VIDEO DAG 1
Pela RENET – the defending Enduro 2 World Champion – has claimed his first victory of 2015, topping the E2 class on day one of the Maxxis FIM Enduro World Championship’s GP of Greece. At the end of a tough day in Serres Husqvarna’s RENET claimed the Enduro 2 class win ahead of Antoine MEO and Alex SALVINI. Finland’s Eero REMES was dominant in Enduro 1, winning nine out of the 12 special tests, to claim his third victory of the season. The Enduro 3 class continued to offer numerous close battles but it was France’s Mathias Bellino who remained consistent throughout the day to clinch victory. Contrary to weather forecasts rain never arrived in Serres on day one.
Failing to secure the top spot on the podium during the opening three rounds of the 2015 EWC series, Pela RENET (F) finally got his first win in Greece. Coming at the halfway point of the series, RENET’s result prove that the battle for the 2015 Enduro 2 World Championship is anything but over. Despite a mistake in his final run through the extreme test the defending E2 champion managed to stay ahead of championship leader Antoine MEO (F-KTM) by a just under ten seconds. “It’s great to get a win again, it’s been too long since the last one,” commented Renet at the finish. “Aside from a mistake on the final extreme test the day went really well.” MEO upped his pace during the second half of the day, but for the second time this year he wasn’t quite able to claim victory. The two Frenchmen had a close battle with Italy’s Alex SALVINI (Honda) who finished third. Less than twenty seconds away, SALVINI made some small mistakes, which stopped him from challenging for the win. The surprise winner of yesterday’s KTM super test, Loic LARRIEU (F-Sherco), ended day one with his best result of 2015, finishing in fourth place. A little off the pace, Spain’s Jaume BETRIU (Husqvarna) rounded out the top five in the Enduro 2 class.
Eero REMES (TM) set a commanding pace in the Enduro 1 class, securing the top step of the podium following an impressive day-long performance. But day one of the EWC GP of Greece will be remembered for another reason – it was the first time in the Enduro World Championship’s history that two riders finished a day with exactly the same time. That was the case with Marc BOURGEOIS (F) and countryman Christophe NAMBOTIN (F), who had to fight hard after his crash during Friday’s KTM Super Test. A gap of almost fifty seconds separated the French duo from fourth-placed Lorenzo SANTOLINO (S-Sherco). At ease with the terrain Kawasaki-mounted Simone ALBERGONI (I) repeated his best finish of the season with a fifth place in Enduro 1. “The enduro test was tough,” commented Remes. “There were many river crossings, some that were very deep. From the very start of the test you were completely soaked.”
The closest results of day one came in the Enduro 3 class where Mathis BELLINO (F – Husqvarna) claimed the win thanks largely to his consistency, and the time penalty picked up by Matt PHILLIPS following the Super Test. Without winning any of the day’s tests BELLINO rode smart to secure his fourth victory of the season ahead of TM’s Aigar LEOK (EST). The Estonian shone in the motocross test in Serres to climb to the second spot of the podium for the second time this year. One of the most impressive performances came from KTM’s Matt PHILLIPS. Unable to finish yesterday’s KTM super test, the Australian started the day with a penalty of 40 seconds. The defending champion fought hard all day, recording the day’s fastest E3 class time, and ending up third to salvage precious championship points. Finishing less than two seconds behind PHILLIPS, Portugal’s Luis CORREIA (Beta) was once more just shy of the podium in fourth with Italy’s Thomas OLDRATI fifth.
A tight battle between British riders Steve HOLCOMBE (Beta) and Jamie McCANNEY (Husqvarna) in the Enduro Juniors ended after an error from McCANNEY’s in the extreme test of the final lap. That resulted in EWC newcomer HOLCOMBE securing his second consecutive day win for the Beta rider. Despite his mistake McCANNEY finished second to maintain his lead in the championship standings. Giacomo REDONDI (Beta) finished third with another Italian rider Alessandro BATTIG (Honda) in fourth place. France’s Jeremy CARPENTIER was a distant fifth in the class.
With championship leader Josep GARCIA (S – Husqvarna) absent due to injury, no one could match Mikael PERSSON’s (SWE – Yamaha) pace in the Youth Cup. PERSSON ran away from the field to take a clear win from second-placed Mirko SPANDRE (ITA – KTM). Luca GARELLO (ITA – Yamaha)completed the podium in third. Luc MALIGES (F – KTM) was fourth and Jack EDMONSON (GB – KTM) ended fifth in the youngsters’ class.