2006 FIM World Enduro Championship
By TMX Archives on 18th Jun 06
Rnd 4 Grand Prix Valli Bergamasche (Italy) - day 1 The opening day of the fourth round of the '06 World Enduro Championship, the 40th running of the Moto Club Bergamo organised Valli Bergamasche GP, was a hugely successful one for the KTM Enduro Factory Team Farioli with team riders Ivan Cervantes, Samuli Aro and David Knight claiming victory in their respective Enduro1, Enduro 2 and Enduro 3 classes. With all three riders focused on continuing their good form this season at the end of the first day's competition they proved once again that they are the riders to beat in the '06 WEC. With warm temperatures, dry and dusty special tests and four laps of the Valli Bergamasche course needing to be completed the fourth round of the '06 WEC series was anything but easy.
In the Enduro 1 class it was home rider Alessandro Belometti that set the early pace winning two of the first three special tests to open up an early E1 class lead. Determined to claim his first WEC win of the '06 season, Bello' looked set to do just that but disappointingly placed in an eventual 15th position. On the penultimate special test of the day Alessandro hit a rock on the extreme test, which bent his rear sprocket. Resulting in his chain coming off each time his wheel turned, Alessandro was forced to push his bike out of the test before making temporary repairs.
Finishing just under seven seconds ahead of Simone Albergoni reigning E1 world champion Ivan Cervantes amazingly only managed to win one of the 13 timed special tests but his consistency earned him an important and well deserved win. Italian riders Albergoni and Maurizio Micheluz placed in second and third.
Riding better than he has at any other round of the '06 WEC series Finn Samuli Aro showed just how determined he is to retain his E2 world title and finished a massive one minute and 46 seconds ahead of rival Stefan Merriman. Winning eight of the day's timed special tests Samuli proved simply too fast for any of his E2 class rivals despite agrivating his left wrist following a small fall. With Merriman placing second Johnny Aubert claimed third.
In the Enduro 3 class David Knight claimed a hugely impressive victory finishing over four minutes ahead of his nearest rival. Winning all of the special test David maintained his 100 per cent winning record in '06 and extended his advantage in the E3 world championship standings considerably following the DNF of his KTM team-mate Marko Tarkkala. On the very first test of the event Marko misjudged a downhill jump and landed 20 meters further than he should have done and crashed as a result. Finishing the first lap of the event Marko later withdrew from the competition and after x-rays was told that he had broken a bone in his right wrist. It is not yet known if Marko will compete in the WEC races in Canada and the USA.
Ivan Cervantes: "At the end of the day I got the result that I wanted but I had to work hard to win. Alessandro Belometti was really fast in the morning but he had a problem on the extreme test. I think that it would have been hard to beat him if he hadn't of had that problem. I just spent the whole day pushing hard to make sure I finished ahead of Albergoni. It was a very hard race because of the dust and the many special tests.”
Samuli Aro: "I realised after the races in Portugal and Spain that there wasn't too much wrong with my riding, only that I wasn't relaxed enough on my bike. I felt really comfortably right from the start of today and I think that shows in my riding. I had two good tests on the opening lap and then I started to push a little harder. I did have one small fall, on the enduro test, but apart from that I had a great day. I hurt my wrist a little when I fell but it wasn't too much of a problem. It was certainly a tiring race.”
David Knight: "It was a great day for me. Everyone knew that it was going to be a difficult race and it was. It was hot, dusty and the tests were really physical, but I enjoyed them. It was a shame that Marko crashed and injured himself but for my championship it certainly makes things a little easier for me. I had one small crash but that was it. It is great to have been the fastest overall rider again, as well as having won the Enduro 3 class.”
