World Enduro Championship - Östersund, Sweden

DAY 2
100% FINLAND

With deep ruts in snow, the special tests of this GRAND PRIX MAXXIS OF SWEDEN were sometimes transformed into a battlefield on this second day of race. Under these typical winter enduro conditions, Latin riders managed to fight against Scandinavians, even if the Swedes and especially Finns invaded the top of the standings. The Finnish neighbours Mika Ahola, Juha Salminen, Samuli Aro and Roni Nikander were the fastest on Östersund cold ground.

ENDURO 1
Mika AHOLA’s (FIN-HON) ambition today was clearly the same as yesterday. With a 1 minute 44 seconds advance, the Finn signed a second victory and collected maximum points before a delicate trip in Portugal and Spain. On the other hand, Ivan CERVANTES (ESP-KTM) decided to react after a bad first day. The Spaniard showed a brand new face, and finished second in front of Simone ALBERGONI (ITA-YAM).

Joakim Ljunggren Ivan CERVANTES: "Yesterday I made a mistake in the first test. Then I tried to push but everybody is fast in the category, and I had to be satidfied with the 6th position. Today was completely different. I tried to ride without making errors, being more regular. I finish second, and for me this result is like a victory, because it’s impossible to beat Mika Ahola here. It’s a perfect result for the championship.”

Eighth, Bartosz OBLUCKI (POL-HVA) was victim of a high-speed crash on the trail, he managed to finish the race with an injured hand. Tom SAGAR (GB-KTM) did not start this morning as a result of his crash yesterday.

ENDURO 2
Probably upset by his third place yesterday, Juha SALMINEN (FIN-KTM) reacted impressively today. From the first lap, the E1 world champion took the lead of the class.

Juha SALMINEN: "The day was nearly the same one, but I rode differently. Yesterday I never found the rhythm, I was sleepy. Today I wanted to react. There are still some points in my riding I have to improve, but I’m happy. Each race, I should improve.”

21 seconds behind Salminen, Joakim LJUNGGREN (SWE-HSB) finished second but he did not steal any test to the Finnish. However, Ljunggren is still the leader of the category. The first non-Scandinavian rider was Frenchman Johnny AUBERT (FRA-YAM). Like his team-mate Albergoni in E1, he more than limited the damage by positioning himself among the best pilots. 4th and 5th places went to fellow Finns Valterri SALONEN (FIN-HSB) and Jari MATTILA (FIN-HON).

ENDURO 3
From one day to the other, Samuli ARO (FIN-KTM) rode a race of impressive regularity and serenity. For his return to 2 strokes, the Finn immediately made his mark in the category, he imposed himself with a 37 seconds advantage.

Behind him, three riders fought all day, until the very last timed portion. Second, Marko TARKKALA (FIN-KTM) realised the most important progression of the day. Third, Bjorne CARLSSON (SWE-HSB) yielded seconds to the Finn systematically in the Enduro Test. Anders ERIKSSON (SWE-BMW) offered an encouraging 4th place to BMW, even if the Swede could have foreseen a better end. Note that the Jury finally cancelled his disqualification of yesterday. Fifth, Sebastien GUILLAUME (FRA-HVA) preserved the maximum points, while waiting for a more advantageous ground in Portugal.

JUNIOR
At the end of a very animated race, the last Enduro Test decided everything between the Juniors. In the Under-21 class, snow specialist Roni NIKANDER (FIN-KTM) doubled his win. Thomas OLDRATI (ITA-KTM), faster in the ruts, managed to narrowly beat Marc BOURGEOIS (FRA-HVA).

In addition to the BMW MOTORRAD XTREME TEST AWARDS, dominated by Mika Ahola, the 2008 MAXXIS FIM WEC proposes this year a new competition. The HUSQVARNA JUNIOR TROPHY rewards the best 2 strokes rider of the Junior category. Today, Thomas Oldrati beat yesterday’s winner, Marc Bourgeois.

The WEC now heads in the direction of the Iberian Peninsula for the traditional rounds, with the GRAND PRIX POLISPORT OF PORTUGAL on March the 29th and 30th in Vale de Cambra.

KTM Racing - Day 2
Aro and Tarkkala repeat top E3 performances on Day 2 in Sweden
E3 - KTM Enduro factory riders Samuli Aro and Marko Tarkkala wrapped up an excellent weekend's racing on snow and ice in Östersund, Sweden on Sunday with a repeat of the result in the E3 class of Saturday's 1-2 result.

