KTM-supported rider David Knight of Britain lifted his game and turned up the gas on Sunday to storm to top of the podium in the E3 GP of Italy in the beautiful Bergamo Valley, right in the heart of real Enduro country.

Knight, who was on the podium in third place on Saturday went out hard and fast on Sunday over the terrain that offered everything from challenging rocks, sand, French style grass and some classic Italian Enduro track to be top of the podium on Sunday in round Six of the World Championship. The Isle of Man racer now leads the championship six points clear of French rival Christophe Nambotin with KTM factory rider Simone Albergoni in third place.

Good weekend for Italy’s Albergoni

Riding in front of his home crowd and assured of some great fan support, Albergoni was also in top form on Sunday. The Italian improved on his fourth place from Saturday to be second behind Knight on Sunday. Germany’s KTM rider Marcus Kehr was also well in the points rankings with a solid sixth and eighth place.

The weekend’s race action got underway with the Super Test located in the town centre on Friday evening, giving locals and visiting fans the opportunity to watch rider skills at close range before they tackled the range of terrain over the next two days. The Italian GP in this area is the guarantee of enthusiastic support from Enduro aficionados and this year was no exception. Fans flocked to the valley to enjoy the two days of racing as the world’s best riders negotiated the territory around the picturesque village of Lovere in what was warm to hot weather and near perfect conditions.

Photos: Jonty Edmunds

E3 Results Day 1

1 Christophe Nambotin, France, Gas Gas

2. Sebastien Guillaume, France, Husqvarna

3. David Knight, Britain, KTM

4. Simone Albergoni, Italy KTM

5. Alessandro Botturi, Italy, Husaberg,

Other KTM

6. Marcus Kehr, Germany, KTM

E3 Results Day 2

1 David Knight, Britain, KTM

2. Simone Albergoni, Italy, KTM

3. Christophe Nambotin, France, Gas Gas

4. Oriol Mena, Spain, Husaberg

5 Sebastien Guillaume, France, Husqvarna

Other KTM

8. Marcus Kehr, Germany, KTM

E3 Standings after six rounds

1. David Knight, Britain, KTM 142 points

2. Christophe Nambotin, France, 136

3. Simone Albergoni, Italy, KTM 120

4. Sebastien Guillaume, France, 98

5. Alessandro Botturi, Italy, 86

Other KTM

6. Marcus Kehr, Germany, KTM 85

23.05.2010

KTM’s Cervantes in close battle with Ahola in E2

KTM Enduro Factory Racing’s Ivan Cervantes of Spain spent the weekend in mortal combat with arch rival Mika Ahola to finish with 44 championship points for his two second places in the E2 division of the GP of Italy.

“Ivan was fighting with Ahola the whole weekend and on Sunday there was just a margin of 0.17 between them,” Factory team boss Fabio Farioli reported on Sunday. Cervantes and Ahola have split first and second places in all races so far held this season.

Good points contribution from KTM’s Oldrati

The team’s overall performance was further enhanced by two solid fourth places by Cervantes’ Italian teammate Thomas Oldrati who was enthusiastically supported by the large crown in what is the true heartland of Enduro racing. Meanwhile EWC rookie Pierre-Alexandre Renet of France was also impressive on his KTM, twice finishing in third place in the two weekend races.

South Africa champion and KTM rider de Wet rides with the world’s best

Also making an appearance in Europe on the E2 GP circuit was South Africa’s National Enduro Champion and KTM rider, 25-year-old Altus de Wet. He finished in twenty second place on Saturday and improved two places to twentieth on Sunday. Altus told KTM South Africa that it was “a dream come true” for him to have the opportunity to test his skills against the world’s top riders at the Italian GP. He received support from his sponsors and Team KTM Farioli to make it happen.

Racers had their time cut out on the three lap circuit with plenty of rocks to master, a French style cross test in a grassy meadow an Italian-style Enduro Test and a super test on the edge of a river with plenty of rocks and sand.

E2 Results Day One

1. Mika Ahola, Finland, Honda

2. Ivan Cervantes, Spain, KTM

3. Pierre Alexandre Renet, France, KTM

4. Thomas Oldrati, Italy, KTM

5. Rodrig Thain, France, TM

E2 Results Day Two

1. Mika Ahola, Finland, Honda

2. Ivan Cervantes, Spain, KTM

3. Pierre Alexandre Renet, France, KTM

4. Thomas Oldrati, Italy, KTM

5. Rodrig Thain, France, TM

E2 Championship standings after six rounds

1. Mika Ahola, Finland, Honda, 144 points

2. Ivan Cervantes, Spain, KTM, 138

3. Thomas Oldrati, Italy, KTM, 104

4. Pierre Alexandre Renet, France, KTM, 94

5. Joakim Ljunggren, Sweden, Husaberg, 86

23.05.2010

Two second places for KTM’s Eero Remes; Aubert withdraws through sickness

Eero Remes, the Finnish rider of the KTM Enduro Factory Racing Team rose to the occasion on Saturday and Sunday in the picturesque but challenging terrain in Italy’s Lombardy to score two second places in the E1 GPs. Teammate Johnny Aubert was forced to retire on Saturday due to illness and did not start on Sunday.

