It's all to play for in 2008
By TMX Archives on 12th Mar 08
WILL Simone Albergoni or Mika Ahola be able to stop Ivan Cervantes claiming this year's Enduro 1 world title? Does Johnny Aubert have what it takes to deny Juha Salminen a record breaking eighth world championship while trying to win his first ever Enduro 2 crown? Can Samuli Aro return to form to top the Enduro 3 class aboard a 300cc two-stroke? And with Joakim Ljunggren, Christophe Nambotin and Britain's Tom Sagar all moving up into the senior ranks this season, who's going to top the Enduro Junior class in 2008? JONTY EDMUNDS takes a look at the World Enduro Championship ahead of this weekend's opening round in Ostersund, Sweden IT'S going to be a funny old year for the World Enduro Championship in 2008. With none of the 2007 title winners defending their crowns this season – all opting to pursue new challenges in different classes – not one rider will carry a prized number one plate.
The series also returns to a completely European championship once again with the North American events of the past two years axed due to a lack of ‘real interest' in the series in the States. New for this year are events in Wales – the Hafren Dirt Bike Club organised round, which will be staged in Llanidloes on July 19/20 – and Poland.
This winter saw a relatively quiet rider market as very few competitors switched. The most noteworthy change was that of seven-time world champion, Anders Eriksson, who left long-term sponsor Husqvarna to ride for BMW. The German manufacturer has committed to a full season of WEC competition and Anders will lead a team of four riders.
But it is KTM who will once again be the team to beat, despite a near complete change around of which riders will compete in what classes. Unlike 2007, when all official teamsters were mounted on four-stroke machinery, this year two riders, Alex Belometti (E2) and Samuli Aro (E3), will race two-strokes.
All of last year's world champions have switched to new classes but only two will compete against each other – E1 champion, Juha Salminen, and EJ title winner, Joakim Ljunggren, in this year's Enduro 2 category.
Last year's E2 champion, Mika Ahola, has taken ‘the biggest challenge of his career' and switched to E1, while Samuli has opted to compete in E3 on a 300cc two-stroke after his request to move to E1 was declined by KTM.
DESPITE breaking his collarbone and missing the seventh round of last year's series Finn Juha Salminen dominated the Enduro 1 class to claim his seventh world title. This season it looks highly likely that the title will remain with KTM, but most pundits are expecting a much closer fight.
With two E1 titles already to his name, and having topped the E3 class last year, Ivan Cervantes starts 2008 as the man to beat in E1 – despite knee surgery keeping him off a bike for two-months during the winter.
Although he's unlikely to top the frozen opening event in Sweden, Ivan has the speed, experience, confidence and motivation to win this season. Without question he will take some stopping.
However, there are a few riders capable of making life hard for Cervantes. As the fastest overall rider in the WEC last season Mika Ahola's switch from E2 to E1 has come as a surprise to many but while it will take Mika some time to fully adapt to a 250cc thumper, he will probably win the first round in Sweden. Depending on how quickly he can then get up to speed on the smaller bike will determine whether he will be a title contender.
Yamaha again will have a strong presence in E1. Last year's title runner-up, Italian Simone Albergoni knows that he needs to deliver the goods this year if he is to claim his first world crown. His team-mate, Cristobal Guerrero, will be looking to continue his good form. In addition Yamaha France rider, Marc Germain, will be a serious podium contender, especially if conditions are wet.
Husqvarna duo, Bartosz Oblucki and former motocrosser, Antoine Meo, could also pull off a few surprises with both riders having the speed to challenge all but Cervantes on a regular basis. While Ivan is seen as the man likely to claim the lion's share of race wins, the real battle in the class will be that for the remaining podium places.
TAKE your pick! Juha Salminen, the seven-time KTM-backed world champion from Finland, or Johnny Aubert, the fast, but as yet title-less, Yamaha-mounted Frenchman. For most the Enduro 2 title race will be between these two riders, in what is expected to be a highly charged season-long duel for supremacy.
