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/128323
Round 3 OFF-ROAD ... Maxxis FIM World Endu ro Championship finished fifth . On day two things were very different at the top of the Enduro I class, however, as the bad weather tumed the class' dayone result on its head . Proving that when conditions get really, really difficult, lighter two -stroke machines can still hold their own against the four-stroke bikes that dominated the opening rounds of the se ries, Pette ri Silvan placed his KTM on the top step of the rostrum some 40 seconds clear of his nearest competitor. Claiming second, and in do ing so securing his first pod ium finish of the season, TM rider Rickard Larsson made up for a disappointing day one result to give the Italian TM team a much-needed boost. Claiming third after a dismal 13th on day one was Honda Italy rider Simone A1bergoni. Despite having been blindingly fast on day one, Stefan Merriman could only manage fifth in class after one too many crashes saw him finish close to two minutes off the pace set by Silvan. In the Enduro 2 class, it was nonstop drama during the first day's competition as Paul Edmondson claimed his first WEC victory of the season. Juha Salminen failed to finish due to a broken rear chain guide, oFor P Emondson and Samuli Aro nse to the aul top - twice - in Italy STORY AND PHOTOS BY JoNTY EDMONDS o nda Racing Fast Eddy rider Paul Edmondson and KTM Racing's Samuli Aro were the two big winners at the third round of t he Maxxis FIM World Enduro Championship held in Mate lica, Italy, as Edmondson claimed a double-winning performa nce in the Enduro 2 class, and Aro a maximum points haul in the Enduro 3 class. But the real winner in Italy was the weather. With clear skies on day one having helped dry each of the event's four special tests after two weeks of continuous bad weather, heavy rain both prior to and during the second day's competition resulted in special tests ' resembling battle fields and the course's being shortened to remove several of its most challenging climbs. At the head of the Enduro I class on day one it was UFO Corse Yamaha rider Stefan Merriman who claimed a convinc- H ing win. Producing a performance much more dominant that those he recorded at the opening two rounds of the WEC Series, the determined Aussie rider finished well over a minute ahead of his nearest competitor. So fast was Merriman that he also topped the Scratch overall classification aboard his 250cc four-stroke - a feat many thought would never be achieved in '04. But the surprise result in the EI class on day one was the runner-up finish claimed by CH Racing Husqvama rider Roberto Bazzurri. By far the oldest rider in the EI class. Bazzurri just edged ahead of Merriman's teammate Bartosz Oblucki after he won a final special test showdown, which decided the day's 80 MAY 12,2004 • CYCLE N EWS runner-up spot. Also producing a strong result at his home round of the WEC was Mario Rinaldi. Despite failing to get among the pod ium places , the former World Champion helped make it three UFO Corse Yamaha riders within the top four, as he placed close to Oblucki and ahead of KTM Racing rider Petteri Silvan , who 40th Anniversary and Italian Alex Zanni got his first podium of the year after young Spaniard Arnau Vilanova lost two minutes when he clocked in early at one of the day's control points, dropping him from third to 17th in class. With Salminen setting the pace in the E2 class before he was forced to retire, Edmondson knew that to stand any