Freeman, Beta, wins on Saturday, Verona, GasGas, on Sunday, but the great opponent of both is Watson, Beta, twice second. Doubles by Elgari, TM, 125, Macoritto, TM, 250 2T, Cavallo, TM, 300 and Cristino, Fantic, Junior
April 29, 2024
CaltanissettaApril 28, 2024. From the Alps (or almost) to the Pyramids (or almost). A month and a half and 1,500 kilometers between the first and second test of the Italian Enduro Championships. There is an entire Italy involved, and a lot of… foreigners knocking on the treasure chest of national titles. As always since Italian has a precise and important international connotation. In Sicily, therefore, the second of five dates for tests 3 and 4, remembering that the Cavaglià Sunday was canceled due to “impracticability of the pitch”.
Friday, Day 0. The Moto Club Fuorigiri of President Salvatore Sardo he did not spare himself. He designed, together with Mario Rinaldi, a four-lap with 12 Special Stages and, in order not to miss anything, even the Super Test inaugural show on Friday afternoon. Common news. It’s nice weather, contrary to much of winter Italy and contrary to… Cavaglià. Here they are again, the Italian and the World Cup can count on definitive recovery of Brad Freeman and Thomas Oldratithe… stormed at the beginning of the season. And so it’s immediately war. The prologue Super Test it is short, as always spectacular, tight and technical, and immediately highlights three of the protagonists of the following days. Steve Holcombe wins, Honda, ahead of former teammate Brad Freeman, Beta, and Andrea Verona, GasGas. Short gong.
SSaturday, Day 1. The trio of fugitives is immediately joined by the fourth wheel, which is also expected: Nathan Watsonnew purchase of Fabrizio Dini for Beta. Two warm-up specials, from which he emerges Andrea Verona with a first and a third, then comes Brad’s hammer. Freeman wins the first Extreme Testtakes the lead and resists the success of Verona in the second Cross Test. The gaps are minimal, a first is formed leading elite, Freeman, Verona, Holcombe, which comes off. Not much stuff eh, Watson, who slept in the Super Test and in the early morning, is at 8 seconds, Bernardini at 22. With the second Enduro test, however, two things become clear. Watson goes on the attack and on the “line” the English neo-Beta will become uncatchable. If Verona and Holcombe divide the “ribbons” and on the Extreme there will be glory for everyone, on the four executions of theEnduro Test Watson will be solo.
Freeman holds on to the lead until the end, Watson with a great last lap overtakes Verona and Holcombe and is second, Verona prevails over the Englishman and completes the podium. Great Elgari on a less constant Scardina in 125, Macoritto uncatchable in the 250 2T, Horse clearly over Lesiardo in the 300, Soreca better than the “justified” Odrati in the 250 4T. Nothing for anyone in the 450 and Junior: Andrea Verona and Kevin Cristino.
It’s a Beta double. Two Englishmen and an Italian on the podium on Saturday.
DSunday, Day 2. Let’s start once again. It’s another day. Still beautiful, shorter, three laps instead of four for 9 special stagesthe ring is about 30 kilometers long, even more challenging and exciting. Very high level. At good morning you would say that both Andrea Verona’s Sundaywhich prevailed on the debut Cross Test, but the subsequent “line” confirms the superiority, already reported on Saturday, of Nathan Watson. This is how the new signing Beta takes the lead with a small advantage over Holcombe and Verona.
It’s also the time when Freeman is wrong and, given the level of the dispute, he effectively cuts himself off. The chase begins. On the second lap Verona wins Cross and Extreme Watson the usual Enduro. Verona overtakes Holcombe and moves to within a second of Watson. All in the last swear, all in a stratospheric finale. Verona wins the Cross, takes the lead and puts in a stop. Palpable tension, Watson’s line is not perfect (in fact the revived Freeman wins).
Dafter 50 minutes of special tests we go to the beauty of the last Extreme Test, long, technical and difficult. Watson wins, but just barely, not enough time to recover the deficit. Perfect final lap, the victory goes to Andrea Verona, Watson second and Freeman third. Holcombe once again off the podium. The measurement of the battle is in that second and 38 hundredths between Verona and Watson. Freeman is behind, Holcombe at half a minute, Bernardini and Cavallo at 1 minute. Beautiful comparison and race.
VeronaGasGas, e WatsonBeta, I am also close in the Overall ranking after three races, Holcombe, Honda, is third. However, they take one decided shape some of the classes. Alberto ElgariTM, would seem uncatchable in the 125, as well as Lorenzo MacorittoTM, in the 250 2T e Matteo CavalloTM in the 300 (great work by Jarno Boano). In the 250 4T a not yet perfectly recovered Thomas Oldrati, Honda, however returns to victory and is the leader. Same clear trend for the 450, Veronaand for the Junior, Kevin Cristino, Fantic. For the fourth and fifth of the Italian Enduro Championships we go up the country to central Italy. Appointment in SpoletoPerugia, for 1 and 2 June.
© CIE Images – Beta Media – KTM – GasGas – Honda RedMoto Media – TM Team Boano – JET Racing – Offroad Pro Racing – Enduro World Championship
THE RANKINGS
