Meo, Bellino, McCanney & Sanz secure world titles on day one in France
By Team TMX on 4th Oct 15
At the end of the penultimate days racing in the 2015 Maxxis FIM Enduro World Championship four riders put the finishing touches to their winning seasons.
Antoine Meo wrapped up his fifth EWC title by claiming the Enduro 2 championship after a runner-up result. Mathias Bellino earned his first ever senior class title with a second place finish in the Enduro 3 class, while Jamie McCanney and Laia Sanz were victorious in the Enduro Junior and Enduro Women's classes respectively.
In Enduro 1 Finland's Eero Remes was in outstanding form. Winning five tests the TM Racing rider clinched his eighth win of the season to move one step closer to a first ever E1 world title.
With only one day remaining of the 2015 FIM Enduro World Championship the Finn holds a ten-point advantage in Enduro 1 standings. Making his first competitive outing following knee surgery France's Christophe Nambotin had a good day on his KTM, but a mistake at the final Enduro Test ended his chances of victory. Placing second Nambotin will now have to give his all on day two if he is to retain his E1 world title.
Putting in his best performance of the season on home soil Sherco's Anthony Boissiere ended up third in Enduro 1. Spain's Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) and Great Britain's Daniel McCanney (Husqvarna) placed fourth and fifth place respectively.
The Enduro 2 class delivered a great battle, which ended with Alex Salvini (Honda) returning to the top step of the podium. Riding fast and strong the Italian ended the day with an 11-second winning margin over Antoine Meo (KTM).
But in getting 17 points from his second place finish the Frenchman secured his fifth Enduro World Championship title of his career.
"It's great to finally win the Enduro 2 world championship,” confirmed Meo. "It's a special title for me, winning KTM's first EWC title on a 350. It was a strange day. I've been riding a rally bike a lot recently, so it took some time to feel at home back on an enduro bike. But I got the title, so a great day.” Local boy Jeremy Tarroux (Sherco) gave plenty of reasons to French fans to celebrate as he got his first podium in third.
Outgoing Enduro 3 World Champion Matt Phillips (KTM) produced some of his best form of the season on day one in France. Battling with Mathias Bellino (Husqvarna) throughout the day the KTM rider topped the day by 15 seconds.
But it was Bellino who claimed the biggest prize. Entering the GP of France needing only a handful of points to secure the 2015 Enduro 3 World Championship, Bellino rode an impressive race to finish second but importantly wrapped up his first senior world title.
Third went to Matti Seistola with Aigar Leok and Luis Correia (Beta) rounding out the top five. But it was Bellino enjoying the spoils of victory. "It's great to have won my first senior EWC title,” enthused Bellino at the end of the day. "I rode well today but the championship was more important than the day win. It's amazing to win here in France.”
Landing Husqvarna a second title, Jamie McCanney followed in his brother Danny's footsteps by winning the Enduro Junior World Championship. Like team-mate Bellino Jamie needed only a handful of points from the day, which he secured with a fourth place finish. Beta mounted Brit Steve Holcombe claimed another day win, placing close to 20 seconds ahead of Italian Alessandro Battig (Honda). Giacomo Redondi rounded out the podium.
Dominating the day in the Enduro Women's class Laia Sanz (KTM) put the finishing touches to yet another world title. Placing close to one-and-a-half minutes ahead of her closest rival Jane Daniels (Husqvarna), Sanz topped all but one of the day's tests. Rounding out the podium was Jess Gardiner (Sherco).
In the Enduro Youth class Sweden's Mikael Persson (Yamaha) and Spain's Josep Garcia (Husqvarna) battled it out for the class win with Persson ending the day on top. With just 12 seconds separating the two youngsters third went to Britain's Jack Edmondson (KTM)