2006 World Enduro Championship Rnd 4
Grand Prix Valli Bergamasche (Italy) – Day 1
Enduro 1 class
1. Ivan Cervantes (KTM) 1.24:21.04; 2. Simone Albergoni (Honda) 1.24:27.83; 3. Maurizio Micheluz (Yamaha) 1.26:12.57; 4. Bartosz Oblucki (Husqvarna) 1.26:38.85; 5. Roberto Bazzurri (Husqvarna) 1.26:50.04; 6. Freddy Blanc (KTM) 1.28:29.80; 7. Nicolas Deparrois (Husqvarna) 1.29:17.79; 8. Helder Rodrigues (Yamaha) 1.29:30.67; 9. Julien Gauthier (Honda) 1.30:10.75; 10. Manuel Pievani (KTM) 1.30:36.78; 11. Arnau Vilanova (Yamaha) 1.31:27.74; 12. Frederik Georgsson (KTM) 1.33:26.31; 13. Arnaldo Nicoli (KTM) 1.34:05.71; 14. Nicolas Joye (KTM) 1.35:21.75; 15. Alessandro Belometti (KTM) 1.38:42.27
Enduro 2 class
1. Samuli Aro (KTM) 1.23:03.69; 2. Stefan Merriman (Yamaha) 1.24:50.41; 3. Johnny Aubert (Yamaha) 1.24:59.41; 4. Mika Ahola (Honda) 1.25:17.67; 5. Alessandro Botturi (Aprilia) 1.26:51.89; 6. Xavier Galindo (KTM) 1.27:01.66; 7. Cristobal Guerrero (Gas Gas) 1.27:03.78; 8. Fabien Planet (KTM) 1.21:11.70; 9. Paul Edmondson (Honda) 1.27:57.98; 10. Valtteri Salonen (Husaberg) 1.28:02.46; 11. Kurt Caselli (KTM) 1.28:34.47; 12. Andrea Beconi (Beta) 1.28:36.55; 13. Simone Tonelli (Honda) 1.28:37.74; 14. Fabrizio Dini (Yamaha) 1.28:44.14; 15. Andreas Toresson (Suzuki) 1.29:44.14; 16. Emmanuel Albepart (Honda) 1.29:41.74; 17. Nicolas Paganon (Husqvarna) 1.30:05.64; 18. Jordan Curvalle (Kawasaki) 1.30:15.92; 19. Giuseppe Canova (Husqvarna) 1.31:25.04; 20. Juri Simoncini (Suzuki) 1.32:15.09
Enduro 3 class
1. David Knight (KTM) 1.22:01.58; 2. Seb Guillaume (Gas Gas) 1.26:14.46; 3. Alessio Paoli (TM) 1.26:25.15; 4. Bjorne Carlsson (Husaberg) 1.26:40.93; 5. Paolo Bernardi (Honda) 1.29:02.13; 6. Alessandro Zanni (Aprilia) 1.30:47.86; 7. Marcus Kehr (KTM) 1.30:51.89; 8. Vita Kuklik (KTM) 1.31:31.36; 9. Gianluca Amighetti (KTM) 1.32:11.33; 10. Jean Francois Goblet (Gas Gas 1.33:25.81; 11. Ralf Moser Dennem (Beta) 1.33:41.30; 12. Erwin Plekkenpol (KTM) 1.33:41.66; 13. Maurizio Facchin (Husqvarna) 1.33:46.29; 14. Daniel Johansson (Gas Gas) 1.33:58.14; 15. Daniel Persson (Husaberg) 1.34:23.52; 16. Michal Rudolf (KTM) 1.35:23.76; 17. Rudy Cotton (Beta) 1.36:47.94; 18. Cristian Spreafico (TM) 1.39:21.91; 19. Pierangelo Leoni (KTM) 1.46:11.33; 20. Laurent Bouffioux (Aprilia) 1.43:53.05
Enduro Junior class
1. Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg) 1.27:58.57; 2. Michal Szuster (Yamaha) 1.28:41.32; 3. Oscar Balletti (Honda) 1.28:50.59; 4. Oriol Mena (Gas Gas) 1.29:50.46; 5. Jake Stapleton (TM) 1.30:05.51; 6. Marc Bourgeois (Husqvarna) 1.30:20.51; 7. Carlo Conforti (Honda) 1.31:36.82; 8. Lucas Puerto (KTM) 1.31:02.30; 9. Maurizio Gerini (Honda) 1.32:46.39; 10. Si Wakely (Honda) 1.33:17.62; 11. Mirko Gritti (Husqvarna) 1.33:46.88; 12. Jakub Horak (KTM) 1.34:37.32; 13. Sylvain Lebrun (Husqvarna) 1.35:32.52; 14. Armand Monleon (KTM) 1.36:45.14; 15. Gustavo Gaudencio (Husqvarna) 1.38:35.83; 16. Vanni Cominotto (Kawasaki) 1.38:41.98; 17. Lorenzo Santolino (KTM) 1.37:01.36; 18. Michael Pogna (Husqvarna) 1.40:13.87; 19. Patrick Wikman 1.41:25.86; 20. Guillem Pares (Gas Gas) 1.41:30.63