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| 22.03.2009 |
| Positive start for KTM’s E1 riders first 2009 race weekend in Portugal |
| The E1 class of the Enduro World Championships got underway in Penafiel, Portugal this weekend with KTM factory team newcomer Simone Albergoni scoring two podium places in the first two rounds of the competition. |
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Albergoni, who was third last season behind KTM’s Ivan Cervantes in E1, picked up two podiums, bettering his third place on Saturday with a second on Sunday. The Italian actually had second place also within his grasp on Saturday. He was lying second behind Finland’s Mika Ahola right up to the final test then crashed and slipped back to third.
Albergoni, 27, is also acting as mentor to his younger teammate Eero Remes who also picked up valuable championship points over the weekend. Remes, of Finland was lying tenth on Saturday when he crashed on the logs, lost time and had to settle for eleventh, a result he improved on greatly on Sunday finishing just off the podium at fourth place. Also on the podium on Sunday in third place was KTM supported rider Thomas Oldrati of Italy, rounding off a great weekend’s racing for the Orange machines “Made in Austria”.
Team boss Fabio Farioli and KTM’s Offroad Director Pit Beirer were both very satisfied with the opening world championship weekend. “It was awesome,” said Beirer. “Overall our riders were so strong, they made few mistakes and they gave the others very little room. It was also good to see how this close knit team under Fabio’s leadership works so efficiently and effectively. That’s very good for the team morale.”
The next two rounds of the competition are in Spain next week. The KTM planned to immediately travel to the neighbouring country to prepare for the second race weekend on the Iberian Peninsular.
E1 Saturday Round 1
| POS. |
RIDER |
MANUFACT. |
NAT. |
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
1 Mika Ahola |
Honda |
 |
| 2 |
18 Antoine Meo |
Husqvarna |
 |
| 3 |
3 Simone Albergoni |
KTM |
 |
| 4 |
4 Marc Germain |
Yamaha |
|
| 5 |
22 Thomas Oldrati |
KTM |
|
| 11 |
38 Eero Remes |
KTM |
|
E1 Sunday Round 2
Standings after rounds 1 & 2
| POS. |
RIDER |
MANUFACT. |
NAT. |
POINTS |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
1 Mika Ahola |
Honda |
|
373 |
| 2 |
18 Antoine Meo |
Husqvarna |
|
358 |
| 3 |
3 Simone Albergoni |
KTM |
|
305 |
| 4 |
38 Eero Remes |
KTM |
|
253 |
| 5 |
22 Thomas Oldrati |
KTM |
|
237 |
|
|
 | | Simone Albergoni in action for his new KTM team
|  | | Positive fourth place for KTM team rookie Eero Remes
|  | | Close-knit KTM factory team |
|