After scoring the double in the heart of Sweden this weekend, the two Finnish riders, who again dominated on Sunday, seem set to be each other's biggest rivals in the big bike category of the Enduro World Championship.

Aro satisfied and happy on the two-stroke
"It was a great weekend for me and I was really surprised that everything went so well," said an elated Aro after securing his second win in two days. "It is different to be on the two-stroke bike and the lines are not the same so I am very satisfied with my start to the season.

Next race in Portugal
Aro and Tarkkala both have a proven track record so the early success on conditions that are very familiar to them should carry through when they reach the next round in Vale de Cambra in Portugal in March 29-30.

Snow and Mud
Conditions for Sunday's race were similar to Saturday with temperatures around 2 decrees Celsius. Parts of the course were changed on Sunday because of the heavy snow, while in other places the thaw had already set in making no shortage of mud to deal with.

E2 - Salminen tops E2 podium on Day 2 at Östersund
KTM factory rider Juha Salminen sent a strong signal to the opposition in the E2 class on Sunday in Östersund Sweden when he bettered his third place from Saturday to top the podium.
Salminen finds his rhythm on day two.

Salminen, who completely dominated the E1 class last season took third place in the opening race on Saturday said he felt very much more comfortable on Sunday. "Before this weekend I haven't raced since November and it takes a while to get the feeling back," the Finnish rider said. "Yesterday I just couldn't find my rhythm but it was already much better today and the bike is really perfect."

Ivan Cervantes Snow mud and bumps
Riders faced difficult conditions with some parts of the course still covered in deep snow but the surface underneath already melting. "It was a winter race but there were still a lot of bumps and mud in the Enduro test," Salminen said. He now returns home to Finland briefly before heading to Portugal for the two events on the Iberian Peninsular.

Salminen's team-mate Italian Alessandro Belometti, who did not enjoy the same benefit of riding on familiar terrain as the Scandinavian riders, put in a solid weekend and a good start to the season with seventh place on each day.

E1 - Cervantes conquers winter conditions for E1 second place in Sweden
KTM factory rider Ivan Cervantes of Spain managed to master the snow and ice in central Sweden on day two of the opening Enduro E1 competition coming in second behind Mika Ahola of Finland, a big improvement on his sixth place on Saturday.

Cervantes rides well in winter conditions
Cervantes launched himself into the top result to match a string of Scandinavian riders who were much more at home in the snow and ice that the Spaniard. Ivan can now look forward with confidence to the next two rounds in Portugal and Spain on conditions that suit his riding style.

Battered Sagar sits out day two after crash on Saturday
Tom Sagar, the second KTM factory rider in the class who has advanced from the junior ranks did not race on Sunday after taking a heavy fall in Saturday's race. "He was not badly injured and he has no broken bones but he was bruised and hurting a lot," said team boss Fabio Farioli. Sagar came unstuck when he hit a bump coming off a jump on Saturday and was taken briefly to hospital to be checked over for injuries.

Riders were confronted with heavy snow on parts of the course but as the thaw had already begun there were also parts where mud and bumps had to be mastered. Parts of the course were left out on Sunday because of the quantity of snow on the ground.

DAY 1
SCANDINAVIANS SOVEREIGN ON THEIR HOMELAND

With the victories of Mika Ahola, Joakim Ljunggren, Samuli Aro and Roni Nikander, Swedes and Finns proved on this first day of competition that the GRAND PRIX MAXXIS OF SWEDEN is their favourite race. On the other side, and contrary to the last two editions, the Latin riders offered an enthusiastic performance, by shaking up the spiked tyres specialists at the top of the standings. This opening round of MAXXIS FIM WEC also signs a record of attendance for Sweden. Hundreds of spectators defied dry and cold weather in Östersund to attend the incredible spectacle of the world’s best enduro riders attacking in the snow-covered forests.

ENDURO 1
Whereas many thought he was still in a start-up period with the 250 4T, Mika AHOLA (FIN-HON) proved today that he is one of the most serious candidates in the small engine category. As a specialist of snow, the E2 world champion outclassed his adversaries from the first special test. Without real opposition, the HM Honda rider relegates his nearest contender to more than 1 minute 40 seconds.

