French Team on Track for ISDE World Trophy
OutdoorHub 09.26.12
France, powered by three of KTM’s top factory riders, Antoine Meo, Christophe Nambotin and Johnny Aubert forged a commanding lead in the World Trophy for the third day in succession at the Red Bull ISDE, the International Six Days Enduro, the mini Olympics for Enduro sport.
At the half way mark of the competition, France has a 19-minute lead over second placed Australia. Italy is third, Spain fourth, the USA fifth and Finland is currently in sixth place.
The third day also saw Meo move into first place overall after French teammate and Husaberg rider Pierre-Alexandre Renet had trouble in the final test and slipped to second overall. Meo, who told reporters recently he feels most ‘at home’ in the paddocks of the Enduro World Championship has had a great competitive season and is already confirmed as the E1 2012 World Champion.
Renet, riding a Husaberg had topped the overall standings on the opening two days. Nambotin and Aubert are currently third and fourth overall while Australia’s Toby Price (KTM), who has been riding since the opening day with a damaged wheel, put in yet another strong performance and is fifth overall in front of Finland’s Eero Remes (KTM), the overall winner in 2012.
KTM factory riders were right up with the best throughout the day. Nambotin, the 2012 E3 World Champion was the fastest E3 rider in six of the day’s eight tests. Meo, was fastest E1 rider in five tests and their factory teammate and countryman Johnny Aubert was fastest E2 rider in two tests. Meo now has a 2-minute 45 edge on Remes in the progressive E1 rankings. Aubert is also closing in on Renet in the E2 class and the two are separated by just on minute. Nambotin, like Meo now in familiar territory at the front of the field, has a two-minute advantage over Toby Price. Price, after a mixed day remarked on his Facebook page: “Nothing good to report for today, messed up in trail and hit the deck on my ribs and I’m killing… Today was rough, bring on tomorrow.”Day Three: ISDE International Six Days Enduro, Saxony Germany
