Blazusiak-Knight, the standoff

The Maxxis FIM SuperEnduro World Championship is back in the European soil this Sunday, February 9th, only two weeks after a very successful Brazil/Mexico tour. And it is the Palau Sant Jordi, SuperEnduro cradle in the “old” continent; that will be the arena of this comeback! For this fifth and penultimate round of the 2013/2014 season, the FIM has confided to RPM the difficult task to organize this stage, Enduro Indoor creator that he organizes now for the fifteenth time. And RPM did not hesitate to take up the challenge. And as every year, the track has been built by Carlos MAS, Dakar and African Rally’s legend. Jordi CASTELLS and RPM has decided to re-organize a round of the SuperEnduro World Championship and what’s best than the Palau Sant Jordi to host the stars of the discipline. This majestic arena, which was used at the 1992 Olympic Games, has already welcomed various events such as the Track & Field World Championship (1995), Swimming (2003, 2013) Handball (2013) plus the Basketball European Championship (1997). It’s also hosted numerous concerts like AC/DC, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Bruce Springsteen. The arena has a capacity of 17000 spectators is considered a masterpiece of modern architecture and is located on the famous Montjuic hill. Barcelona, the second city of is well known for its world famous Ramblas, the Barri Gotic (old city district), the Ciutadella Park, Montjuic Castle and also its famous Camp Nou stadium that contains a chapel which its football team is the pride of an entire city… After a stirring fourth round in the Arena VFG in Guadalajara (Mexico) where David KNIGHT (GB – Sherco) stole the win to Taddy BLAZUSIAK (PL – KTM) for only one point, the duel between these two stars must grow one again in intensity. While the KTM rider has an 18 point lead over the official Sherco, there is no doubt the Isle of Man giant wants to reduce the gap before the last round in France. But the four times World Champion, who’s living in Andorra, will look to take a big advantage in order to arrive with serenity in Tours on February, 22nd! Behind the wonderful duo, Jonny WALKER (GB – KTM) should put his two cents as he often did during the Latin American tour. This time, the young Brit will be helped by an injured Alfredo GOMEZ (E – HVA) who underwent an operation to remove his appendix last week. But they will have to count also on Dani GIBERT (E – Gas Gas) who must have recovered from his knee injury and will push by an entire nation! The new Gas Gas rider is willing found again the joys of the podium and didn’t lost all his hope to clinch the third place in the overall standing. Constant and return to form in Mineirinho and in the Arena VFG, Joakim LJUNGGREN (S – HVA) seems more and more likely to fight with the four leaders. Insolent in Guadalajara, Mathias BELLINO (F – HVA) will still have to be more regular if he wants to become a serious contender during an entire Grand Prix. Back at their best level in Latin America, Kyle REDMOND (USA – KTM) and Kevin ROOKSTOOL (USA – KTM) should still improve and fight for a place in the Top 5 while Benoit FORTUNATO (F – Yam) will look to reissue his Mexican encouraging performance and that Korn el NEMETH (H – HVA) and Danny MCCANNEY (GB – Beta), after missing Brazil and Mexico, should do about them! In addition to the regulars, we’ll have to watch also Mario ROMAN (E – HVA) who made a good Grand Prix of United Kingdom last November, but also the newcomers Oriol MENA (E – Gas Gas), former 2009 EWC Junior World Champ, that will make his official debuts with Gas Gas and also Jaume BETRIU (E – HVA), Melcior FAJA (E – Gas Gas) and Dani OLIVERAS (E – Gas Gas) that will be at home and will not be there to make the numbers. And of course, the Palau Sant Jordi should vibrate for each lap of the icon Ivan CERVANTES (E – KTM) who, after deceiving results in Liverpool and Lodz, will arrive in Barcelona with the intention to fight with the tough guys of the discipline as BLA ZUSIAK, KNIGHT, WALKER or GIBERT… The Junior class, subjected to the X-4 rule (the four worst will be dropped) took a particular way during the 3rd and 4th rounds. Without his regular rivals, MCCANNEY, SZYMKOWSKI, THOR and LINUSSON, Giacomo REDONDI (I – Beta) made an enormous gap while maintaining his jokers. But the Beta rider will have to be 100% concentrate or he will bent to the attacks of Jamie MCCANNEY (GB – HVA) who will give it all out, just like Magnus THOR (S – HVA), Andreas LINUSSON (S – KTM) and Pawel SZYMKOWSKI (PL – KTM)… We’ll also have to keep an eye on the Brits Rob JOHNSON (HVA) and Gethin HUMPHREYS (Sherco) and also the French Romain LELOUP (KTM), the German Tim APOLLE (HVA), the Swedish Jesper BORJESS ON (HVA), the Polish Jakub KUCHARSKI (KTM) and Adrian ANDRZEJAK (KTM) and finally the locals Eloi SALSENCH (KTM) and Marcos VITORIA BERAZA (Husaberg). For this fifth and penultimate Grand Prix of the season, we must once again attend to an event full of suspense. See you on Sunday, February 9th in the Palau Sant Jordi (Barcelona) where the SEWC stars promise us a high voltage show in a mythic arena! Information
- Barcelona (Catalonia)
- Palau San Jordi
- 622 kilometres from Madrid and 193 kilometres from French frontier
- Sunday, 9th of February from 17h00
- Organizer: RPM
- Website: www.enduro-abc.com et www.enduroindoorbcn.com
- Sequence: 3 finals for the Premier class and two finals for Junior class
- Ticket Price: From 25€ to 97,50€ (Accès VIP)
- Airport: Barcelona