Mika AHOLA: "I’m really surprised, I didn’t think I could be so fast. But it’s true that I like riding in snow, especially with the small bike. I hope I can ride as fast in Spain and Portugal, but for sure it will be a different race. I’ve been riding a lot on snow this winter, and now I have done it for 16 years. I also said to Simone Albergoni to come to train with me in Finland. He’s second today so I guess I’m also a good teacher.”

Second and third places offered an interesting competition, and Simone ALBERGONI (ITA-YAM) signs the big surprise of the class. The Italian wanted to take revenge on last edition. His very good times in the Enduro Test enabled him to take a great second place. Eero REMES (FIN-KTM) was third. Marc GERMAIN (FRA-YAM) also saw his preparatory work rewarded with an encouraging fourth place on the day. The target of most of the southern Europe riders was to get the maximum points, and some world class riders must be satisfied with mediocre results, such as Ivan CERVANTES (ESP-KTM). The E3 world champion ended 6th at 2 minutes 45 seconds behind Ahola.

ENDURO 2
Joakim LJUNGGREN (SWE-HSB) made a successful entry in the Senior class. The Junior double world champion won after an impressive progression in his times all through the day.

Joakim LJUNGGREN: "It’s really good. I had no idea of what was going to happen because it’s a new class, with a new bike. But I like these conditions very much and I was fighting until the last test. The spectators pushed me a lot, and it’s a lot of fun.”

The E2 category was really eventful. One moment the leader, then second, beginner Antoine MEO (FRA-HVA) failed to create an advantage before falling in the last special test, he was finally fifth. Johnny AUBERT (FRA-YAM) is the best Latin of the category in second. His rival Juha SALMINEN (FIN-KTM), third, stalled his engine and lost a lot of time in the last Enduro Test. The other snow specialist, Jari MATTILA (FIN-HON) had to give up after he broke his chain.

ENDURO 3
In the big class, the two friends Samuli ARO (FIN-KTM) and Marko TARKKALA (FIN-KTM) battled all the day for the victory. Finally, Aro on his 300-2 strokes manages to dominate his team-mate by 9.9 seconds. Always fast under Scandinavian conditions, Bjorne CARLSSON (SWE-HSB) takes the third place.

Fourth in the time keeping, Anders ERIKSSON (SWE-BMW) saw his result cancelled after an unauthorised change of battery. This disqualification benefited the two Frenchman, Sebastien GUILLAUME (FRA-HVA), fourth and Christophe NAMBOTIN (FRA-GAS), fifth. A victim of pain in his thigh after a recent injury in the French championship, Fabien PLANET (FRA-KTM) only rode a few meters in the Swedish snow before he gave up.

JUNIOR
Well known for his speed on snow and ice, Roni NIKANDER (FIN-KTM) won the Junior category. Unknown on the world scene, Oskari KANTONEN (FIN-KTM) ended third. The surprise came from Marc BOURGEOIS (FRA-HVA). Finishing second, the Frenchman is placed in the middle of the two young snow specialists.

The Enduro test was chosen as the setting for the BMW MOTORRAD XTREME TEST AWARDS. In this long and fast special test, taking more than 12 minutes of effort, Mika Ahola imposed himself as the best rider. The 2007 winner takes the lead in the BMW challenge.

Team KTM Report - Day 1
E3 - Aro and Tarkkala 1-2 in E3 in Sweden in opening GP
KTM Enduro factory riders Samuli Aro and Marko Tarkkala started the world championship season in style on Saturday with a 1-2 victory in the first race at Östersund, the GP held in the heart of Sweden.

The two Finnish riders were at home in the deep snow conditions, the only 2-race series ridden in winter conditions and using spiked tyres. Aro moved up from E2 last year to the big bike category where he fought a tough battle with fellow Finn Mika Ahola and the stage has now been set for the two KTM riders to lock horns in the 2008 season.

Good fight
"Aro and Marko fought a great battle for the lead all the way and they were only a couple of seconds apart going into the second last test," team boss Fabio Farioli said after the race. "It was a good race and a good fight."

Finns at home in snowy conditions
KTM's two Finnish riders were really at home in the snowy conditions at Östersund. Temperatures varied between 2- and minus 2 decrees Celsius on a day where there was no wind, conditions that are expected to prevail for the second race on Sunday. This is the third year that the Enduro season has opened in Sweden and the winter conditions have now become a standard challenge.

