CERVANTES AND SALMINEN DOMINATE THE SECOND DAY
Riding in Polish sand is not improvised, and from one day to the other, the same contenders animated the second round of the GRAND PRIX MAXXIS OF POLAND, counting for the fourth race of 2008 MAXXIS FIM WEC. In spite of some raindrops, dust has once again constrained riders and mechanical teams to a great vigilance. The winners of this second day are Ivan Cervantes, Juha Salminen, Marko Tarkkala and Thomas Oldrati.

As yesterday in E1, Ivan CERVANTES (ESP-KTM) decided to take the orders of the race from the first special test to keep on first position all the day, resisting to the repeated attacks of Mika AHOLA (FIN-HON) in the morning. By making the difference in particular in the Cross Test, his speciality, Cervantes offers himself an impressive double victory with an advantage of 23 seconds, and comes back seriously in the race for world crown.

Ivan Cervantes: "In each special test, the gap with Mika was tight, 3 or 4 seconds. I just fell once in the Cross Test, I loose 5 seconds, but for the rest I rode at my maximum. I was leading from the morning, and it was really important for me to win here, after having l delay in the championship. From now, only 10 points separate us, and everything can happen.’

Simone ALBERGONI (ITA-YAM), third of the day, wanted to prove that he can still play the championship by keeping in contact with Ahola and Cervantes. Follow the two team-mates Cristobal GUERRERO (ESPYAM), Maurizio MICHELUZ (ITA-YAM) and Marc GERMAIN (FRA-YAM) 6th after having fallen heavily.

In ENDURO 2, under conditions close to his native Finland, Juha SALMINEN (FIN-KTM) is unbeatable. If he will never recognise it, the KTM rider particularly prepared this Grand Prix, by working especially on the suspension settings. Salminen wins with a 41 seconds advance, by containing Johnny AUBERT (FRA-YAM) second. The French, tired, was not able to threaten his rival directly. The surprise of the day comes from Simo KIRSSI (FIN-BMW), third of the event. With an impressive last lap, the Finn signs an historical podium for him and for the young and dynamic BMW team. Physically fresher than the others, after his DNF on Saturday, Antoine MEO (FRA-HVA) finishes fourth, in front of Alessandro BELOMETTI (ITA-KTM) fifth. After a serious crash yesterday, the medical bulletin of Jari MATTILA (FIN-HON) appears positive. Although shocked, the solid Finn took the start of the race before to give up quickly for his security.

This second day of race marks the reaction of Christophe NAMBOTIN (FRA-GAS) and Marko TARKKALA (FIN-KTM) in ENDURO 3. With their experience of the motocross, the two men were the fastest in the ruts today. Finally, Tarkkala wins by using his exceptional physical resources, he precedes the French for less than eight seconds.

Marko TARKKALA: "Everything has gone well for me today, no big mistake, so I’m really happy. I was just a little bit nervous because the times were tight all the day, but my riding did not weaken. I always fight for the plate of number 1."

In spite of a bad start and a painful injury to the finger, Samuli ARO (FIN-KTM) realises a hold-up by stealing the third final place in the end to Sebastien GUILLAUME (FRA-HVA) fourth and Marcus KEHR (GER-KTM) fifth. Note that 4 two-strokes bikes occupy the Top 5 of E3.

Among the Juniors, Thomas OLDRATI (ITA-KTM) already proved in the past that he was often faster the second day of race, when the track becomes bumpy. Fabio Farioli’s favourite thus wins logically the day, by making ones of his best times in the Enduro Test. His rival Marc BOURGEOIS (FRA-HVA) is slightly taken down, second at almost 30 seconds. Spanish Oriol MENA (ESP-KTM) ends third.

Next world event, the GRAND PRIX MAXXIS OF WALES, July 19th and 20th in Llanidloes.

