Report after Day 1..... French triplet under mexican sun 18 July 2009 Regarded as the main motorsport event of the year in Latin America, the GRAND PRIX MAXXIS OF MEXICO started this Saturday in the mountains surrounding Valle de Bravo, at two hours of road in the South-west of Mexico City. Whereas the stars of MAXXIS FIM WEC expected a dusty and arid Mexican terrain as seen on cinema, they discovered a cool area with green landscapes, where the days are punctuated by the inevitable downpours of the afternoon. To spare the many South American riders, the track appeared relatively easy for the regular boarders of the championship. This first Mexican round, counting for the sixth go of the season, began on the banks of Valle de Bravo’s Lake with the KTM Super Test. The inhabitants of this pretty town of 57,000 hearts attended for the first time the spectacle of World Enduro Championship. The winner of this Friday traditional evening prologue is Samuli ARO (SF-KTM), two hundredths faster than his compatriot Juha SALMINEN (SF-BMW). Rodrig THAIN (FRA-TM) takes the third place of the KTM Super Test. At the beginning of Saturday, riders and mechanics must compose with certain mechanical constraints typical from the Mexican test. With a quality of gasoline different from Europe, and an altitude oscillating between 1800 and 2200 meters, the performances of the motorbikes were clearly reduced. In ENDURO 1, Mika AHOLA (SF-HM) takes a ten seconds penalty in the morning while not managing to start his engine. Irritated, he makes some mistakes in the first special tests and must be satisfied with the second final place. A gift offered to Antoine MEO (FRA-HVA). After having animated both last Grand Prix, the French wins his first victory on the WEC. Antoine MEO: “Finally… I’m running after this victory for a moment, that’s good. I benefited from the errors of Mika this morning. It was not so easy because I have been sick for three days. Yesterday I spent the day at bed in my hotel. I am happy for Husqvarna, it is the first victory for my motorbike. It is an encouraging result, especially to win in front of Mika, who is the best rider of the moment. ” The third place of Enduro 1 returns to Julien GAUTHIER (FRA-HM). In spite of ten seconds of penalty taken at the beginning, the French fought with Mika Ahola throughout the day. A first podium in Grand Prix rewards his rise on the world scene. The month of rest since the Grand Prix of Slovakia was salutary for the team BMW. In ENDURO 2, Juha SALMINEN (SF-BMW) uses for the first time a new frame and new suspensions settings on his 450 cc. Leading in the morning, he gave away finally to the attacks of Johnny AUBERT (FRA-KTM) and takes a beautiful second place, at only 33 seconds of the French. If Aubert by winning a new success is still unconquered, he imposes himself less comfortably than usually. The level is thus tightened at the top of the category, and Rodrig THAIN (FRA-TM) goes up finally on the podium of E2, by taking the third place. The first Mexicain rider of this event is without surprise Homero DIAZ (MEX-KTM), seventh. In ENDURO 3, in the virgin meadows of the interminable Cross Test during the morning, the French riders nearly at home made a harvest of seconds. They also managed to resist the return of their adversaries in drying tests. Whereas he is slowly recovering from his KO of the Grand Prix of Finland, Sebastien GUILLAUME (FRA-HVA) took the race for him in first of the four laps. In spite of the metronomic adversity of his rival Christophe NAMBOTIN (FRA-GAS), and then of an Ivan CERVANTES (ESP-KTM) more awaked in second part of day, Guillaume remains the fastest rider of the day in the overall and signs a second victory this season. Sebastien GUILLAUME: “ I knew that we could dig huge gaps in the Cross Test, and from the start I was feeling confident in this test. After my first lap in it, where I win 10 or 12 seconds, I really had a perfect day. At the beginning of the third lap I started to feel the tiredness. It was a hard day because of its length. I could not take it easy but at the same time I had not to fall. The hotness was also hard. I was expected the thunderstorm, but it did not come. I hope we’ll have rain tomorrow to cool us.” Ivan Cervantes like the whole of the riders had difficulties to approach the Mexican ground, apparently flat but actually strewn with small bumps shaking front train while braking and turning. His furia enabled him to steal the second place to Christophe Nambotin in end-of-day. Among Juniors, Oriol MENA (ESP-HSB) respects his contract by seeking a new success. A result in the Top 5 during the second round of the GRAND PRIX MAXXIS OF MEXICO on Sunday would make of him the new world champion.
congratulations, antoine and seb!!! the article did not mention that oblucki ended up on a very good 4th place in e2. r
