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Juha Salminen opens account for Canadian double

Juha Salminen from the KTM Enduro Factory Team on Saturday opened his account for a double victory in the E1 class in Canada’s Parry Sound with another stunning victory on Day 1 of the Canadian Grand Prix.

The Finnish rider has topped the podium in every race so far this season and is now set to snatch the double in the second race on Sunday to clean sweep the four races held in North America as part of the World Championships.

Juha was at home in conditions similar to Finland over the 65 km of forest, sand and rocks. He came in with a comfortable cushion of 11.94 ahead of Italian rival Simone Albergoni to also strengthen his lead in the standings to 71 points.

Salminen’s teammate Alessandro Belometti also put in a solid day on Canadian ground finishing sixth for another 15 championship points. Racing continues in the Canadian forests on Sunday.


Salminen celebrates yet another podium	Belometti on his way to sixth place

Results Day 1

POS.	RIDER	MANUFACT.	NAT.

1	19 Juha Salminen	KTM
2	2 Simone Albergoni	Yamaha
3	15 Marc Germain	Yamaha
4	16 Cristobal Guerrero	Yamaha
5	3 Bartosz Oblucki	Husqvarna
6	4 Alessandro Belometti	KTM

28.07.2007

Aro conquers in first 2007 E2 World Championship race in Canada.

Samuli Aro of the KTM Enduro factory Team sent a strong message to his opponents on Saturday when he took the first of two races in the Canadian Enduro Grand Prix at Parry Sound.

Aro won in Canada twice in the 2006 races and wants to double his luck on Sunday to try to close the gap in the world championship standings between himself and fellow Finnish rider Mika Ahola, second in Saturday’s race.

Fabien Planet KTM’s second E2 factory rider was fourth to sustain his place among the top riders in the category.

Aro performed well over the 65km course over terrain very much like his native Sweden finishing just slightly in front of the determined Ahola, who leads the season’s standings.

Ahola will be out for revenge through the Canadian forests in Sunday’s races, so Aro will have to have his wits about him for the entire gruellign race.


Aro gets the better of arch rival in Canada	Planet sticks with top riders

Results Day 1

POS.	RIDER	MANUFACT.	NAT.

1	1 Samuli Aro	KTM
2	2 Mika Ahola	Honda
3	4 Johnny Aubert	Yamaha
4	5 Fabien Planet	KTM
5	3 Stefan Merriman	Aprilia

28.07.2007

Cervantes cleans up in Canada

Ivan Cervantes of the KTM Enduro Factory Team went out in Canada to prove in E3 that he was as good in the forest and surrounds as he was on Spanish soil and succeeded in picking up his second victory in three of the four races for North America.

‘Ivan was riding perfectly today,’said team boss Fabio Farioli of Cervantes’s performance on day one of the two races in Canada’s Parry Sound. Cervantes took a third and a first place in the two races held in the USA last weekend and has now won seven of the eleven races in the 2007 season. Riders enjoyed sunny weather and good conditions for the 65 km event.

‘It was really fast today,’ Ivan said after the race. ‘The sun was shining and it was quite different to the hard and stony course we had in the USA last weekend. I had a good time and I am looking forward to racing again tomorrow.’

Cervantes’s closest rival and KTM teammate Marko Tarkkala was not so fortunate. He crashed and although he escaped injury, his E3 machine hit a rock and broke the ignition and he had no alternative but to withdraw and push the bike through the test area. Tarkkala will be out to make up for his misfortune in the second race on Sunday.

Before Saturday’s race, Cervantes and Tarkkala shared the championship standings with 230 points each and Ivan’s 25 points earned for his first Canadian victory now means the Finn will have to be on the chase for race two on Sunday to try to make up the deficit.


Cervantes now leader in E3	Marko Tarkkala forced to retire

Results Day 1

POS.	RIDER	MANUFACT.	NAT.

1	25 Ivan Cervantes	KTM
2	2 Sebastien Guillaume	Husqvarna
3	20 Alessandro Botturi	Honda
4	4 Bjoerne Carlsson	Husaberg
5	23 Anders Eriksson	Husqvarna