SAND, DUST AND HIGH SPEED FOR THE FIRST DAY

In enduro, the rain is generally dreaded. But on this GRAND PRIX MAXXIS OF POLAND, it was frankly awaited. The showers fallen Friday fixed a little the dust to offer better conditions to this first day of competition, counting for the fourth event of 2008 MAXXIS FIM WEC. On a soft and sandy ground, the Finnish riders put forward their experience, but not only. Contenders from Southern Europe and especially French defended themselves. In the four categories of the championship, the winners are Ivan Cervantes, Juha Salminen, Sébastien Guillaume and
Marc Bourgeois.

Whereas the best sand specialist Mika AHOLA (FIN-HON) was awaited on the top of the E1, it is finally Ivan CERVANTES (ESP-KTM) who makes the surprise by dominating the Finn comfortably, with a 15 seconds advance. With gear selector problems, Cristobal GUERRERO (ESP-YAM) lets Marc GERMAIN (FRA-YAM) and Simone ALBERGONI (ITA-YAM) fight for the third place. 19 seconds faster, the French signs his first podium of the season. For his come back to the competition, local Bartosz OBLUCKI (POL-HVA) has to give up on an engine breaking.

By losing 22 seconds on a tree crossing in the first extreme test, the E2 leader Johnny AUBERT (FRA-YAM) let definitively his rival Juha SALMINEN (FIN-KTM) ride towards the victory. With a metronomic regularity, the Finn imposes himself with more than one minute on Aubert and takes a revenge on the bad Spanish fate.

Juha Salminen: "It was a good day, even if it was a long and hard race. For this event, I did not change anything in my preparation. It’s simple, I don’t have any choice for the championship. I must absolutely win to go up in the standings.”

Taken down from the leading duet, Alessandro BELOMETTI (ITA-KTM) climbs the third step of the podium, in front of Rodrig THAIN (FRA-TM) fourth. After a good start in the morning, Antoine MEO (FRA-HVA) knows the same misfortune than in Portugal and Spain. He has to give up for ignition problems. The other bad luck was for Jari MATTILA (FIN-HON). Victim of a fall in the Enduro Test, he would suffer from a broken leg.

For the French Sebastien GUILLAUME (FRA-HVA), the return to two strokes is synonymous of a true rebirth. Dominator from the first special test, the Husqvarna official rider did not weaken in front of the repeated attacks of Stefan MERRIMAN (AUS-APR) and Samuli ARO (FIN-KTM). He signs a first victory in ENDURO 3 this season.

Sebastien GUILLAUME: "I must recognise that it was hard for my mind after Spain and Portugal. With Fabrizio Azzalin, my team manager, we took the decision to make the jump back from 4T to 2T, on the bike I rode last year. It is true that I came here with a huge motivation. For me a new championship starts today, with this victory. I was leading all the day. I resisted to the pressure of Samuli, and for this I’m happy."

The boss of the category Samuli ARO (FIN-KTM) suffering of an injury to the left hand contracted in a home accident, he managed to save the second place of E3, fighting with Stefan MERRIMAN (AUS-APR), third for 6 seconds. To the classification of the day, follow Marko TARKKALA (FIN-KTM) and Christophe NAMBOTIN (FRA-GAS).

On his little 125 cc Husqvarna, Marc BOURGEOIS (FRA-HVA) gave the maximum attack once again to win the Junior category over a sandy ground however greedy in power. As a specialist of this surface, Roni NIKANDER (FIN-KTM) turns upside down the usual hierarchy by intercalating himself between the two strong men of the category. A bad operation for Thomas OLDRATI (ITA-KTM), third. The Italian offers some precious points to his French rival in the race to the title.

Note that this GRAND PRIX MAXXIS OF POLAND marks a new step in the way of ecology and environment. On the initiative of the Polish organisers and ABC Communication, the riders (among them Bartosz Oblucki, Ivan Cervantes or Stefan Merriman) planted 18 young trees symbolising the nations represented on the WEC. In addition to restrictive noise measures, this action traduces the common wish of an enduro more respectful of the environment and the areas which it crosses.



