Back on the Latin American tour of the Maxxis FIM SuperEnduro World Championship that took place recently in Mexico and Brazil and which saw Taddy BLAZUSIAK (PL - KTM) finally being stopped in his winning streak by Cody WEBB (USA - KTM)!
End of streak!
Twice Cody WEBB wasn’t so far from beating Taddy BLAZUSIAK. It was in Finland and Mexico. The Fivefold World Champion had found in extremis the resources to succeed in the last heat. This time, in Belo Horizonte, the Poles couldn’t do anything against the 2015 Endurocross Champion. Winner of the first race and second in the second, WEBB, despite a huge crash in the start of the last race (he restart last), ensured a solid third place that allowed him to win his first SEWC Grand Prix. So he stopped, at the same time, the four straight wins of BLAZUSIAK... With the rise of WEBB, but also WALKER and the return of KNIGHT in the foreground, the Grand Prix AMV of France may be very exciting next March, 14th in Cahors (46)...
Huge celebration
Like last year, Sebastiao LAGO, director of Quanta Sport, had made it big to host the Maxxis FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in Brazil. Indeed, for the 8000 spectators, he organized a large commercial area at the entrance of Mineirinho. So people could visit the booths of KTM, Honda or Beta importers but also ASW one, manufacturer of textile that produced the SuperEnduro shirts. In addition to this, a large snack bar and restaurant allow everyone to cool down and to party like only Brazilians know how to do!
Holeshot 100%
This time, the Holeshot 100% has crowned two different winners in Prestige category. Indeed, while Taddy BLAZUSIAK (PL) make it third Holeshot in a row in Mexico, David KNIGHT (GB - KTM) was awarded the $ 300 in Brazil in what turned out as the first corner the most spectacular and difficult to grasp the season. In Junior Andreas LINUSSON (S - KTM) seems unbeatable in this exercise. Indeed, he won his fourth consecutive Holeshot 100%. He could aim for the perfect season in Cahors if Jack ROWLAND (GB – Sherco) didn’t steal the first Holeshot of the season in Poland!
Super Pole powered by Akrapovic
During this Latin American tour, the Super Pole powered by Akrapovic was highly competitive again. While Taddy BLAZUSIAK won his first Super Pole of the season in Guadalajara, right in front of Alfredo GOMEZ (E - HVA) and Cody WEBB, it is Jonny WALKER who took over his "property" in Mineirinho in Belo Horizonte beating for few hundredths David KNIGHT and Cody WEBB. A Grand Prix before the end it is WALKER leading discussions with 11 points ahead of BLAZUSIAK (8 pts), WEBB (5 pts) then come KNIGHT (4 pts) and GOMEZ (2 pts)... Everything is still open for this second edition of the Super Pole powered by Akrapovic!
Setbacks
Convincing in Mexico (7th), Kyle REDMOND (USA - Beta) almost didn’t reach Brazil. Indeed, the Beta team has struggled to find him a bike in Belo Horizonte. A little lonely, REDMOND still signs the fourth fastest time in the Super Pole but then nothing has gone as expected. Indeed, the official Beta could finish just a race of all three of the Grand Prix and finished in a disappointing 12th place. But we bet that REDMOND will recover and should provide to the French public a good show!
Visit
Before we went to Guadalajara, we learned by the team manager of KTM, Antti KALLONEN, that Taylor ROBERT (USA - KTM) would miss the rest of the season due to a fractured scaphoid. But having already scheduled a few days off with his girlfriend after the Grand Prix of Mexico, the American still decided to make the trip to the Arena VFG to visit his teammates. The entire SuperEnduro paddock wishes him a good and speedy recovery!
In the steps of the bests…
The duo Ty TREMAINE (USA - KTM) - Andreas LINUSSON (S - KTM) offers us a great show and promises a huge and intense final in the Junior category. Indeed, with the rule of the X-4 (the four worst results are out), the American leads the discussion for only three points! Moreover, both riders seem ready for the higher category. Indeed, in Time Practice in Mineirinho, LINUSSON as TREMAINE achieved lap times worthy of the Prestige Top 5. If evidence is that both prospects are at an excellent level since the beginning of the season. If this continues, the one who will be crowned in Cahors (46) should make some noise next season with the "big" as Taddy BLAZUSIAK told us last Sunday after the race: "Whether Ty or Andreas, their level is excellent! And it will close the gap next season in Prestige! It will become increasingly difficult to h ang a Top 5! These two are definitely the future stars of the sport!" A very nice compliment from a five time World Champion!
The fight is going harder!
The season progresses and we feel the tension rising among riders, especially those from the top of the table. And this has resulted in more physical races than usual and tough overtakes that offer nice show to Mexicans and Brazilians spectators. From BLAZUSIAK to KNIGHT, through WALKER and WEBB, everyone made his block pass! But the most significant battles of the tour will remain: the one between BLAZUSIAK and WEBB at the last heat in Mexico, where leadership has changed more than three times in the last lap. But also between KNIGHT and BLAZUSIAK during the entire Brazilian Grand Prix. Both riders offered a show within the show, even to rub in the air while chaining the pushes.
Injury
We have already reported the fractured scaphoid of Taylor ROBERT that he drags since December... Unfortunately, another rider joined the ranks of the injured list... It's Gethin HUMPHREYS (GB - HVA). Brilliant in Mexico (2nd), the Junior racer fell heavily during practice in Brazil and fractured a rib which caused him a punctured lung. No worries, the Brit is doing well but will have to wait a few days before receiving the green light from Brazilians surgeons to take the plane that will take him home... We don’t know yet if he will have the opportunity to race in France or not…
Danny "McCrashey"?
The season of Danny MCCANNEY (GB - HVA) is in his own words "fairly difficult". First Junior World Champion in the discipline, the British had shown great dispositions last year aboard his Beta... But this year, things seem more difficult for him. Despite an encouraging Grand Prix in Finland MCCANNEY has often bitten the dust throughout the season and this was again confirmed at the Latin American tour with, among others, an impressive "from the front". He could have the crash record for the season! But knowing the guy and his perseverance, hope this bad patch stops and we can see him at his best during the Grand Prix AMV of France.