Red-hot Meo’s Chile power
By TMX Archives on 22nd Mar 13
Enduro 1 world champion Antoine Meo got his championship defence off to a perfect start, with double victory at the opening World Enduro Championship round, at Talca, in Chile.
In Enduro 2 Pela Renet (Husaberg) secured the win on day one and Italy's Alex Salvini (Honda) grabbed the first win of his enduro career on day two.
Ending a four-year drought, Husaberg's Joakim Ljunggren was the deserving winner of the Enduro 3 category before KTM's
Christophe Nambotin bounced back from a difficult day one to win day two.
Upholding British honour, the Manx trio of David Knight, Danny McCanney (Gas Gas) and Jamie McCanney (Husaberg) secured some solid results.
Knight delivered a strong set of rides on his Knighter Honda to finish fifth on both days in the highly-competitive E2 class.
Grabbing a podium result on day one, by finishing as runner-up to Italy's Giacomo Redondi in the Enduro Junior category, Danny McCanney placed fifth on day two.
Despite only returning to racing following a lengthy winter lay-off due to injury, Jamie McCanney impressed.
Fast and consistent throughout the weekend, the Manx youngster recorded a terrific pair of runner-up results in the Enduro Youth Cup class.
In E1, Meo determinedly established himself at the front of the class on day one but with Juha Salminen (Husqvarna) setting some fast times, Meo had to work hard to beat his rival.
Upping his pace on the final lap, Meo claimed a 28-second victory margin, with Salminen second and Matti Seistola third.
Suffering from a costly crash on the opening extreme test, the Finnish rider narrowly beat Honda's Jeremy Joly by four seconds, to end his day on the podium.
Yamaha-mounted Nicolas Deparrois completed the top five.
On day two, Meo again took an early lead, although this time he faced a fresh challenge from Husaberg's Thomas Oldrati.
Making numerous mistakes, the Frenchman lost ground to Oldrati but he dug deep in the final extreme test for his second win of the weekend.
With Oldrati pushed back to the runner-up position, Finland's Eero Remes secured a podium result in his debut with TM Racing.
Seistola ended his day fourth, with Salminen completing the top five.
FOR FULL REPORT AND PICTURES SEE TMX MARCH 22
EWC GP of Chile
Day 1
Enduro 1: 1 Antoine Meo (KTM), 2 Juha Salminen
(Husqvarna), 3 Matti Seistola (Husqvarna), 4 Jeremy Joly (Honda), 5 Nicolas Deparrois (Yamaha), 6 Simone Albergoni (Honda), 7 Eero Remes (TM), 8 Cristobal Guerrero (KTM), 9 Thomas Oldrati (Husaberg), 10 Anthony Boissiere (Sherco).
Enduro 2: 1 Pela Renet (Husaberg), 2 Johnny Aubert (KTM), 3 Alex Salvini (Honda), 4 Ivan Cervantes (KTM), 5 David KNIGHT (Honda), 6 Oriol Mena (Husaberg), 7 Vicotr Guerrero (KTM), 8 Lorenzo Santolino (Husqvarna), 9 Oscar Balletti (KTM), 10 Antoine Basset (Yamaha), 11 Alexandre Queyreyre (Yamaha), 12 Vincente Israel (Honda), 13 Kevin Benavide (KTM), 14 Benjamin Israel (Honda), 15 Franco Caimi (KTM).
Enduro 3: 1 Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg), 2 Christophe Nambotin (KTM), 3 Aigar Leok (TM), 4 Rodrig Thain (Gas Gas), 5 Luis Correia (Beta), 6 Marcus Kehr (KTM), 7 Robert Christophe (Husaberg), 8 Manuel Monni (KTM), 9. Deny Philippaerts (Beta), 10 Marko Tarkkala (Honda).
Enduro Junior: 1 Giacomo Redondi (KTM), 2 Danny McCANNEY (Gas Gas), 3 Robert Kvarnstrom (Beta), 4 Loic Larrieu (Husaberg), 5 Matthew Phillips (Husqvarna), 6 Johnathan Manzi (KTM), 7 Luis Oliveira (Yamaha), 8 Nicolo Mori (Beta), 9 Rudy Moroni (KTM), 10 Mario Roman (Husaberg).
Enduro Youth Cup: 1 Benjamin Herrera (TM), 2 Jamie McCANNEY (Husaberg), 3 Henrique Nogueira (TM), 4 Nicolas Trainini (Husaberg), 5 Jesper Borjesson (Husaberg), 6 Diego Herrera (TM), 7 Albin Elowson (Husaberg), 8 Nicolas Kutulas (KTM), 9 Luciano Benavides (KTM), 10 Samuel Echeverria (TM).
Day 2
Enduro 1: 1 Antoine Meo (KTM), 2 Thomas Oldrati
(Husaberg), 3 Eero Remes (TM), 4 Matti Seistola
(Husqvarna), 5 Juha Salminen (Husqvarna), 6 Jeremy Joly (Honda), 7 Simone Albergoni (Honda), 8 Nicolas Deparrois (Yamaha), 9 Anthony Boissiere (Sherco), 10 Maurizio Micheluz (Suzuki).
Enduro 2: 1 Alex Salvini (Honda), 2 Ivan Cervantes (KTM), 3 Johnny Aubert (KTM), 4 Pela Renet (Husaberg), 5 David KNIGHT (Honda), 6 Oriol Mena (Husaberg), 7 Victor Guerrero (KTM), 8 Antoine Basset (Yamaha), 9 Lorenzo Santolino (Husqvarna), 10 Alexandre Queyreyre (Yamaha).
Enduro 3: 1 Christophe Nambotin (KTM), 2 Joakim
Ljunggren (Husaberg), 3 Rodrig Thain (Gas Gas), 4 Luis Correia (Beta), 5. Manuel Monni (KTM), 6 Fabien Planet (Sherco), 7 Marcus Kehr (KTM), 8 Deny Philippaerts (Beta), 9 Benoit Fortunato (Honda), 10 Marko Tarkkala (Honda).
Enduro Junior: 1 Giacomo Redondi (KTM), 2 Mario Roman (Husaberg), 3 Matt Phillips (Husqvarna), 4 Loic Larrieu (Husaberg), 5 Danny McCANNEY (Gas Gas), 6 Jonathan Manzi (KTM), 7 Nicolo Mori (Beta), 8 Luis Oliveira (Yamaha), 9 Robert Kvarnstrom (Beta), 10. Edoardo D'ambrosio (Yamaha).
Enduro Youth Cup: 1 Benjamin Herrera (TM), 2 Jamie
McCANNEY (Husaberg), 3 Albin Elowson (Husaberg), 4
Matteo Bresolin (KTM), 5 Dawid Ciucci (KTM), 6 Diego Herrera (TM), 7 Jesper Bjoresson (Husaberg), 8 Henrique Nogueira (TM), 9 Nicolas Trainini (Husaberg), 10. Nicolas Kutelas (KTM).