Cervantes sixth in first E1 race of season
By TMX Archives on 15th Mar 08
KTM factory rider Ivan Cervantes came home in a creditable sixth place in the season's Enduro 1 world championship opener in Sweden's Oestersund with team mate Tom Sager taking a heavy tumble on the opening day of competition.
Deep snow
Cervantes, from Spain, who won the E3 title in 2007 lost aminute riding in the unfamiliar deep snow in the early part of the race andfound himself in eighth position. He managed to move up two positions riding inthe winter conditions in the first of two races that launches the 2008 season.
Sagar crashes at jump
Cervantes teammate Britain's Tom Sagarcame unstuck in the latter part of the race but fortunately suffered no seriousinjury. "He took a hard fall," said team boss Fabio Farioli, speaking from thehospital where Sagar was being checked over." He came off a jump too fast andhit a bump." Farioli said he expected Sagar would "at least try" to start in thesecond race on Sunday. The British rider finished in the top three in the juniorcompetition last season and is expected to learn a lot from the more experiencedCervantes during the 2008 season.
Spiked Tyres
To add to theunusual winter conditions of the races, the only ones contested using spikedtyres, riders had to cross part of the frozen lake and this year had to detouraround breaks in the ice. For Sunday the motocross test will be held in reverseand parts of the course covered in heavy snow will be eliminated.
ResultsE1
1. Mika Ahola, Finland, Honda
2. Simone Albergoni, Italy, Yamaha
3. Eero Remes, Finland, KTM
4. Marc Germain, France, Yamaha
5.Bartosz Oblucki, Poland, Husqvarna
6. Ivan Cervantes, Spain, KTM