KTM Racing

Double victory for Ivan Cervantes in E1 GP in Poland
KTM Factory rider Ivan Cervantes of Spain rocketed to a double victory in rounds seven and eight of the E1 World Championship held this weekend in Kielce in the north of Poland.

Cervantes picked up a maximum of 50 points for his efforts to close the gap on standings leader Mika Ahola to 10 points and keep his championship hopes alive. Team boss Fabio Farioli, elated after KTM wins in all four Enduro categories in Poland, described Cervantes rides as "incredible".
 
Cervantes back in the championship race
"The gap with Mika was very tight, just three or four seconds in each special test. I fell once in the cross test but for the rest I rode at my maximum," Cervantes said after the race. "It was really important for me to win here today. Now only 10 points separate us and anything can happen."
 
Unbeatable in Poland
On Saturday Cervantes took the extremely long race with a 15 second margin from the dominant Finn Ahola after almost eight hours of riding in the Polish sand. On Sunday in an abbreviated version, the Spanish KTM rider took control of the race from the first special test and successfully fended off any attacks from Ahola. He finished with a 23-second advantage to assume his role as a serious title contender. Farioli was also satisfied with the performance of his KTM factory rider Tom Sagar who wrapped up the weekend with a 7-8 result in what is his first year in the senior competition.
 
Salminen doubles his luck in E2 GP in Northern Poland
KTM factory rider Juha Salminen sent a strong signal to his rivals at the E2 Grand Prix of Poland this weekend when he won both rounds seven and eight for top of the rank 50 world championship points.

The Finn, who dominated the E1 competition last season, was in devastating form on the sand of the northern Polish venue delivering a result that thrilled his team manager Fabio Farioli and compensated for him missing out on points in Round Five in Spain.
 
Salminen going for victories
"It was a good day even if it was a long and hard race," Salminen said after nearly eight hours on his KTM machine on Saturday," adding that it was now necessary to go for the victory in all remaining races to keep his championship hopes alive. Salminen fine-tuned his suspension settings and on Sunday in a race that was nearly two hours shorter than Saturday's marathon, he came home 41 seconds ahead of arch rival and championship leader Jonny Aubert of France. Now only 19 points separate the two riders in the standings with 200 points from eight remaining rounds still up for grabs.
 
It was also a solid weekend for KTM's Alessandro Belometti who finished on the podium in third place on Saturday and in fifth place on Sunday.

KTM's Aro and Tarkkala enjoy success in E3 GP in Poland
KTM Enduro Factory Team Finnish riders Samuli Aro and Marko Tarkkala were clearly at home in the conditions of northern Poland this weekend. Aro was second on Saturday and Tarkkala took the top podium spot for the E3 class on Sunday.

Aro's efforts on Saturday were despite lingering pain from a non-race-related injury to his hand that required bone and skin grafts in a race that went for almost eight gruelling hours. But the second day belonged to his team-mate Marko Tarkkala who called upon all his physical fitness and finesse to win the race by around eight seconds from second placed Christophe Nambotin of France. Aro experienced pain in his injured hand on Sunday but still managed to finish in third place.

"Everything went well for me today. I made no big mistakes so I am really happy," Tarkkala commented after the race concluded on Sunday. "I was a bit nervous because the times were tight all day. My riding did not weaken and I continue to fight for the number one number plate."



YAMAHA RACING

Albergoni makes Day2 Polish podium
Italian Simone Albergoni once again led the UFO Corse Yamaha team's Enduro 1 class assault of the World Enduro Championship where at the Grand Prix of Poland he finished in 4th and 3rd places aboard his WR250F.

With a break of just over two months since the third round of the series was held in Spain Albergoni was determined to maintain his good run of results in this year's WEC series and despite missing out on a podium result on Day1 claimed a well deserved 3rd place on Day2 to maintain his 3rd position in the Enduro 1 world championship standings.

