Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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1 FIM WOr"'ld Endur"'o Championship Ser"'ies Round 1 : Spain STORY AND PHOTOS BY JONTY EDMUNDS VALVERDE DEL CAMINO, SPAIN, MAR 16-17 fier finishing as runner-up in the '01 250cc World Enduro Championship - his first full season as a professional rider - UFO Corse Yamaha rider David Knight not only topped the quarter-liter class at the opening round of this year's World Enduro Championship in Valverde del Camino, Spain, he also topped the scratch classification for best individual performer. Reveling in the tough conditions, Knight put his wet-weather riding skills to good use to take charge at the front of the seven-round series. "1 couldn't have asked for a better start to my season," the burly Manxman said at the finish of the event. "Second in last year's championship meant that there was only one place for me to go in '02 and that's to become champion. It's going to be a long, hard season, but if I can continue to ride like I did this weekend, then I'm sure I'm in with a good chance of the title." In the 125cc class, '01 World Champion Finn Petteri Silvan kicked off his title defense in fine style by topping the eighth-liter class by 36 seconds on the first day, after his countryman, Gas Gas' Petri Pohjamo, failed to get his machine to the finish. With 25 points in the bag, Silvan finished only fourth on day two, as Swedish TM rider Richard Larsson claimed the win ahead of Italian KTM rider Simone A1bergaoni and factory Gas Gas rider Pojamo. Despite his drop in form, SiI- van's combined results were good enough to give him the overall win and a share of the championship lead with Richard Larsson. "Being the first rider onto the special tests wasn't easy for me," Silvan said. "I don't know why I didn't ride as well on Sunday as I did on Saturday, but I'm happy to be in the front of the World Championship." With last year's 250cc World Champion, Finn Juha Salminen, having moved to the 400cc Four-Stroke class, the battle for the number-one spot between Knight and Samuli Aro was just as many predicted. With lit- tle to separate the pair during much of the opening day's competition, Knight's eventual five-second winning margin led him to both his first ever 250cc class and overall win. Day two provided more of the same as the two riders battled to try and open up an all-important advantage. Nearing the close of the day, it was Knight again who led the class, and with only one special test between him and another possible 25 points, the former trials rider looked assured of the win. Aro, however, had other ideas. Knowing that Knight wouldn't be risking his lead so close (Top) Manx UFO Corse Yamaha's David Knight was the big winner in Spain, winning both the 250 Two-5troke c:lass and finishing the weekend as the best overall finisher. (Lett) Three-Ume World Champion Juha Salminen and his KTM ran away with the 400 FourStroke rac:e. 58 APRIL 3, 2002' .. U .. • • n • _ s to the finish, the factory Husqvarna rider went all out, winning the test and reducing Knight's lead to just seven hundredths of a second. Despite Aro's efforts, he had to be content with another second-place finish. With the "Knight and Aro" show focusing everyone's attentions in the 250cc class, it was Finnish Gas Gas rider Jani Laaksonen, Frenchman Cyril Esquirol on a KTM, and TM's Simon Wilk who battled amongst themselves for the third- and fourthplace spots. Laaksonen was to claim third place overall after finishing third on day one and fourth on day two. In the 250cc Four-Stroke· class, the question everyone was asking was, "can anyone beat the Yamaha of Peter Bergvall?" Runner-up in last season's championship behind his French teammate Stephane Peterhansel, Bergvall claimed the class win with ease on both days, finishing nearly 40 seconds ahead of his quarter-liter-mounted competitors on day one, and one minute, 18 seconds ahead on the second. "With Peterhansel not defending his title this year, I am determined to claim my first World Championship," admitted Bergvall. "Starting the season with two day wins is great, but there is still a long way to go, so I must try and maintain my result." Second on both days was former World Champion Paul Edmondson. Making his return to the Europeanbased series after five years in the U.S., Edmondon's two runner-up spots were proof that he has lost