E2 - Salminen makes E2 podium in season's opener
KTM factory rider Juha Salminen finished third in the season's opening E2 Enduro race on Saturday in Sweden's Östersund, the first of two races held in winter conditions.

Salminen of Finland, who moved from E1 where he was the dominant rider and title winner to take up new challenges in the E2 class in 2008. He was lying between sixth and eighth position in the early stages of the race but in characteristic form, worked his way up through the order as the race progressed.

Close to victory
"Salminen was very close to victory in the final stages of the race but then he stalled the bike and had to settle for third place," said team manager Fabio Farioli. Salminen's team-mate Alessandro Belometti of Italy rode consistently and finally finished in seventh place.

Juha Salminen Winter conditions suit Scandinavian riders
Although temperatures were only around two degrees Celsius and there was a lot of snow on parts of the course, conditions that were well suited to the Scandinavian riders in the field, there as no wind. Similar conditions are expected for Sunday's race at the same venue. Parts of the course were covered in very heavy snow and the motocross test will be run in reverse on Sunday.

E1 - Cervantes sixth in first E1 race of season
KTM factory rider Ivan Cervantes came home in a creditable sixth place in the season's Enduro 1 world championship opener in Sweden's Östersund with team mate Tom Sager taking a heavy tumble on the opening day of competition.

Deep snow
Cervantes, from Spain, who won the E3 title in 2007 lost a minute riding in the unfamiliar deep snow in the early part of the race and found himself in eighth position. He managed to move up two positions riding in the winter conditions in the first of two races that launches the 2008 season.

Sagar crashes at jump
Cervantes team-mate Britain's Tom Sagar came unstuck in the latter part of the race but fortunately suffered no serious injury. "He took a hard fall," said team boss Fabio Farioli, speaking from the hospital where Sagar was being checked over." He came off a jump too fast and hit a bump." Farioli said he expected Sagar would "at least try" to start in the second race on Sunday. The British rider finished in the top three in the junior competition last season and is expected to learn a lot from the more experienced Cervantes during the 2008 season.

Spiked Tyres
To add to the unusual winter conditions of the races, the only ones contested using spiked tyres, riders had to cross part of the frozen lake and this year had to detour around breaks in the ice. For Sunday the motocross test will be held in reverse and parts of the course covered in heavy snow will be eliminated.

Yamaha Racing

E1 - Albergoni takes podium at frosty Sweden
UFO Corse Yamaha team rider Simone Albergoni got his 2008 Enduro 1 World Championship campaign off to an impressive start at the Grand Prix of Sweden, staged in Ostersund, where the Italian was runner-up on day one and then again finished on the podium with third place on day two. The series' only winter enduro is typically an event in which many southern European riders struggle, due to the frozen terrain and sub-zero riding conditions. Albergoni defied expectations and showed just how determined he is to win this year's E1 title by posting two solid results despite admitting that he certainly doesn't feel at home racing with spiked tyres.

Heading to Finland ten days prior to the Swedish opener for preparation, Simone mixed consistency with speed on day one and never dropped lower than fifth in the class on any of the day's seven special tests. Finishing just eight seconds behind eventual E1 class winner Mika Ahola on the event's opening test, Simone held off hard charging WEC newcomer Eero Remes from Finland and after one-hour of special test action placed as a deserved runner-up.

On day two Simone was again quick, despite the unfamiliar conditions. Although not starting Sunday as well as he had on Saturday, and not managing to get to grips with the fast motocross test, three solid enduro test performances saw him end the day third, just 18 seconds behind former double E1 world champion Ivan Cervantes. Up next on the WEC tour are the second and third rounds of the series, which will take place in Portugal and Spain - events that will be much more to Simone's liking.

Competing alongside Albergoni for the UFO Corse Yamaha team in the E1 class Maurizio Micheluz placed in seventh on both days - results the Italian was pleased with considering the frozen terrain. Performing well on the motocross test on day one, Maurizio was again at his best on the motocross tests on day two managing to record the third fastest E1 class time on the last lap of the event.

Although consistent on both days, and like Micheluz riding strongly on the event's fast and flowing motocross section, Spaniard Cristobal Guerrero was unable to perform as well as he'd hoped as several crashes hampered his results. Cristobal preparations for the meeting were hampered due to the shoulder injury he sustained at the final round of the Indoor Enduro World Cup but he was still able to secure two top ten results with eighth on day one and ninth on day two.