No fewer than four Yamaha mounted riders finished inside the top six on both days in Poland. Yamaha France rider Marc Germain placed 3rd on Day1 but dropped to 6th on Day2.

With conditions extremely dry and dusty in Kwidzyn the fourth round of the '08 WEC series proved to be an extremely demanding one. A long, hard day lay ahead on Saturday, and a shorter but equally as challenging prospect on Sunday.

Yamaha France rider Marc Germain emerged as the highest placed Yamaha rider on Day1 claiming 3rd place alongside Mika Ahola and winner Ivan Cervantes. For UFO Corse Yamaha riders Simone Albergoni, Cristobal Guerrero and Maurizio Micheluz the opening day brought mixed fortunes as Albergoni wasn't quite able to find the speed he had produced at earlier rounds of the championship, and as a result was unable to challenge for a top three result.

Spaniard Cristobal Guerrero saw much of his hard work undone when he crashed in the final enduro test. In contention for a podium result up until the time of his spill, the former Enduro Junior world champion then fell again on the final extreme test, which well and truly ended his chances of a top-three. Cristobal eventually placed 5th, sandwiched between Albergoni and the UFO Corse Yamaha team's third E1 class rider Maurizio Micheluz.

On Day2 Albergoni returned to the podium but for reasons he wasn't able to explain could not challenge Ahola and Cervantes for the win. Consistent throughout the day Albergoni only finished lower than 4th in the class on two occasions, but was frustrated with having not been more competitive. Nevertheless the Italian remains a strong third in the Enduro 1 world championship standings.

Just 10 seconds behind Albergoni on Day2 Guerrero avoided the mistakes he made 24 hours earlier and placed a solid 4th. Performing well on both the technical extreme test and long motocross test the Spaniard showed that he is now fully over his early season shoulder injury and that it won't be long until he is challenging for the E1 class podium. One place behind Cristobal, but over one-minute adrift, Maurizio Micheluz finished Day2 in 5th with Yamaha France rider Marc Germain 6th.

Simone Albergoni (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 1 class - Day 1, 4th, Day 2, 3rd:
"Finishing on the podium on the second day was good but I'm not really pleased with the way I rode this weekend. The frustrating thing is that I'm not really sure why I wasn't able to be as fast as I needed to be to fight for victory. I had a few small crashes but that wasn't my main problem. I guess I just wasn't fast enough. I hope that in Wales I'll be able to ride like I did in Portugal."

Cristobal Guerrero (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 1 class - Day 1, 5th, Day 2, 4th:
"I'm pleased with my results from day two but not really happy with the way things finished on day one. The first day was going really well until the last lap, and then I had a really bad final enduro and extreme test. I lost a lot of time in the enduro test and then fell on the extreme. I still finished fifth but I was a long way behind Albergoni. The second day wasn't too bad as I was fourth and only 10 seconds behind Albergoni. I had a good second day really but I was a little bit slow on the first enduro test."

Maurizio Micheluz (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 1 class - Day 1, 6th, Day 2, 5th:
"Day one didn't start so well because I didn't feel good in the dusty, sandy conditions. I crashed twice, which didn't help my result, but I just didn't feel good. The second day was better because I finished fifth - I rode some better special tests so I was happier about that. I caught up to one or two riders on the special tests on day two, which slowed me a little bit because of the dust, but probably didn't change my result too much. It's not been the best of races, but also not too bad."

Aubert maintains E2 lead after Polish podium double
Arriving at the Grand Prix of Poland as leader of the Enduro 2 world championship Frenchman Johnny Aubert hoped to repeat the double E2 class victory he scored at the third round of the series in Spain. Looking forward to competing in the dry conditions and well rested ahead of the fourth event of the season, Aubert would go on to take 2nd on both days in Kwidzyn, finishing behind Finn Juha Salminen. Unable, like many riders, to really get to grips with the extremely dry, dusty conditions, Aubert nevertheless remains at the top of the E2 championship standings. Aubert's team mate Fabrizio Dini suffered two big crashes on Day1 and placed 9th in both outings.