“Remes was leading for half the race and he was as fast as (Antoine) Meo,” reported KTM Enduro Factory Racing team boss Fabio Farioli after Sunday’s race. Remes, who rider the 250 EXC-F lost some time in the last tests Farioli said but his two second place finishes were still a positive result for the team.

Doctors say no to Aubert starting on Sunday

Aubert forced to Johnny Aubert started on Saturday but had to withdraw and the doctors did not clear him to start on Sunday. The French rider will now undergo some medical tests to determine the nature of his illness. Being unable to race this weekend was a blow for the French rider who with one victory and three second places has been on the podium in all other races this season.

Blazusiak warms up after injury break

KTM’s Extreme Enduro specialist Taddy Blazusiak was seventh on Saturday and sixth on Sunday, after using the Italian GP to test his fitness after an enforced injury break. The Polish rider, winner of multiple Hare Scrambles on Austria’s notorious Iron Mountain, is aiming to be at the top of his game for the Erzberg Rodeo next month.

Good EJ weekend for KTM’s Lorenzo Santolino

Lorenzo Santolino of Spain had a great weekend in Italy with double victories to give him five from six races so far held this season. He trails Frenchman Jeremy Joly by a mere point in the overall standings, however Joly, who has been consistent in scoring minor podium places, has been so far deprived from taking the ultimate prize by the talented young KTM rider.

The GP of Italy was held against a backdrop of dramatic mountain scenery of Italy’s Lombardy. It not only attracted a record lineup of 147 male riders, a seven year record for the championship, but also hosted the first ever woman’s GP with 11 starters. The Bergamo Valley is considered to be the birthplace of Enduro racing and always attracts a big crowd of the sport’s enthusiasts.

First podium for KTM in newly inaugurated Women’s Enduro Championship

Three of the eleven starters in the newly inaugurated Women’s Enduro competition (EW) were onboard KTM machines and Germany’s Heike Petrick gave the Austrian-made sports machines their first podium place when she finished third on Sunday.  Petrick garnered 32 points for her weekend rides to finish sixth in the rankings with Sweden’s KTM rider Vanja Kollman picking up 30 points to be seventh overall. The third KTM rider, France’s KTM rider Marion Gimbert, finished with 26 points and is in eighth place in the standings. The new competition offers the women four more rides in the inaugural season, two in Poland and two in France.

E1 Results Day One

1. Antoine Meo, France, Husqvarna

2. Eero Remes, Finland, KTM

3. Cristobal Guerrero, Spain, Yamaha

4. Matti Seistola Finland, Husqvarna

5. Maurizio Micheluz, Italy, TM

Other KTM

7. Taddy Blazusiak, Poland, KTM

DNF Johnny Aubert, France, KTM Retired through illness at T.C. 3

E1 Results Day Two

1. Antoine Meo, France, Husqvarna

2. Eero Remes, Finland, KTM

3. Cristobal Guerrero, Spain, Yamaha

4. Matti Seistola Finland, Husqvarna

5. Nicholas Deparrois, France, Kawasaki

Other KTM

6. Taddy Blazusiak, Poland, KTM

DNS Johnny Aubert, France, KTM

Championships Standings after six of sixteen rounds

1. Antoine Meo, France 147

2. Cristobal Guerrero, 118

3. Eero Remes, Finland, KTM, 97

4. Matti Seistola, 95

5. Nicolas Deparrois, 94

Other KTM

6. Johnny Aubert, France, KTM 91 (DNF Saturday in Italy, DNS on Sunday in Italy)

14. Taddy Blazusiak, Poland, 29 (from two starts only in GP of Italy)

EJ Results Day One

1. Lorenzo Santolino, Spain, KTM

2. Victor Guerrero, Spain, Yamaha

3. Jeremy Joly, France, Honda

4. Mario Roman, Spain, KTM

EJ Results Day Two

1. Lorenzo Santolino, Spain, KTM

2. Victor Guerrero, Spain, Yamaha

3. Jeremy Joly, France, Honda

4. Joshua Green, Australia, TM

5. Giacomo Redondi, Italy, KTM

6. Michael Pogna, italy, KTM

EJ Standings after GP of Italy

1. Jeremy Joly, France Honda, 126

2. Lorenzo Santolino, Spain, KTM, 125

3. Victor Guerrero, Spain, Yamaha, 109

4. Mario Roman, Spain, KTM,

5. Romain Dumontier, France, Husqvarna, 86