Simone Albergoni (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 1 class - Day 1: 2nd, Day 2: 3rd
"I'm really pleased with my results this weekend. In 2007 and 2006 I really struggled with the conditions and my results were bad, which made things difficult for me for the rest of the season as I was always trying to catch up lost points. Finishing second on day one and third on day two is fantastic. I hoped that I would get two podium results but to get them is a really great start to the championship. Day one went really well. I wasn't as fast on the motocross on day two as I was on day one, but my enduro tests were still good. I didn't expect to be as fast as I was. I have to thank Mika Ahola because I spent some time training with him in Finland before this GP."

Cristobal Guerrero (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 1 class - Day 1: 8th, Day 2: 9th
"Things didn't go as well as I hoped they would here in Sweden - it is difficult riding in these strange conditions. Although there wasn't as much snow as there could have been it was still difficult. My training before the race was also not the best because of my shoulder injury. I hoped for better results but I crashed too many times. I hope I can perform better in Portugal and Spain."

Maurizio Micheluz (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 1 class - Day 1: 7th, Day 2: 7th
"The most important thing for me this weekend was simply to survive. I knew that the race would be tough for me so I just wanted to finish both days as well as I could. I finished seventh on day one, but not too far behind the other southern European riders. My special test times on day two were quite good and I finished seventh again, which I'm happy with. I am looking forward to the rest of the championship now and won't miss coming back to the winter enduro next year!"

E2 - Aubert takes podium double in Sweden
Chasing his first World Enduro Championship Frenchman Johnny Aubert got his 2008 WEC season off to a decent start at the Grand Prix of Sweden where the UFO Corse Yamaha rider placed on the podium on both days having claimed a well deserved 2nd spot on day one and a 3rd place finish on day two. Coming into the '08 series havng claimed the outright win at last year's ISDE in Chile, Aubert, who enjoyed solid results at the GP of Sweden in both '07 and '06, again showed that despite his relative lack of experience in winter conditions he can certainly produce the goods.

Just 28 seconds behind E2 class winner Joakim Ljunggren on day one, Johnny overcame a less than perfect opening test to remain ahead of seven-time world champion Juha Salminen, despite the Finn's best efforts to push Aubert back into third. Hoping that he would be able to finish on the podium as he had in seasons past, Johnny surprised even himself by finishing ahead of several experienced Scandinavian participants.

Although he wasn't able to repeat his runner-up result on day two, Aubert dropped just one position to again finish on the podium. With only 30 seconds separating the top three E2 class riders at the end of the second outing, Johnny again placed behind Ljunggren but both riders were overtaken by Salminen as the Finn took the top slot. Starting the championship with two podium results Aubert now heads to Portugal and Spain for rounds two and three of the WEC; events he won in '07.

Finishing in 9th position on day one and in 12th position on day two, Fabrizio Dini managed to complete both days of the WEC opener without major problems - something that several riders were unable to do. Never expecting to enter the top section of the standings, Fabrizio scored a handful of hard earned championship points and now looks forward to returning to more standard race conditions.

Johnny Aubert (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 2 class - Day 1: 2nd, Day 2: 3rd
"I am pleased with my weekend. Finishing second on day one was a great start to the championship and finishing third on day two is also really good. With some very fast Scandinavian riders in the E2 class, to finish on the podium on both days is good. I hoped before the race that I could take a podium, so to do that is very pleasing. There was a little bit less snow this year, which helped me. I only spent a few days training before the race, so I'm pleased with the way my bike was. I am looking forward to the next two rounds of the championship now. Last year I won rounds two and three, so of course I would like to do the same again this year. I am not sure what type of special tests there will be but my physical condition is really good so if the races are hard I am ready for that."

Fabrizio Dini (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 2 class - Day 1: 9th, Day 2 12th
"Finishing ninth on day one was quite good for me. It was much better than my results the two previous years. The conditions were very strange because there wasn't so much snow on the special tests and there was a lot of water and mud. But it was the same for everyone. I was 12th on day two, which wasn't as good but I started the day badly and crashed about five times. Things got better after the first lap but I am just pleased that there will be no more snow at the next rounds of the series."