Beginning Day1 by finishing 10th following a crash on the opening extreme test, wasn't the start world championship class leader Aubert had hoped for. Having made a small but costly mistake on the first timed special test of the event, that's exactly how the fourth round of the '08 WEC series began for the Yamaha mounted Frenchman. Thankfully his form would pick up markedly as Aubert bounced back to win the very next special test before going on to claim a solid runner-up result to seven-time world champion Juha Salminen.

On Day2 the 28-year-old made a much better start but after more than one-hour of special test action, again placed second to Salminen. Avoiding big mistakes and riding well aboard his WR450F, Aubert wasn't able to get into a rhythm across the dry, dusty Polish terrain. Winning one of the day's three timed motocross tests, Johnny finished comfortably ahead of third placed E2 class rider Simo Kirssi and claimed two runner-up results overall from what the Frenchman openly admitted wasn't a particularly good weekend. With the '08 WEC series now passing the halfway point Aubert still remains comfortably ahead in the Enduro 2 class.

Italian Fabrizio Dini - like Aubert - also crashed on the opening day's special, placing 23rd in the class at the end of the opening extreme test on day one and then spent the rest of the course working his way up the leader-board. Performing consistently well on the motocross test Dini was unable to reproduce his speed on the enduro and extreme test sections but succeeded in fighting his way back to 9th in the class. On Day2 Dini again posted impressively quick times on the motocross test but was unable to improve on his day one result, again finishing 9th.

Johnny Aubert (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 2 class - Day 1, 2nd, Day 2, 2nd:
"I don't know why but this weekend wasn't good for me. My riding wasn't as good as it should have been and I just didn't have a good feeling on the special test. I just didn't feel comfortable. I still managed to get two second place results despite this, which isn't too bad for the championship, but Juha was too fast. I crashed once on the extreme test on day one, and after that nothing I attempted helped me go faster. Like I said this is not what I wanted but it still wasn't so bad. I just hope that things will be better in the UK."

Fabrizio Dini (UFO Corse Yamaha) Enduro 2 class - day 1 Ninth, Day 2 Ninth:
"Day one didn't go well for me. I made mistakes and stopped my bike in both the first and second extreme tests and I was last in the E2 class after the first extreme test. Things improved after that but because I made such a bad start to the day I was just trying to make back as many positions as I could. I didn't have such a good opening lap on day two. Things improved but, well, it wasn't so bad. It was a hard race though, especially on day one because it was so long."



CH Racing Husqvarna
Victory for Guillaume & Bourgeois at WEC GP of Poland

CH Racing Husqvarna riders Seb Guillaume and Marc Bourgeois ensured that Husqvarna’s participation in the fourth round of the ’08 World Enduro Championship was a success with Guillaume topping the Enduro 3 class and Bouregois the Enduro Junior class on day one. With one month of dry weather before the event resulting in the GP of Poland being extremely dusty both riders produced their best results of the season so far. For Guillaume the event marked a return to two-stroke machinery having opted to revert back to a bike similar to that he used during his ’08 WEC campaign.

Switching to his preferred two-stroke machinery Guillaume claimed his first winning result of ’08 at the GP of Poland as he topped the Enduro 3 class ahead of Finn Samuli Aro and Australian Stefan Merriman on day one. Expecting his Finnish E3 class rivals to dominate the two days of competition due to conditions in Poland being extremely sandy, Seb certainly wasn’t expecting to make a welcomed return to the top of a WEC podium. But after more than one-hour of special test action and having completed 11 special tests, three of which he won, that’s exactly what the Frenchman did finishing just under 10 seconds ahead of Aro.

Again riding well on day two Guillaume narrowly missed out on a second visit to the podium as he placed fourth and less than four seconds behind third placed Aro. With Finn Marko Tarkkala topping the class, and with Frenchman Christophe Nambotin finishing second, Seb found the second day difficult yet still managed to secure a great result.

