Putting on the style!
By TMX Archives on 17th Dec 09
EACH of the four riders who secured a World Enduro title during 2009 did so in style. They didn't win each and every day of their respective championships, although one did come painstakingly close, but they all demonstrated one thing that they were too strong for their respective opposition.
In the Enduro 1 class, Mika Ahola started the year as the pundits favourite, and ended the championship having shown exactly why so many expected him to deliver the title for Honda.
During the early rounds of the series, Mika was faster, stronger, and more focused than any of his rivals and amassed a sizeable points advantage while delivering successive psychological knockout blows. More relaxed than ever before, the Finn started the season knowing that he could win and simply got stronger and stronger during the opening rounds of the series.
With five rounds of the series completed, Mika was unquestionably the rider who would win the 2009 E1 title. But as the series moved to Mexico his dominance of the class ended. Bad luck – his bike failed to start on both mornings – stopped him from claiming the top spot on either day, Mika knew that ensuring he wrapped-up the title was of greater importance.
With the Frenchman, Antoine Meo, hitting a rich vein of form at the same time as Mika started thinking about the world title, the balance of power shifted as Antoine notched up day win after day win while Mika was simply happy to finish on the podium and secure the points he needed to clinch world title number three.
Whether Mika could have beaten Antoine during the final two rounds of the series will never be known, but with one hand on the championship trophy his performances were unquestionable compromised.
FOR A FULL REVIEW OF THE YEAR, SEE T+MX NEWS, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2009
Clearly stronger than the opposition, Mika Ahola finished the season with a clear victory in the Enduro 1 championship.