Enduro stars in the foothills of the Meteors

Greece is a faithful country of the MAXXIS FIM Enduro World Championship and welcomes each year a Grand Prix for nearly 10 years.

But, this year, the traditional city of Serres lets the organization of this event to KALAMPAKA located in the surrounding of Thessalie, in the Western North of Greece. KALAMPAKA is known because it is built in the foothills of these immense and strange gray rocks which are the Meteors. These dark stalagmites rising towards the sky, and completely isolated from the rest of the world, have many monasteries.
Perched in a precarious way at the top of the abyss, dominated at the background by the mountains of Pinde, the monasteries are one of the most attractive landscapes. At the end of the Byzantine time and during the Turkish domination, this monastic state is become the refuge of persecuted and was transformed in the center of the Byzantine art, where the monastic life started at the 11th century. This activity was at the apogee during the 15th and 16th centuries when the decline started. So, on the 24 monasteries built during centuries, only 5 are nowadays still inhabited: The Big Meteora, Varlaam, Agia Trias, Agios Stephanos and Roussano.

THE INHERITANCE OF UNESCO !!!

Each year, thousands of visitors visit this single geological phenomenon which is protected by the UNESCO. KALAMPAKA (12 000 inhabitants), picturesque and alive small city, is thus a main port of call of the Greek tourism and will be the single and exceptional place of the Grand Prix MAXXIS of Greece.

MO.LE.K, the local club, will be the organizer of this 5th Grand Prix of the Great season thanks to the dynamism of its members managed by Spyros MPAOUTIS (President of MO.LE.K) and Sotiris POULIOS (President of the race).
A track of 55 kms in the foothills of the prestigious Météores was traced by the local enduro men who chose to gather the Enduro Test (6,5 kms), the Cross Test (3,5 kms) and the Extreme Test in the old military camp of the city located at less than 2 kms far from Kalampaka. This excellent choice will delight the spectators who will attend a permanent show during the 4 laps of the race.

From Friday evening, the KTM Super Test will always mark the start of the hostilities at 18:00 at the old military camp.
After a long trip by plane or by road (1700 kms), a couple of hours after the Grand Prix of Turkey, the 100 entries of this Grand Prix MAXXIS of Greece are looking forward discovering KALAMPAKA and the Meteors and fighting again…

THE SPARKS ARE GOING TO FLY

Eero REMES (SF-KTM) lost “important points” of the Championship to the favour of his compatriot and large rival Juha SALMINEN (HVA) in the goal of title ENDURO 1... Worse, the 2nd official HUSQVARNA rider, the impressing Matti SEISTOLA (SF) is coming back very quickly! The official KTM must thus do his best in Greece if he does not want to have an end of season without interest. Rodrig THAIN (F-HM HONDA) and also Lorenzo SANTOLINO (E-KTM) and Nicolas DEPARROIS (F-KAWA) will try to confirm their ascending form of the GP of Turkey.

More than Eero REMES in Enduro 1, Johnny AUBERT (F-KTM) knows that he will not become World champion in ENDURO 2 this year… “This year has to be forgotten! However this one has become under best conditions… I will thus try to find pleasure on the bike until this Grand Prix of Greece and my goal will be to win the 4 last Grand Prix” entrusted the Frenchie during his transfer towards Greece. He will thus be an important outsider for the quartet Antoine MEO (F-HVA), Ivan CERVANTES (E-GAS GAS), Cristobal GUERRERO (E-KTM) and Pierre Alexandre RENET (F-HUSABERG) who remain in the title’s way in spite of the small ahead of Antoine MEO.

Sorry of the mishap of Christophe NAMBOTIN (break suspensions) on his 300 GAS GAS, Mika AHOLA (SF-HM HONDA) wonders well how he will be able to find the necessary concentration for the end of the season in ENDURO 3. The ahead of 40 points at the standing could indeed appear as an inconvenient with a fall of motivation, which would be surprising for the 4 time World Champion.  Christophe NAMBOTIN (F) will perhaps want to forget his Turkish disillusion whereas the official HUSABERG, Joakim LJUNGGREN (S) and Marko TARKKALA (SF) will again aim the podium and why not the win. A reaction of Sebastien GUILLAUME (F-HVA) is awaited after his disappointing GP of Turkey just like a confirmation of the improving of Alex SALVINI (HVA), the only Italian who succeed in Turkey.

Finally in JUNIORS, Anti HELLSTEN (SF-KTM) who crashed many times in Fethiye, will be again under pressure by the Frenchies JOLY (HM HONDA), FORTUNATO (YAMAHA) and DUMONTIER (YAMAHA) and also by the astonishing Mario ROMAN (E-KTM), double winner in Fethiye and which seems to have found the instructions of his KTM 4 times!
 
After Sicily, the Turkish Aegean coast, here we are in the foothills of the impressing Meteors which are erecting in front of the wheels of the World Enduro’s stars!!
However, they will not have the pleasure to appreciate this exceptional site so much the sporting stakes are important… In any case, this 2011 season is going on magic places for a great show of colors which offers much prestige to a series which gains, thus, much in notoriety.

Information :

- Kalampaka (Province of Thessalie)
- Friday 18:00 : KTM Super Test
- June Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th : Start at 9:00 – Finnish at 16:00
- Organization : MO.LE.K, Profitis Ilias Kalambaka, 42200 KALAMPAKA - GREECE
- Websites : www.enduro-abc.com and www.molek.gr  
- Track : 55 kms – 4 laps
- Free access