CH Racing Husqvarna Factory Enduro Team 2008
Meo shakes up WEC establishment at GP of Sweden while Bourgeois makes strong start to EJ campaign

It didn’t end up being the fairy tale debut the CH Racing Husqvarna Team hoped it would be but in his first outing in the World Enduro Championship as a full-time competitor Frenchman Antoine Meo certainly made his E2 class rivals sit up and take notice of his considerable talents. Competing in his first ever WEC winter race, having never used spiked tyres in competition before, yet as the rider that won the Genoa Indoor Enduro in early February, Meo very nearly did what many people thought would be impossible as he came close to topping the E2 class on day one. Winning five of the day’s special tests Meo was the E2 class leader as he went into the final test but disappointingly saw his hopes of a maiden win disappear following a mistake while in sight of the finish.

Despite things not working out quite as he or the CH Racing Husqvarna Team hoped they would, in his first WEC event Antoine Meo definitely showed that he has what it takes to perform well in the demanding enduro world championship. Winning on both the rough and rutted enduro special test and the fast and flowing motocross test Meo performed almost faultlessly but then saw his hopes of victory ended when he landed heavily on a rock from a high-speed jump. Crashing, losing close to one-minute, and damaging his factory Husqvarna Meo ended the day in an eventual fifth position. On day two Meo was unable to perform at his best, due largely to his damaged machinery, but placed sixth having again ridden well and placed as high as third in class on the motocross test.

For the CH Racing Husqvarna Team’s Enduro 1 class entrant Bartosz Oblucki the GP of Sweden ended painfully as the 250cc four-stroke mounted rider crashed en route to the finish and injured ligaments in his thumb. Sent flying over the handlebars having hit a soft section of ice and snow on one of the event’s two frozen lake crossings, Oblucki ended day two able to do little more than just hold on during the final test of the event. He ended up placing eighth. On day one, having placed as high as third in class on one of the seven special tests, Bartosz placed in a strong fifth. Things now look uncertain for the Polish rider ahead of the second and third rounds of the WEC series, which take place in just a couple of weeks.

Anything but a fan of the cold, wet, snow covered and icy conditions of the Swedish winter enduro Seb Guillaume rounded out the opening round of the season with a solid set of results in the Enduro 3 class. Finishing a comfortable fifth on day one Seb then repeated his result on day two having closed the gap between himself and the class winner Samuli Aro. Although hoping to be regularly challenging for podium positions this season Seb was pleased to have come through the GP of Sweden without incident or accident.

The CH Racing Husqvarna Team’s second French rider Marc Bourgeois started his ’08 Enduro Junior campaign in style placing on the podium on both days. Attacking the slippery Swedish special tests in his normal aggressive style, Bourgeois placed as runner-up and 41 seconds behind day one winner Roni Nikander and then third and less than half a second behind Italian Thomas Oldrati on day two.

Bartosz Oblucki: “I’m really disappointed that I injured my thumb. I’m not sure how bad it is but I’ve injured my other thumb before and that put me out of action for quite a while. I crashed on the track, where it crossed the lake. I was in fourth gear, hit a deep section of water, and went over the handlebars.
“Day one went quite well. I had some good tests and some not so good tests. At the end of the day I wasn’t too far behind Germain in fourth. Day two was going well, apart from one bad motocross test, and I felt good. I just rode through the last test as I wasn’t able to push at all.”

Antoine Meo: “I am really happy with the way the race has been for me. Fifth on day one and sixth on day is a great start to the championship. The first day was going really well, right up until the last test of the day. I landed heavily on a big rock and somehow twisted my bike’s frame. That dropped me to fifth in the E2 class, and made things difficult on day two. When I landed it twisted the front wheel, which did something to the chassis. I was lucky that I didn’t break the engine, but unlucky that my bike was a little second hand during day two.
“I trained hard and pushed really hard to get as good a result as I could but I wasn‘t expecting to be fast enough to lead for most of the first day like I did. The second day was hard. The team’s mechanics worked hard to try and improve the bike for me but I wasn’t able to compete with Salminen, Ljunggren or Aubert. All in all it has been a good weekend, although with a little luck it could have been better.”

Seb Guillaume: “Racing a four-stroke for Husqvarna for the first time was really good, but competing in the snow was difficult for me. I found the first day easier than the second day – the terrain was easier, but I didn’t feel really comfortable all weekend. Finishing fifth on both days isn’t a great result but with four Scandinavian riders ahead of me it isn’t too bad. It was just a case of doing as well as I could here in Sweden, now I am looking forward to the real start of the WEC in Portugal and Spain.”

