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FIM Indoor Enduro World Cup - Taddy Blazusiak, champion!
The Polish rider Tadeusz Blazusiak (KTM) has been proclaimed World Cup champion of the FIM Indoor Enduro Sunday in Vigo, after the third event in the competition. As in the two previous events, Blazusiak dominated the three finals. The Swedish Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg) was second, beating by one point the Spanish rider Iván Cervantes (KTM).
Almost 5000 spectators in the Vigo stadium witnessed the absolute command to which ‘Taddy’ subjected his rivals: something they had also experienced in Sheffield y Genoa, the two previous championship venues.
In spite of having the unconditional support of the public, Cervantes couldn´t prevent the Polish rider from clinching the championship, who wins his first international title in Enduro. It is worth remembering that in his previous sporting stage he won European Trial title in 2004.
In Vigo there were some riders who could not participate, either because of injury or because of the adverse weather conditions affecting Europe, which meant that several Spanish riders could take part. Alfredo Gómez (Husaberg), Mario Román (KTM), Dani Oliveras (Gas Gas) or Cristóbal Guerrero (Yamaha) managed, for example, to classify for the three finals. The best time in the training was again Blazusiak, who was five seconds ahead of Ljunggren and seven ahead of Cervantes.
The first final left the title much clearer. Taddy was able to overtake Cervantes in the first bend, while the rider from Cambrils made a mistake, putting his foot in a hole and falling, his bike on top. When he tried to get back on, another rider fell on top of him and both of them joined the race again a long way behind the others. He was able to win back three positions and finished sixth. This left the title on the plate for his team-mate. Ljunggren finished second and an incredible Dani Gibert (Yamaha), who debuted with a new bike won third place, ahead of Mika Ahola (Honda).
Blazusiak again dominated the second heat from beginning to end, and this time Cervantes was better able to control the race, but never attempted to overtake ‘Taddy’. The Swedish rider Ljunggren was third, Graham Jarvis (Sherco), finished behind him and Cristóbal Guerrero reached an excellent fourth position in his first Indoor Enduro race of the season.
The third and final heat brought Blazusiak the title as he needed to finísh only in front of Iván. The Catalan rider finished seconds after the new champion. Gibert was in the first three and that was enough to make him fourth in the event. Ljunggren came up from last place, following a fall, to fourth, which gave him a final second place in Vigo.
In the provisional classification of the championship, the second position of the Swedish rider from Husaberg gives him the chance to opt for subchampion, although Iván will make this difficult in the last date in Barcelona next Sunday 31 January. Jarvis is consolidating fourth position, but Dani Gibert is climbing positions and is fifth, with the possibility of overtaking the British rider from Sherco.
The next – and last - event in the FIM Indoor Enduro World Cup will be held in Barcelona (Spain) next Sunday 31 January at 17:30.
STATEMENTS:
Tadeusz Blazusiak: “What can I say! I´m super-happy to win this title. I´ve worked really hard these last three years for this and at last it´s mine. I think I´ve had three really good races today: the course maybe wasn´t the best for me, I prefer faster ones, but it turned out ok, especially thanks to the starts. Now there´s Barcelona left, where the aim is still to win. I´d like to win the championship having won all the finals, but hey, there are still three weeks before that. Now I want to enjoy what I´ve achieved”.
Iván Cervantes: “I´m happy to be on the podium, it´s always good to say goodbye to the public from there. The key today was the first race. I started OK, but Taddy overtook me and I didn´t see the hole. When I got upright, other riders fell on top of me and I couldn´t do anything. I knew then that I´d lost all chance. In the other finals I didn´t want to risk anything.”.
Joakim Ljunggren: “I felt good all day and am very happy to finísh second. It´s not bad for a “new guy”. Everything went well, it wasn´t perfect because I made a few mistakes, but I´m satisfied. In the last final, other riders fell on top of me in the start and my arm was hurt, blood and pain which was later transformed into joy on seeing the result”.
