David Knight Report
Red Bull KTM Off Road Race Team

Knighter wins Indoor Enduro World Cup

Red Bull KTM Off Road Team’s David Knight has won his fourth championship in less than 12 months following a runner-up result at the third and final round of the ‘07/’08 Indoor Enduro World Cup, staged at the Palasport Fiera in Genoa. With the US GNCC, Australian Four Day Enduro and AMA Endurocross titles already his Knighter has now also became the first rider ever to win an indoor enduro championship in Europe having dominated the series that started in Barcelona, Spain before moving to Munich in Germany and then finally onto Genoa in Italy.

With a healthy championship lead coming into the final round of the first ever FIM sanctioned indoor enduro series Knight was confident of a good result, but more focused on adding the FIM Indoor Enduro World Cup to his AMA Endurocross title than winning the race. Recording a lap time almost three seconds faster than any other rider during the official timed practice session things looked good for Knight. Then going on to top his qualifying heat race, finishing ahead of indoor enduro newcomer Antoine Meo from France, Knight then saw things go from good to bad during his heat race.

Making several mistakes he struggled home in a lowly sixth place position, which meant that the pressure was on as his only chance of making it through to the final was via the Last Chance Qualification race. With just two riders eligible to pass through into the main from the LCQ Knight started steadily before working his way to the front, opening up a 13 second advantage, and going on to win the race. Despite having done things the hard way he was through to the final.

Knowing that he didn’t need to win the main event to win the IEWC Knight placed runner-up to Frenchman Antoine Meo, having come close to passing the Husqvarna rider on more than one occasion. Forced to line-up on the very outside of the start due to having to go through the LCQ to reach the final, David rounded the first corner fourth and was quickly up to third. Moving into the runner-up spot before the end of the first lap the Manxman held his position through the mid-way stage of the race and on the last lap all but past Meo through the tricky water section. Failing to find a way past David decided to settle for second, and in doing so deservedly claimed the ‘07/’08 Indoor Enduro World Cup.

David Knight: “Winning the Indoor Enduro World Cup, as well as the GNCC, Aussie four-day and the Endurocross championships, well, it’s great. It was tough tonight though. There was one rock on the last lap that I thought was going to take the chain off, so I was a bit lucky. It’s hard when there is a lot of pressure on you and I made things hard for myself by messing up my heat race. I knew I could win the LCQ easily but my heat race showed things can go wrong so easily. I made a few mistakes and just couldn’t get into a rhythm. It was a relief to finally get into the final.

“Although the final was straight after the LCQ I didn’t feel too bad, I just stayed behind Antoine Meo and kept him in sight. On the last lap I pushed to catch him. I was right on him in the water, but I was in the wrong gear and lost a bit of drive. That was the end of my chance of winning. If I had got him there I would have been all right, but second was all I needed to do and winning the championship, as well as having won the first two rounds of the series, is what I wanted to do. It feels great to have won another championship.”

Results – Genoa Indoor Enduro ’08
1. Antoine Meo (Husqvarna) 6 laps; 2. David Knight (Red Bull KTM Off Road Team) 6 laps; 3. Ivan Cervantes (KTM) 6 laps; 4. Bartosz Oblucki (Husqvarna) 6 laps; 5. Fabio Mossini (Honda) 6 laps; 6. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 6 laps; 7. Simone Albergoni (Yamaha) 6 laps 8. Xavier Galindo (KTM) 6laps; 9. Sebastian Guillaume (Husqvarna) 6 laps; 10. Thomas Oldrati (KTM) 5 laps

Results – ‘07/’08 Indoor Enduro World Cup Final Championship Standings
1. David Knight (Red Bull KTM Off Road Team) 42 points; 2. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 23pts; 3.Mika Ahola (Honda) 22pts; 4. Xavier Galindo (KTM) 19pts; 5. Bartosz Oblucki (Husqvarna) 16pts; 6. Antoine Meo (Husqvarna) 15 pts; 7. Ivan Cervantes (KTM) 10 pts; 8. Marcus Kehr (KTM) 8pts; 9. Gregory Eyries (Yamaha) 8pts; 10. Tom Sagar (KTM) 7pts; 11. Simone Albergoni (Yamaha) 7pts; 12.Fabio Mossini (Honda) 6ps; 13. Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha) 5pts; 14. Thomas Oldrati (KTM) 5pts; 15. Sebastian Guillaume (Husqvarna) 2pts; 16. Jonny Aubert (Yamaha) 2pts; 17. Andreas Lettenbichler (BMW) 1pt

David Knight

CH Racing Husqvarna Factory Enduro Team 2008
Husqvarna & Antoine Meo win ’08 Genoa Indoor Enduro

Newly signed CH Racing Husqvarna factory rider Antoine Meo has sensationally claimed his first ever indoor enduro victory at his first ever indoor enduro race having topped the third and final round of the ‘07/’08 Indoor Enduro World Cup. Competing in the IEWC for the first time ever, having never even seen an indoor enduro course before the event, the former Grand Prix motocross racer performed spectacularly inside the Palasport Fiera in Genoa to deservedly stand on the top step of the podium where he was joined by runner-up David Knight and third placed rider Ivan Cervantes.

