KTM Offroad Newsletter
Two way KTM battle continues in round three of E3
World Championships
Samuli Aro and Marko Tarkkala, KTMs two Finnish factory riders
in the E3 big bike category continued their occupancy of the
top two podiums places in Round Three of the World Championship
on Saturday.
Aro came home over the three times 60km loop of the course
at Vale de Cambra just south of the city of Porto in Portugal
ahead of teammate Tarkkala to repeat the result they registered
in the first two rounds. But unlike the snow and ice they
tackled in Oestersund, Sweden in the first two rounds, Portugal
offered the riders a fast, hard and stony surface that they
both agreed was difficult.
Hard surface and tough ride
"It was difficult for me in the morning and I had a crash
in the second test," Samuli said after the race. "If
it rains tomorrow it will be even more difficult for us."
Weather forecasts indicate a low pressure area heading towards
northern Portugal with a 60% chance of rain for the fourth
round on Sunday. Teammate Marko Tarkkala agreed. "It
was quite good for me today," he said. "But Samuli
was very fast. The course was also very difficult and if it
rains tomorrow there will be even more mud holes."
Perfect score for Aro
Aro has a perfect scorecard of 75 points from the three races
and Tarkkala is hot on his heels with 66 points for his three
second places. KTM supported rider Markus Kehr of Germany
was third on Saturday making a clean sweep of the podium for
the Austrian manufactured Enduro bikes.
Results Round Three E 3
1. Samuli Aro, Finland, KTM
2. Marko Tarkkala, Finland, KTM
3. Markus Kehr, Germany, KTM
4. Christophe Nambotin, France, Gas-Gas
5. Fabien Planet, FRance, KTM
29.03.2008
Salminen second in Portuguese E2 Grand Prix
 KTM
factory rider Juha Salminen narrowly missed taking victory
in round three of the E2 World Championships in Vale de Cambra
Portugal on Saturday but managed to secure second place on
the podium.
The Finnish rider's solid result adds valuable points to those
he collected for his first and third places in the first two
rounds.
Tough fight
"Everything went pretty well today and the bike was very
good. It was a tough fight for the victory and in the end
I had to concede by just 0.6 of a second," Salminen said
after the race. After dominating the E1 class last season
when he returned to ride in Europe after competing in the
USA, he is taking on new challenges. Salminen's factory rider
teammate Alessandro Belometti of Italy finished fourth after
a tough battle in the final stages with Joakim Ljunggren of
Sweden
Rain could make Sunday hard going
With a 60% chance of rain forecast for Sunday, Salminen said
the hard, stony, 60 km circuit, which the riders must travel
over three times would be even more difficult for round four.
He nevertheless is optimistic about another good performance
on Sunday at the location a little south east of Porto.
Results Round 3
1. Jonny Aubert, France, Yamaha
2. Juha Salminen, Finland, KTM
3. Joakim Ljunggren, Sweden, Husaberg
4. Alessandro Belometti, Italy, KTM
5. Fabio Mossini, Italy, Honda
29.03.2008
Cervantes takes third in Round Three of E1 World Championship
Ivan Cervantes performed well over a fast and difficult track
in Vale de Cambra near Porto in Portugal on Saturday to come
home in third place in the third round of the E1 World Championship.
With the result, the KTM factor rider from Spain confirmed
he is in promising form as the season gets underway. Cervantes
also took the minor podium place in round two held in winter
conditions including snow at Oestersund, Sweden.
Cervantes to push on Sunday
"I want Ivan to do even better tomorrow," said team
boss Fabio Farioli. "I want him to push even more."
Cervantes is back on a KTM 250 4-stroke machine this season
after winning the E3 title in 2007. He is racing in the class
with Briton Tom Sager, who has advanced from the junior division.
Sager came in in eighth place in the third round after crashing
in round one in Sweden and having to miss round two.
Rain may add another dimension
Riders completed three laps of the 60 km track in what was
a fast and gruelling day over hard stony surfaces. Rain is
forecast for Sunday's round four and this will add another
difficult dimension to the event, Farioli said. The Portuguese
are enthusiastic supporters of motor sports so a large crowd
of spectators came out to cheer on the competitors.
Results Round Three
1. Simone Albergoni, Italy, Yamaha
2. Mika Ahola, Finland, Hondo
3. Ivan Cervantes, Spain, KTM
4. Eero Remes, Finland, KTM
5. Maurizio Micheluz, Italy, Yamaha
8. Tom Sagar, Britain, KTM
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