Knowing full well that performing well in all conditions is the key to World Championship success, Pela Renet mastered the slippery conditions at the GP of Euskadi to take charge of the Blue Ribbon Enduro 2 class. Battling throughout the opening day’s competition with countryman and former two-time Enduro 2 World Champion Johnny Aubert, Pela maintained the upper hand and by topping six of the day’s special tests enjoyed a 20-second winning margin.
On day two Renet was made to work even harder for victory than he was on day one as Cristobal Guerrero put up the toughest challenge. Despite the constant pressure from the Spaniard Renet remained focused and delivered the knock-out blow on the final enduro special test. Topping the time sheets Pela not only took the E2 day win but moved to the top of the Enduro 2 championship standings.
In the Enduro 3 class Husaberg also enjoyed a great weekend with Joakim Ljunggren placing third on day one and as runner-up on day two. Slow to get going on day one Ljunggren improved his pace as the day neared it’s close, placing just 13 seconds behind runner-up David Knight.
In tune with the track Joakim made a much stronger start on day two and from the off battled for the runner-up spot. Also enjoying a strong weekend was Oriol Mena. Battling with Joakim for third on day one, Oriol went on to claim fourth and fifth place results.
One of the standout performances for the Husaberg Factory Team at the GP of Euskadi came from Enduro Junior class rider Mathias Bellino. Close to one-minute ahead of his closest rival on day one, Mathias was forced to fight his way back from a near disastrous second extreme test. One-minute behind, the former motocross racer battled his way back to the top of the class to secure victory and further extend his championship lead.
Pela Renet - Enduro 2: “It’s been a tough weekend but a great one for me. I knew that the special tests would suit me when I was looking at them before the race. And things went well on both days, which I’m really pleased about. To be leading the Enduro 2 World Championship is fantastic. Day one went really well. I had Johnny Aubert pushing me really hard, but I was able to stay in front. I won six of the day’s special tests so that was a really good way to win. I had really big fight with Cristobal Guerrero on day two. He would finish ahead of me on one test, I would finish ahead of him on the next, there was nothing to separate us for the first two laps. I really had to push to my maximum on the final enduro test, and managed to open up a little bit of a lead. I arrived here in third place in the championship and managed to secure the maximum number of points on offer, which is great for my championship.”
Joakim Ljunggren - Enduro 3: “Overall I’m really happy but things didn’t start well at all for me. The E3 class was first onto all of the special tests on day one and that wasn’t good for me. I didn’t feel confident at all. I was feeling really down, but thankfully thinks really improved for me on the second lap. I started to enjoy myself again. I started to catch some of the rider that had been faster than me on the first lap, and eventually I got third which I’m really happy with. I was really motivated to improve my result on day two. My goal was to try and beat David Knight for second. It was really close between us on day two in Argentina so I pushed hard to compete for second. I just had a good day. I had some small problems in the extreme test on the final lap, but generally a good day. Two podiums is a great way to finish the weekend.”
Oriol Mena - Enduro 3: “It’s been a pretty good weekend for me. On day one I had a great battle with Joakim for the third place and although I finished fourth I was pleased with the way I rode. In the beginning of the day I was also fighting for second. I was about 10 seconds away from the podium at the end of the day, so that’s not too bad. I didn’t feel so good in the morning on the second day and lost quite a lot of time on the first special test, I’m not sure why. I pushed hard after that to try and come back as best I could. The conditions weren’t too bad but it was a tough race. I scored good points again on both days so it’s been a good weekend.”
Mathias Bellino - Enduro Junior: “It was a difficult race - very muddy and slippery on the trails. But I managed to win my class on both days, which is great for my championship. It’s my first EWC race in conditions like this and I found it tough. The first day went really well with no problems but the second day wasn’t like that at all. In the second extreme test I lost about one-minute and then crashed again in the enduro and cross tests. I kept on pushing and managed to win, which was great because I dropped to 12th in my class.”