The pair battled head-to-head on equal Enduro 2 machinery for the first time during last year's ISDE in Chile. The encounter only lasted for a couple of days before Juha was sidelined with mechanical problems. So the continuation of their scrap is THE focal point of the WEC series.
Undefeated for nine seasons, Juha will be anything but easy to beat. Returning to a 450cc four-stroke for the first-time in three-years, many believe he will have to work harder than he has in the past.
But if there's one thing Salminen likes best its real competition. During 2007 the quiet Finn didn't need to call on his A-game as a lack of serious competition meant no one saw the real Salminen in action. This year things will be different. Unlikely to underestimate a rival like Aubert, or under-prepare himself, Juha starts the season looking to become the most successful world championship enduro rider – EVER.
But Aubert has what it takes to beat the Finn, as he showed on days one and two of the ISDE. Can he come out on top after a season of WEC competition? Who knows. What is known, though, is that Johnny, having proved himself fast but occasionally crash-happy and unlucky during the past two seasons, is hungry to turn his potential into a world crown.
He is unlikely to beat Salminen, or several other Scandinavians in Sweden, but when the series arrives in southern Europe, the battle will most certainly be on as the Frenchman will be able to put his aggressive riding style to good use.
So what of the rest? Well, with last year's class champion, Mika Ahola, Stefan Merriman, Fabien Planet, Xavi Galindo and Samuli Aro all switching out of the class, Enduro 2 class doesn't have the same depth of talent.
Double EJ champ, Joakim Ljunggren, is rated as ‘best of the rest' behind Salminen and Aubert. Italian Alex Belometti, on a 250cc two-stroke KTM – will also be fast in the drier events.
An unknown factor is the temperament of former world motocross champ, Michael Pichon, who is supposedly contesting selected WEC rounds. Additionally, last year's ISDE E1 class winner, Jari Mattila might cause a few surprises.
WITH defending champion Ivan Cervantes switching to E1, the Enduro 3 category, which was seen as the ‘weakest' in terms of the number of named riders last season, has become possibly the strongest class in 2008.
Switching away from E2 to E3 this year Samuli Aro, Stefan Merriman, Fabien Planet and Xavi Galindo have all made the transition to the WEC's largest capacity class. In doing so E3 will be anything but uncompetitive.
The two names that stand out most are KTM teamsters Aro and Marko Tarkkala. Trying to predict which will perform best over the eight-rounds is difficult. Last year Tarkkala was quicker on more occasions but Aro, let us not forget, has three world titles to his name.
As well as the sizeable influx of riders, the fact that Aro will compete on a 300cc two-stroke is of major significance. Not for a long time has any rider with a genuine chance of winning the title opted to race anything other than a four-stroke. He's done so because he simply wanted a change, but if anyone can put a two-stroke at the top of the table, it's Samuli.
Sticking with KTM's E3 class thumper, Tarkkala knows that he needs to win a world title this season. Unable to beat Knight in either 2005/6, or Cervantes last year, Marko needs to prove that he does have what it takes to win a world crown.
Behind the KTM duo, Aussie Stefan Merriman might well be the dark horse as the former world champ will compete aboard Aprilia's mighty twin-cylinder machine. If things go well for Stefan, and he doesn't lose too many championship points in the snow at round one, he might pull off a few surprises.
Frenchman Seb Guillaume, who switches to a thumper this season, will lead Husqvarna's title effort and can genuinely challenge Aro, Tarkkala and Merriman. Guillaume's compatriot, Fabien Planet, is another who could well visit the podium, especially if he can recapture his 2005 form.
No one knows just how competitive Anders Eriksson will be aboard his BMW this season but another rider to watch for is Frenchman Christophe Nambotin, especially in more motocross oriented events, as the former EJ rider races as an official Gas Gas rider on a 300cc two-stroke.
For full story and pictures, see T+MX NEWS, Friday, March 14, 2008