna, (5 – 4)
5, Loic Larrieu, FRA, Sherco, (6 - 5)
Other KTM
6, Victor Guerrero, ESP, KTM, (8 – 6)
9, Nicolo Mori, ITA, KTM, (10 – 9)
10, Rannar Uusna, EST, KTM, (13 – 10)
DNF, Goncalo Reis, POR, KTM, (12 – DNF)
E2 Standings after Round 3, Stage 2
1, Meo, 117
2, Renet, 98
3, Salvini, 97
4, Aubert, 65
5, Betriu, 63
Other KTM
7, V. Guerrero, 51
10, Mori, 39
12, Uusna, 17
13, Reis, 12
E3 Results
1, Matthew Phillips, AUS, KTM, (1 – 1)
2, Matti Seistola, FIN, Sherco, (3 – 2)
3, Aigar Leok, EST, TM, (5 – 3)
4, Mathias Bellino, FRA, Husqvarna, (2 – 4)
5, Thomas Oldrati, ITA, Husqvarna, (6 - 5)
Other KTM
8, Jeremy Joly, FRA, KTM, (10 –
10, Ivan Cervantes, ESP, KTM, (11 – 10)
13, Baylee Davies, AUS, KTM, (13 – 13)
DNF, Oscar Balletti, ITA, KTM, (9 – DNF)
E3 Standings after Round 3, Stage 2
1, Bellino, 103
2, Seistola, 99
3, Phillips, 91
4, Leok, 73
5, Monni, 62
Other KTM
10, Joly, 40
12, Cervantes, 26
13, Balletti, 11
18, Davies, 7
EW Results
1, Laia Sanz, ESP, KTM, (1 – 1)
2, Jessica Gardner, AUS, Sherco, (3 – 2)
3, Jane Daniels, GBR, Husqvarna, (2 – 3)
4, Jemma Wilson, AUS, Yamaha, (DNF - 4)
5, Blandine Dufrene, FRA, KTM, (5 – 5)
EW Standings after Round 2, Stage 2
1, Sanz, 80
2, Gardner, 66
3, Daniels, 62
4, Dufrene, 43
5, Jonsson, 41
