Knight set to WEC havoc on rivals...
By TMX Archives on 19th Mar 09
THE 2009 World Enduro Championship kicks off this weekend in Penafiel, Portugal, where among others Britain's David Knight is hoping to start his season in style HE'S the most talked about rider in the 2009 WEC series, and this weekend David Knight is hoping to start his World Enduro Championship campaign where he left off in 2006 winning.
Returning to the WEC after two-years in the States, Knighter's return sees him spear-heading BMW's assault on the eight-round World Championship as the German manufacturer go in search of its first ever enduro crown.
But two-time world champion, Knight, certainly isn't alone in hoping to claim the upper hand in Portugal as each of the WEC's four classes is expected to see close competition. For defending champions Mika Ahola, Johnny Aubert and Samuli Aro that means only their very best will do.
Beating Ivan Cervantes to the E1 title last year, Mika Ahola and Honda start the season as favourites, but the experienced Finn will find himself up against a number of determined youngsters, all aiming to knock him off the top spot. KTM's new for 2009 E1 duo of Italian Simone Albergoni and Eero Remes is where Ahola's stiffest competition is likely to come from, but Husqvarna's Antoine Meo, Yamaha's Marc Germain and last year's Enduro Junior World Champion, Thomas Oldrati, are also all expected to fight for podium places.
The Johnny Aubert versus Juha Salminen battle for supremacy in E2 rolls on with Aubert looking to successfully defend his crown and in doing so win his first championship for KTM. Juha, on the other hand, will be hoping to win a record breaking eighth world title and give BMW its first 450cc enduro title.
FOR FULL STORY, SEE T+MX NEWS, FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2009