What a Knight!
By TMX Archives on 6th Feb 08
HUSQVARNA'S latest signing, Antoine Meo, pulled off a surprise win at the third and final round of the 2007 Indoor Enduro World Cup, beating David Knight in a thrilling six-lap final.
HUSQVARNA'S latest signing, Antoine Meo, pulled off a surprise win at the third and final round of the 2007 Indoor Enduro World Cup, beating David Knight in a thrilling six-lap final.
However, with victory at the first two rounds, Knighter's runner-up result was more than good enough to see him crowed as the first ever FIM World Indoor Enduro Cup
winner.
David Knight claimed his fourth championship in less than 12 months at the weekend when the Red Bull KTM team rider was crowned as the first ever winner of the FIM-sanctioned World Indoor Enduro Cup.
Second overall at the Genoa Indoor Enduro to newly signed CH Racing Husqvarna rider, Antoine Meo, Knight added the title to his AMA Endurocross, Australian Four-Day Enduro and US GNCC crowns, to prove without doubt that he is the world's best indoor enduro rider.
Not needing to win the final round of the series in order to secure the championship, Knight ‘made a mess of everything' during his heat race after being comfortably fastest during the night's timed practice session.
Starting badly in the first of two heat races, Knighter rounded the first corner third from last while Husky-mounted Meo charged to an early lead.
While Meo opened up a comfortable gap over Spaniard Ivan Cervantes – returning to international competition after two months out of action following knee surgery – Knight struggled.
Making several uncharacteristic mistakes, including two sizeable falls, David failed to make any impression on the leaders and could manage no better than sixth. Expecting to win not only the series but also the main event, the pressure was suddenly on the Manxman as his only hope of a place in the final was via the LCQ race.
WORLD INDOOR ENDURO CUP
Rd 3 – Palafiera, Genoa, ITALY
FINAL: 1 Antoine Meo (Husqvarna), 2 David Knight (Red Bull KTM), 3 Ivan Cervantes (KTM), 4 Bartosz Oblucki (Husqvarna), 5 Fabio Mossini (Honda), 6 Taddy Blazusiak (KTM), 7 Simone Albergoni (Yamaha), 8 Xavier Galindo (KTM), 9 Sebastian Guillaume (Husqvarna), 10 Thomas Oldrati (KTM) (1 lap down).
FINAL SERIES STANDINGS after 3 rounds: 1 Knight 42 points, 2 Blazusiak 23, 3 Mika Ahola (Honda) 22, 4 Galindo 19, 5 Oblucki 16, 6 Meo 15, 7 Cervantes 10, 8 Marcus Kehr (KTM) 8, 9 Gregory Eyries (Yamaha) 8, 10 Tom Sagar (KTM) 7, 11 Albergoni 7, 12 Mossini 6, 13 Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha) 5, 14 Oldrati 5, 15 Guillaume 2, 16 Jonny Aubert (Yamaha) 2, 17 Andreas Lettenbichler (BMW) 1.
For full report and pictures see T+MX NEWS, Friday, February 8, 2008