OPTOMA MORTGAGES D3-RACING KTM
For the third year running the small town of Östersund in the North of Sweden organised the first round of the WEC series and the only snow race of the tour. For these conditions the bikes must be fitted with spiked snow tyres and the rider must adopt a new technique for such conditions as deep frozen ruts and soft snow. It’s a very interesting race which not all riders enjoy or can easily adapt to, but it is possible for non-Scandinavian riders to perform well with a little practice.

Last year Tom Sagar did not really enjoy these conditions and this year was no different unfortunatly. On the first few tests he was steady and safe but just a little off the pace as he tried to understand the snow and compromise his riding style. Slowly, as the day progressed, he was improving and feeling more comfortable and was working hard to maintain a top 10 position, realistically this was the best he could achieve on this day.

On the final MX test he lost control of the bike on the face of a jump, he went over the bars and landed very hard on the frozen ground. The crash had caused some damage to him and he needed hospital inspection and was unable to continue the day. X Rays did not show any broken bones or serious injury but Tom was in such discomfort that he could not start on Sunday either, he now flies back to the UK and hopes to be ready for this weekend's British Championship race in Scotland.

Electraction TM UK
McConnell starts ’08 WEC series with top 10 finish

Electraction TM UK rider Euan McConnell braved the cold of the opening round of the ’08 World Enduro Championship to compete in the GP of Sweden, staged in Ostersund, where he placed in 15th and ninth in the competitive Enduro 3 class. Returning to both the WEC and the Enduro 3 category McConnell, who has opted to race aboard a TM four-stroke this year and not a 300cc two-stroke machine as he did in ’07, faces some tough competition this season with no fewer than eight factory supported riders competing in the largest capacity WEC class.

As expected the WEC opener was tough on the non-Scandinavian riders even though temperatures remained above freezing during both days of competition. With the event featuring just two time checks, the results were decided on two special tests – one fast and flowing motocross test and one long, rough and rutted enduro test.

On day one Euan, who had picked up a heavy cold in the run up to the event, started promisingly with an 11th place finish on the opening test but then failed to perform at his best ending the day in 15th. Not making any major mistakes Euan simply found riding on the frozen ground took some getting used to and like many riders struggled to match the many Scandinavian riders for speed.

Day two ended with a much better result for Euan as he finished ninth in class and ahead of some big named riders. With the enduro test extremely rutted and muddy conditions didn’t favour the Scandinavian riders quite as much as they had on day one. Getting faster as the day went on McConnell placed an impressive seventh in class on the final test of the event to bring the first round of the ’08 WEC season to a promising start.

Euan will next be in action at the second round of the ’08 British Enduro Championship, which takes place in Scotland this coming weekend.

Euan McConnell: “Day one wasn’t great for me. The terrain is so strange to ride on - I didn’t get things sorted properly until day two. I felt like a fish out of water. My game plan on day one was just to get through it as best I could, which I managed to do. I wanted to try and get faster as the event progressed and not push too hard too soon and risk crashing by doing that.

“15th on day one wasn’t great but finishing inside the top 10 on day two was really good. My last few tests on day two went pretty well. The Enduro 3 class is really competitive this season so to finish inside the top 10 on Sunday is a good result, especially when riders like Stefan Merriman were behind me. I’m pretty chuffed with a top 10 finish.”

BMW Motorrad Motorsport
BMW make encouraging start to ’08 WEC series in Sweden

Seven-time World Enduro Champion Anders Eriksson got the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team’s participation in the ’08 WEC series off to an extremely promising start at the GP of Sweden as the newly signed team rider claimed two fourth place finishes in the competitive Enduro 3 class. Painstakingly close to finishing on the podium on day two having held the runner-up position for much of the day, Eriksson eventually matched his day one result of fourth after falling during the very last special test of the event. Despite his obvious frustration BMW nevertheless showed that they are ready to challenge for podium positions in what is their first full season in the WEC.