In the Enduro 2 class Spaniard Aaron Bernandez secured the CH Racing Husqvarna team’s best result on day one with a well-deserved sixth. Aaron’s highest WEC placing to date, the former motocross rider performed well on all three of the event’s special tests. Disappointingly for the team Antoine Meo was forced to retire from day one with a mechanical problem.
On day two the two Husqvarna’s two E2 class riders suffered reversed fortunes as Bernandez failed to finish the day while Meo again showed that he is a fast learner when it comes to the WEC and narrowly missed a podium result. Hampered by the fact that he only got to ride each of the three different special tests once on day one, Meo put in two impressive laps early on day two and was headed towards another top three finish. But on the final lap the Frenchman crashed, which resulted in him dropping to fourth and missing the podium by less than two seconds. Despite his lack of experience Antoine again showed great speed in Poland.

In the Enduro Junior class WR125 mounted Bourgeois claimed two podium visits taking victory on day one and backing it up with a runner-up result on day two. With competition close at the top of the Enduro Junior class Marc rode well on both days, overcoming an early crash on day one. On day two Marc again performed well throughout the day but wasn’t quite able to keep Italian Thomas Oldrati off the top spot.

Husqvarna’s Enduro 1 class rider Bartosz Oblucki failed to finish day one due to a mechanical problem nearing the end of the day and took no further part in the event.

Seb Guillaume: “It’s been a really good weekend for me, although I did get tired on day two. The team and I took the decision to revert back to a two-stroke, and it seems to have been the right decision. I’ve ridden two strokes for 20 years – I guess I just find it easier racing a two-stroke.

“I can’t really explain why I was faster than Samuli and the other riders on day one because when I walked the special tests before the race I was sure that it would suit the Finnish riders better. I felt good during the first day and didn’t make too many mistakes. I was a little surprised to be leading but it’s good to win again, not just for myself but also for the team.

“Day two wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t really good either. Generally I’m not one of the faster riders in sandy conditions but this weekend things worked out really well. I hope I can continue to get good results for the rest of the championship now.”

Antoine Meo: “It’s been a really nice enduro. The forest was interesting to ride and the special tests with the sand were really good fun to ride. It was disappointing that I had some mechanical problems on day one and wasn’t able to finish but day two was really good. It was hard on day two because the other riders knew the tests better than I did, but I really enjoyed it. I should have finished on the podium, I missed it by two seconds, but I crashed on the final test.”

Marc Bourgeois: “Although I crashed on the first extreme test on day one the day went really well. After that I didn’t make any mistakes at all really and I liked the special tests. It was a difficult day, but I enjoyed it.

“Day two wasn’t quite as good, although I finished on the podium again. I rode well again but Thomas Oldrati was too fast. First and second is a good result, but I wanted to win on day two like I did on day one.”



MPS Racing Husqvarna
MPS Husqvarna riders tough it out at GP of Poland

MPS Racing Husqvarna riders Daryl Bolter and Si Wakely travelled to Kwidzyn in Poland this past weekend where, supported by injured team mate Gavin Houson, they competed in the fourth round of the ‘08 World Enduro Championship. With no rain in northern Poland for over one month extremely dry conditions resulted in what many riders considered the toughest WEC race of the season so far.

Team MPS Husqvarna’s Enduro 1 class rider Daryl Bolter did well in light of the fact he was suffering severely with hay fever and a cold claiming one top ten finish with a solid ninth in class on day two and came close to making it two top 10 results with an 11th place result on day one. Daryl found the event difficult on day one due to feeling under the weather and saw his result affected by a an unlucky fall on the extreme test, which cost him almost 30 seconds.

In the Enduro Junior class Simon Wakely had mixed fortunes aboard his 450 machine. Showing good speed in the both the extreme and cross-country tests, Si was unlucky to damage his gear selector shaft in a crash, meaning he had to retire. His fortunes rose a little on day two as he eventually place 11th.