The third and final round of the IEWC proved to be a hugely successful night for the CH Racing Husqvarna team as Meo was joined in the final by his team mates Bartosz Oblucki and Seb Guillaume. But it was the Frenchman’s result that gave the team most reason to be happy come the end of a thrilling six-lap final. After recording the seventh fastest lap time during timed practice before winning his heat race ahead of Cervantes, Meo lead the final from the first corner to the last to claim an unexpected and well deserved win. Remaining calm throughout the race despite continued pressure from the rider widely acknowledged as the world’s best indoor enduro racer – David Knight, Antoine rode mistake free to claim the chequered flag aboard his TE450. In doing so he marked his first official outing as a CH Racing Husqvarna team rider in style.

Missing the podium by one position in the final Bartosz Oblucki posted the ninth quickest lap time before going on to finish fourth in his qualifying race and then third in his heat race. In the final Bart remained mistake free during the six-lap race to claim fourth and finish as the highest placed 250cc four-stroke rider aboard his TE250.

The third CH Racing Husqvarna team rider in the final was Frenchman Seb Guillaume. Only managing to record the 20th fastest lap time early on in the evening Seb had to work extremely hard to ensure himself a place in the final having to compete in a qualifying heat, in which he finished sixth, a supplementary race, in which he finished second, before finishing as runner-up in his heat race, which saw him pass through into the final. Making a good start Seb’s luck turned bad on lap two when he crashed while trying to work his way forward. Injuring his shoulder in the fall he placed ninth.

Antoine Meo: “The final was fantastic, it was my first indoor race and it took me a while to get the bike set up for the track. I made some changes because I was riding a 450, and not a 250 like I had planned. It was so great to win, it was my dream to finish at the front and I managed to do that. I was getting good starts all night, which definitely helped me. I still have a lot to learn, this was my first indoor, but I am so happy to have won. I knew David was always there behind me and it was good to have him pushing me. It meant I had to push hard and I was under a lot of pressure. But it was good, I hope to continue riding like that and I will work hard at it so that I can get good results in the WEC as well.”

Bartosz Oblucki: “I started last in the final but I just kept riding steadily and I didn’t make too many mistakes. In some places I rode hard, but it was nothing special, I just didn’t want to make any mistakes because the track was getting harder. I felt good physically and I was able to keep a good pace going for the full six laps. I didn’t crash or stall the bike, which was good enough for fourth place. I’m happy with the way the race went, it’s a good start to the year.”

Sebastian Guillaume: “I had a good start in the final, but on the second lap I crashed while I was trying to pass a rider. It was better though in the final, the track was much tougher than it was in the qualifying races. I’m happy with the way I rode in my semi-final and especially happy for Antoine Meo. He is a great rider, and it has been a great night for Husqvarna with three riders in the final.”

Team KTM Report

David Knight crowned World Cup Indoor Enduro champion in Genoa

KTM hero and factory rider David Knight showed his true fighting spirit on a very fast Indoor Enduro circuit in Genoa late on Saturday to win the title of the 2007-08 Indoor Enduro World Cup champion.

The event in Genoa followed two previous races in Barcelona and Munich.

Cliff hanger
But the Genoa race was a cliff hanger for Knight. He had some difficulties in the semi-finals and was forced to contest the last chance final in which only the first two riders advance to the final. KTM team-mates Taddy Blazusiak who finished second in the World Cup, and Cyril Despres then closed ranks to support Knighter in his bid for a podium place and the title. Cyril won the holeshot and both he and Taddy worked to make sure David had the best opportunity of finishing among the front runners. Arch rival Mike Aloha of Finland failed to make it to the final resolving a close contest between him and Blazusiak to see who would be second in the 3-event World Cup standings. Taddy finished second for the season just one point ahead of Ahola.

Hard finish
David rode hard in the final late Saturday night to finish second behind French rider Antoine Meo. The result bumped his points in the World Cup standings to 42, well ahead of second placed Blazusiak with 23. Aloha finished third with 22.

David Knight: "Winning the Indoor Enduro World Cup, as well as the GNCC, Aussie four-day and the Endurocross championships, well, it's great. It was tough tonight though. There was one rock on the last lap that I thought was going to take the chain off, so I was a bit lucky. It's hard when there is a lot of pressure on you and I made things hard by messing up my heat race. I knew I could win the LCQ easily but my heat proved that things can easily go wrong. I made a few mistakes and just couldn't get into a rhythm. It was a relief to finally get into the final."

Cervantes third in Genoa
Ivan Cervantes was out for his first competition after the winter break and took third place on the night, indicating he will be a force in the E1 world championship this season. Other top KTM riders on the grid were Tom Sagar, Britain and Cyril Despres, France, and although neither finished, both were impressive. KTM's Marcus Kehr of Germany did not finish and KTM-supported rider American Mike Metzger was denied a chance to start in the event due to license complications. He was nevertheless an enthusiastic spectator.

