Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128156
World Championship Enduro Series Round 4: France STORY AND PHOTOS BY JONTY EDMUNDS GELLES, FRANCE, MAY 11-12 eam CH Racing Husqvarna rider Stefan Merriman claimed overall victory on both days of the fourth round of the '02 World Enduro Championship held in Gelles, France, on May 11-12, opening up a 14-point lead over 400cc Four-Stroke championship-rival Finn Juha Salminen in the process. Despite crashing three times on day one, the reigning World Champion's solid ride helped him ease ahead in the 400cc class with three rounds of the series remaining. Not normally a fan of soft, loamy conditions, the Aussie ace made fewer mistakes than any of his competitors, and as a result topped the class. "I'm really happy with the way things went this weekend," said Merriman. "The conditions were quite soft, like Finland, which is normally where I struggle, so to win is great. I've been training in conditions like this in readiness for the last two rounds of the championship, so I'm really pleased because it seems to be working." While it was a good weekend for Merriman, it wasn't so for championship rival Salminen. Losing 13 seconds to Merriman on day one's opening test, Salminen found himself playing an impossible game of catch- up for the remainder of the weekend. With further crashes hampering his performance on day two, the factory KTM rider remained upbeat about his result. "Things have been good most of the weekend but, with Stefan making no mistakes at all, my small crashes 34 n MAY 29, 2002 • II: Y II: I ... e _ 55 cost me heavily," explained Salminen. "They weren't even big mistakes, just stupid little ones. I decided to walk the cross-country test at the end of day one and realized that the lines that I was using were completely wrong. It was embarrassing to see where I had ridden. I must have been the fastest guy on day one because I rode twice as far as everyone else," he joked. Third on day one was UFO Corse Yamaha rider Mats Andreasson. Having proved fast, but not yet consistent, he crashed out of day two before the end of the opening lap. Third on day two was Vor rider Roman Michelik. With little to separate the battling 500cc Scandinavian duo of Swede Anders Eriksson and Finn Mika Ahola at the first three rounds of the championship, the '02 series is fast becoming a repeat of '01, as the pair fight among themselves in the hope of claiming the title. Vor's Ahola was the victor on both days in France, helping him close the gap on championship leader Eriksson, despite struggling to settle into a rhythm early on day one. Surprised by the extent of his winning margin, Ahola knows all to well that he needs to remain fast, consistent and injury free if he's to have any chance of lifting the half-liter crown. "It's been a great weekend for me," explained the two-time ISDE winner. "I just hope I can keep up the speed in Italy so I don't have to work too hard in Scandinavia. I'm surprised that I was so far in front because I was expecting the tests to suit Anders' style of riding. To win is great." Expecting to claim the win and extend his championship lead,