With the course taking place in and around a heavily wooded and sandy area on the outskirts of Kwidzyn, two long days made for a tough, physically demanding event that featured one of the longest motocross tests seen in the WEC for many years as well as extremely dusty cross-country and extreme tests.

The fifth round of the ’08 WEC series sees the MPS racing Husqvarna team competing on home soil as the championship moves to Wales in mid July.

Daryl Bolter: “It’s not been too bad a weekend considering I’ve been feeling ill. I’ve been suffering with hay fever and a cold, and it’s really taken it out of me. I seemed to get really tired in the special tests as well as getting out of breath. I kept trying to make up for some of the mistakes I was making but then I’d make even bigger mistakes, which was frustrating.

“I tried to calm things down a bit o day two, and I got a better result. I found the race really difficult – partly because of not feeling well and partly because it was bloody tough. I got two decent results so I can’t complain too much, although it’s not been one of the most enjoyable races for me.”

Si Wakely: “Day one was really disappointing because I damaged my gear selector when I crashed into a tree. There wasn’t a lot I could after that so it was just a case of getting the bike ready for the second day once that happened.

“Day two was hard because the tests were so rutted and bumpy. It was strange because I was riding well on the extreme test, which I don’t normally, but not really getting to grips with the motocross test, which I normally enjoy and ride well on. The enduro test was just really hard work because it was just one long rut. Hopefully things will go better in Wales.”



Electraction TM UK
Difficult time for Electraction TM riders at GP of Poland

Continuing their participation in the ’08 World Enduro Championship the Electraction TM team headed to Kwidzyn in Poland for the fourth round of this year’s WEC series where they were greeted by unexpectedly dry conditions and an extremely tough event. With the event marking the passing of the halfway point of the championship, and with the next round of the series being the much looked forward to GP of Wales, it was Scott Euan McConnell that again delivered the team’s best results placing in 15th and 13th in the competitive Enduro 3 class.

Finishing just two places behind seven-time enduro world champion Anders Eriksson on day one McConnell made an encouraging start but two heavy falls on the extreme test detuned the experienced WEC rider and he slipped down the E3 class results. Performing at his best on the long, fast and dusty motocross test Euan struggled with the event’s enduro test, which due to the dry weather quickly turned into one long rut.

On day two Euan climbed two positions to 13th in the Enduro 3 class despite still finding the one-line enduro test difficult. Ending the event with the seventh fastest E3 class time on the motocross test, Euan now looks forward to the GP of Wales where he hopes to finish with two top 10 results. Competing alongside Euan in the Enduro 3 class in Poland Electraction TM’s Gordon Clarke finished both days inside the points with a 19th on day one and a 16th place result on day two.

Disappointingly for the team’s Enduro Junior class rider Philip McLaughlin a derailed chain ended his first day. Wrapping itself around the gearbox sprocket, Philip’s engine had to be removed in order to free the chain before he could re-start the event on day two. Mixing some encouraging test times with a few too many crashes Philip eventually placed 19th in class, scoring world championship points for his efforts.

Euan McConnell: “I found the event tough on the first day, the track was whooped out and the day was really long. But I found the enduro test the most difficult, because it quickly turned into a very deep rut and I struggled with my long legs. The second day was a definite improvement for me, although I still didn’t finish as high in the results as I hoped I would. I’m pleased with some of my test times on the motocross test, I just struggled on the enduro test like on the first day.”