Entering four riders into three classes in Sweden – Finn Simo Kirssi and Belgian Jeff Goblet in Enduro 2, Swede Anders Eriksson in Enduro 3 and German Bert Meyer in Enduro Junior, the opening round of the ’08 WEC series was an important event for the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team for several reasons. Having participated in selected rounds of the ’07 series to further the development of the new 450cc sports enduro bike, in Sweden the emphasis was on competition. With seven-time world champion Anders Eriksson leading the team’s assault, the first round of the eight-event championship ended encouragingly with the team’s enduro newcomer Simo Kirssi placing eighth on day two.

But it was Eriksson, competing aboard a 480cc machine in the Enduro 3 class, that showed that BMW are more than ready to start challenging for podium results this season. Hopeful of a top three result at his home round of the world championship, Anders performed well on day one but was unable to match the pace of the three riders that eventually finished ahead of him. On day two it was a very different story. Fifth on the opening motocross test Eriksson then upped his pace and placed second in class on the long and technical enduro test. Backing that up with another impressive time on the second enduro test, Anders held the runner-up position as the day neared its close. On the final test of the event Anders saw his good work undone as a fall cost him eight seconds and with it his hopes of claiming BMW’s first WEC podium result were ended.

For Enduro 2 class riders Simo Kirssi and Jeff Goblet the GP of Sweden proved to be a challenging one. On day one Kirssi’s bike failed to start, but with a new battery fitted the enduro newcomer gained valuable experience ahead of day two. Riding a four-stroke in winter conditions for the first time Goblet placed 15th having seen his day spoiled by too many crashes. On day two Kirssi overcame a slow start to finish inside the top 10 on all but two special tests in the E2 class. Performing at his best on the enduro test the Finn claimed a well-deserved top 10 points scoring result with eighth in class. Fast, but making a few too many mistakes as he did on day one, Goblet finished 17th but having enjoyed himself in Sweden.

In the Enduro Junior class Bert Meyer just missed out on scoring world championship points on day one finishing 21st out of 36 finishers but placed 17th on day two. Part of the reason Meyer failed to break into the top 20 of the EJ class on day one was because he unselfishly stopped to help an injured rider who had crashed ahead of him.

Simo Kirssi – Enduro 2 class: “I really enjoyed my first World Enduro Championship race. We had some problems on day one as my bike didn’t start in the morning but it was just a simple problem, which we fixed easily. Problems like that can happen in motorsport. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to score any points on day one, because I had to fit the new battery, but I rode anyway for most of the day to get some experience. I was pretty pleased with the way it went.”
“The second day went well. My bike was really good and I finished eighth, which for my first WEC race I’m pleased with. I made some mistakes, like most riders did, I got stuck behind some riders on a few tests, but yeah it was ok. The enduro test was difficult. It looked like it would be fast but it got really rough. I learned a lot about enduro from the weekend so lets see how things go in Portugal and Spain now.”

Jeff Goblet – Enduro 2 class: “It’s been a good weekend for me in terms of what I’ve learned about racing a four-stroke in the snow, but not great in terms of my results. My main problem was that I couldn’t stop my eyes from watering, which meant that I couldn’t see properly. It was a really strange problem. I was riding quite well but I made too many crashes, which spoiled my results. I know that my speed in the tests wasn’t too bad in many sections but I always had some small mistakes, which cost me a lot of time. If I can remove the mistakes I know I can get much better results because my bike is really good.”

Anders Eriksson – Enduro 3 class: “The first day was difficult because at the start I had to do some work on my bike. A few people thought I’d received outside assistance, which I hadn’t. There was talk that I might get disqualified, which effected my concentration a little. As things turned out I had done nothing wrong and I finished fourth, which I was quite pleased with. I wanted to be closer to the podium but it was a good start to the season.
“Day two didn’t start that well as I was fifth on the first test, but things got better. Coming into the last test I was second in class, but then I fell on the last test and dropped to fourth. I can’t tell you how disappointed I am. Not just because I made a stupid mistake, crashed and wasted a great result but because I should have given BMW their first WEC podium result.”

Wolfgang Fischer – BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team Manager: “It’s been a good weekend because BMW showed that we are able to fight for podium positions. Anders was second going into the final test on day two but crashed and dropped to fourth, which was disappointing. Nevertheless it shows that both he and the bike are performing well. Also Simo, Jeff and Bert learned a lot. It was Simo’s first ever WEC race, and only his second enduro, and he put in some strong test times. We are all looking forward to the next two rounds of the championship so that we can continue to move things forward in the right direction.”