"I was really pumped watching this event and happy to be here. It is great to watch and for sure there is a big future for Indoor Enduro," Metzger said. Whereas the World Cup events in Barcelona and Munich offered technical challenges, the Genoa event was very fast, making it a good one for riders with MX skills as well as Enduro.

Possible 5-6 event- indoor calendar under discussion for 2008-2009
The event drew a crowd of more than 8000 fans to conclude the three-event World Cup. Due to the popularity of the indoor events, where spectators get to see the real Enduro riding skills at close range, a World cup series of 5-6 events for 2008-2009 is under discussion.

Antoine Meo is interviewed by the TV crew

BMW Motorrad
Lettenbichler and Goblet complete ‘07/’08 IEWC series

BMW Motorrad Motorsport team riders Andreas Lettenbichler and Jean-Francois Goblet were in action recently at the third and final round of the ‘07/’08 Indoor Enduro World Cup staged in Genoa Italy, completing their participation in the first ever FIM sanctioned indoor enduro series. With the three-round championship attracting many of the world’s best indoor enduro riders the final event of the series proved to be every bit as tough as the opening two rounds, which were staged in Spain and Germany during December of last year.

Qualifying for the finals in Germany Andreas Lettenbichler (pictured right) disappointingly missed out on making it into the main event in Genoa despite some impressive riding during his qualification races. With the track housed within the Genoa’s Palasport Fiera much faster than either of the first two rounds of the championship, former trials rider Lettenbichler showed promise despite having hoped for a more technical course.

Recording a lap time faster than many of his more experienced competitors during the night’s timed practice session, Andreas was struck by bad luck and crashes during each of his qualifying races. Seventh in his qualifying heat Andreas then claimed a solid runner-up result in his supplementary heat before again placing seventh in his heat race. With just two riders passing through into the finals from the LCQ Lettenbichler was unfortunate to collide with Cyril Despres, which ended his hopes of a place in the final. Despite not making it through into the final Andreas showed improved speed and looked at home competing against the world’s best indoor riders.

Disappointingly, the third and final round of the IEWC was to be a frustrating one for Lettenbichler’s team-mate Jean-Francois Goblet. Hoping to qualify for the finals Goblet placed ninth in his qualifying heat race followed by seventh in the supplementary qualifying race, which ended his chances of progressing through into the finals.

Andreas Lettenbichler: “I’ve really enjoyed the racing but I had too many crashes, but that’s how it goes sometimes. I had a big crash with Cyril Despres in the LCQ race, we touched handlebars and I came off the track. Then I went out and tried to catch Alessandro Botturi but I crashed again so the race was over for me. The supplementary heat race was not too bad for me. I got second place behind Jonny Aubert but the LCQ had some very good riders, like David Knight. I think I rode quite good tonight and felt faster than at the other rounds in Barcelona and Munich. I did some training on the bike, we made some changes to the suspension, and the bike was easier to ride here. The track was faster than Munich and a bit longer, which didn’t really suit me, but like I said I enjoyed it. Although I didn’t make it through into the final I enjoyed the racing, but importantly my speed is improving.”



Team D3 Racing
Both Tom Sagar and Greg Evans made the long trip to Italy to take part in the final round of the Indoor Enduro World Cup. Tom started the final round holding fifth position in the standings and Greg was invited to ride in the European support class.

For reasons unknown this event used a very different and confusing race format to the previous two rounds, with it being part of the World Cup everyone had expected that there would be a standard formula at each race. In Italy there would be only one final race (3 at other rounds) and the riders would qualify via various heats and semi-finals.

The circuit didn’t look very difficult but according to the riders was much more physical than other rounds, partly due to the fact that it was much faster and very slippery. Tom rode his Optoma Mortgages KTM 300 EXC from the Tough One and posted a time in qualifying which gave him in third  choice on the gate for the first heat race. Tom gated well and was quickly into second position but the tricky course would see him dropping down to fifth with mistakes and then moved forward to take second at the flag. Normally this would be enough to go through to the final, but not in Italy, more heat races and in the next round Tom suffered bad luck when the chain derailed between two logs and so had to go into the last chance qualifier with Knighter who had also had some problems.

In the final LCQ many experienced riders struggled who had suffered similar bad luck, the pressure was on and only two riders would go through, Knighter easily won but many others crashed including Tom and so his night was over which was obviously frustrating as Tom had been riding very well this evening and deserved to be in the final 12.

However Greg had qualified in the European cup and went through to his final race which was one of the most action-packed of the evening, Greg made a bad start and was boxed in on the first corner and followed round the first lap at the back of the pack but quickly made it through the twelve-man field to second and very close to taking the lead when the security bolt broke in the rear wheel and the tyre started to spin on the rim. This was a big problem after the water splash and on one lap the bike would not drive up concrete ramp which took the riders up to the first floor level, he had to be pulled up on a rope and several riders passed by. But once going again and on the final lap Greg passed these riders to take a very well earned second position.

Now Tom and Greg prepare for this weekends Extreme Enduro, Hells Gate.