BMW Motorrad
Podium finish for BMW Motorrad and Kirssi at WEC GP of Poland

WEC '08 GP of Poland The BMW Motorrad Motorsport team had much to celebrate following the fourth round of the ’08 World Enduro Championship, the GP of Poland staged in Kwidzyn, as Enduro 2 class rider Simo Kirssi claimed BMW’s first ever enduro world championship podium result with a well-deserved third place finish on day two. Amazingly only Kirssi’s fourth ever WEC event, the Finn performed faultlessly during the race aboard his G 450 X to claim his highest ever world championship result. With team rider Anders Eriksson having come close to putting BMW on the podium at the season opening GP of Sweden, Kirssi surprised even himself with his speed and consistency as he performed well on the event’s demanding motocross and enduro tests, and exceptionally well on the technical extreme test. Despite the tough conditions all BMW Motorrad Motorsport team riders finished the fourth round of the ’08 WEC series with no technical problems.

Third in the Enduro 2 class on the opening special test on day one marked an encouraging start to the fourth round of the ’08 WEC series for Simo Kirssi. Looking to continue his rise up the E2 class results after promising performances at the opening three rounds of this year’s championship Simo quickly showed that he would be challenging for a podium result despite his relative lack of international enduro experience. Faltering slightly on the opening lap’s second and third special tests the Finn then improved his speed on lap two and on lap three placed as the E2 class runner-up on the extreme test. Repeating that result on the fourth and final extreme test Kirssi went on to place sixth on the final motocross test, which was enough to see him place fifth in class and finish just 12 seconds away from the final podium spot.

Realising that he had narrowly missed out on a podium result on day one Kirssi started day two steadily before getting into his stride on lap two. With competition for the third place position close between Kirssi, Frenchman Antoine Meo and Italian Alessandro Belometti, Kirssi put in a superb final lap finishing in fourth, second and fourth on the three consecutive special tests to edge ahead of Meo and claim his well deserved third place result. BMW Motorrad Motorsport team rider Jeff Goblet was missing from competition in Poland due to injuries he sustained at a recent round of the Belgian Enduro Championship.

While the GP of Poland was an extremely pleasing event for Finn Kirssi it proved to be a frustrating one for seven-time enduro world champion Anders Eriksson in the Enduro 3 class. Returning to the place where he claimed his first ever WEC victory in ’93, Eriksson placed a disappointing 13th on day one. On day two the Swede performed notably better jumping to a strong seventh place result in the competitive Enduro 3 class.

Simo Kirssi – Enduro 2 class: “It’s been a hard weekend but it’s great to have got my, and BMW’s, first podium result. The conditions were a little like in Finland, which helped me, and I enjoyed the race. I never thought that I would finish on the podium. I struggled a little bit on the first lap on day one, even though I was pushing hard. But as the track got rougher I found things easier and my special test times improved.
On the first day I had some really good times on the extreme test, which was a bit of a surprise. In general I was happy with the way I rode on all the tests but like I said I never expected to finish on the podium. My bike was perfect and I didn’t have any problems at all. It feels great to have got my first podium. I have to thank the BMW team for their support, without them it wouldn’t have been possible.”

Anders Eriksson – Enduro 3 class: “I wasn’t at all happy with the way things went on day one, but finishing seventh on day two was much better. I have been training a lot recently, and, well, maybe I did a bit too much riding. I seemed to be fighting my bike a lot and just didn’t feel good.
On day two I relaxed a lot and things were much better. It’s been a tough race, there was nowhere you could rest on the course. Yes it was really dusty, but apart from that it was a really good world championship race.”

Wolfgang Fischer – BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team Manager: “It’s been a lot of hard work reaching this point but it’s great to see a BMW rider on the podium. I have to thanks the team, Markus Theobald for designing the bike, and of course Simo for his superb performance. Considering that the GP of Poland was only Simo’s fourth ever international enduro race makes his result even better. Less than 12 months ago Simo had no ambitions to be an enduro rider but ever since January he has really been bitten by the enduro bug and is really enjoying competing in the world championship. He had some top three results on the extreme test during the weekend, which shows that he is really adapting to life in the WEC.
The other thing that is extremely pleasing considering the tough conditions is the fact that the team didn’t have any technical problems at all. In the Enduro 3 class Anders rode very well on day two having tried a little too hard on day one. The weekend has been a very encouraging step forward for everyone in the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team.”