KTM FACTORY RIDER REMES SHINES THROUGHOUT HOME ISDE IN FINLAND

Rain lashed the tracks through Finland’s verdant forests for almost five and a half days of this classic six-day international competition and even rendered two tests impossible to ride on the last day out on the big loops. Remes was the star performer throughout. He won five of the six days in the E1 class and held onto the overall competition in conditions that obviously suited his national team who combined to take the coveted World Trophy for the host country.

Remes, who is also second in the overall standings in the E1 class of the World Championship with four races to go, seemed to revel in difficult conditions. Known to favor the MX type terrain he was the favorite to dominate the last day when the final test was held at the Karhula MX track.  He took victory in the final stage and won overall from teammate Juha Salminen with an accrued lead of just over four minutes. Remes was well supported in the overall E1 results by Spain’s Lorenzo Santolino who finished on the podium in third, Remes’ teammate Antti Hellsten who was fourth overall and Mario Roman of Spain who was sixth overall.

KTM’s American rider Kurt Caselli also finished with great flourish on the final day wrapping up his very successful Six Day 2011 with at 1-1-5-1-2-1 result in the E2 class for the individual days to top the final podium, even though he accrued a 4-minute penalty half way through the race. KTM rider Cristobal Guerrero of Spain joined Caselli on the podium in third place. The KTM factory rider was a strong contender throughout the event but finished back in the field on the final day. Toby Price of Australia, winner of the recent Australian 4-days Enduro, finished fourth overall while KTM riders Jari Mattila (Finland) and American Russell Bobbitt were ranked sixth and seven.

KTM riders were also prominent in the overall E3 results with the best finisher being Britain’s Johnny Walker in fourth overall. Walker also finished a superb third in this year’s Red Bull Hare Scramble at Erzberg, Austria’s Iron Mountain. Other top KTM riders in the class were: Jonas Karlsson of Sweden in fifth place, American Nathan Kanney in seventh, Mark Wassink of the Netherlands in eighth and Australian Mitchell Bowen at twelfth.

All in all it was a superb, if difficult and slippery ISDE for the host country whose strong team were clearly at home in the terrain around the Kotka-Hamina region in the south of the country. Finnish riders dominated throughout the event and they were worthy winners of the coveted World Trophy. Spain, well supported by KTM factory rider Cristobal Guerrero and Santolino and Roman took second place while Caselli, Bobbitt and Kanney all played a leading role in giving USA the bronze medal.

France won the Junior Trophy with Sweden and Britain, supported by Johnny Walker taking the minor places, followed by USA and Australia, both reinforced by KTM riders. The Women’s Trophy also went to France with Finland and Australia also on the podium.

KTM 1 also topped the ranking in the Manufacturer’s Team Award thanks to the great riding of team members Remes, Caselli and Cristobal Guerrero.

The Austrian sports motorcycle manufacturer was, as usual, also in Kotka-Hamina with a full Customer Service for KTM riders across all the levels of competition.

E1 Day Six
1, Eero Remes, Finland, KTM
2, Matti Seistola, Finland, Husqvarna
3, Juha Salminen, Finland, Husqvarna
4, Paolo Felecia, Portugal, Yamaha
5, Colton Udall, USA, Honda
7, Lorenzo Santolino, Spain, KTM
8, Antti Hellsten, Finland, KTM
10, Joerg Haustein Germany, KTM
12, Benjamin Herreira, Chile, KTM
14, Lauri Pohjonen, Finland, KTM
16, Ralph Hubers, Netherlands, KTM
17, Mario Roman, Spain, KTM

E1 Final Results at end of Six Days
1, Eero Remes, Finland, KTM
2, Juha Salminen, Finland, Husqvarna
3, Lorenzo Santolino, Spain, KTM
4, Antti Hellsten, Finland, KTM
5, Matti Seistola, Finland, Husqvarna
6, Mario Roman, Spain, KTM

E2 Day Six
1, Kurt Caselli, USA, KTM
2, Luis Correia, Portugal, Yamaha
3, Toby Price, Australia, KTM
4, David Israel, Chile, Honda
5, Mathias Bellino, France, Husaberg
7, Jari Mattila, Finland, KTM
9, Mitcham Harper, Australia, KTM
15, Jonathan Manzi, Italy, KTM
18, Cristobal Guerrero, Spain, KTM

Final Overall Results for E2 at end of Six Days
1, Kurt Caselli, USA, KTM
2, Luis Correia, Portugal Yamaha
3, Cristobal Guerrero, Spain, KTM
4, Toby Price, Australia, KTM
5, Matthew Phillips Australian Yamaha
6, Jari Mattila, Finland, KTM
7, Russell Bobbitt, USA KTM

E3 Day Six
1, Ivan Cervantes, Spain, Gas-Gas
2, Valtteri Salonen, Finland, TM
3, Marko Tarkkala, Finland, Husaberg
4, Danny McCanney Britain, Gas-Gas
5, Johnny Walker, Britain, KTM
6, Nathan Kanney, USA, KTM
8, Mark Wassink, Netherlands, KTM

Final overall results E3 at end of Day Six
1, Marko Tarkalla, Finland, Husaberg
2, Ivan Cervantes, Spain, Gas-Gas
3, Valtteri Salonen, Finland, TM
4, Johnny Walker, Britain, KTM
5, Jonas Karlsson, Sweden, KTM
7, Nathan Kanney, USA, KTM
8, Mark Wassink, Netherlands, KTM
12, Mitchell Bowen, Australia, KTM

World Trophy

1, Finland
Eero Remes, KTM
Matti Seistola, Husqvarna
Juha Salminen, Husqvarna
Jari Mattila KTM
Valtteri Salonen, TM
Marko Tarkkala, Husaberg

2, Spain
Victor Guerrero, Yamaha
Mario Roman, KTM
Lorenzo Santolino, KTM
Cristobal Guerrero, KTM
Ivan Cervantes, Gas-Gas
Oriol Mena, Husaberg

3, USA
Colton Udall, Honda
Destry Abbott, Kawasaki
Russell Bobbitt, KTM
Jimmy Jarrett, Homda
Kurt Caselli, KTM
Nathan Kanney, KTM

4, Sweden
Johan Edlund, KTM
Martin Larsson, Husaberg
Daniel Persson, Husaberg
Joakim Ljunggren, Husaberg
Jakob Morhed, Husaberg
Jonas Karlsson, KTM

5, Netherlands
Ralph Hubers, KTM
Erald Lamertink, Husaberg
Erwin Plekkenpol, KTM
Hans Vogels, Husaberg
Amel Advokaat, Husaberg
Mark Wassink

6, Germany
Joerg Haustein, KTM
Daniel Jud, Husaberg
Dennis Schroeter, Husqvarna
Otto Freund, KTM
Ralf Scheidhauer, Beta
Gerd Pfefferkorn, KTM

Junior Trophy

1, France
Alexandre Quereyre, Yamaha
Benoit Fortunato, Yamaha
Mathias Bellino, Husaberg
Romain Dumontier, Yamaha

2, Sweden
Martin Sundin, Husaberg
Carl Sjoo, Honda
Johan Carlsson, Beta
Karl Svensson, Husaberg

3, Britain
Jack Rowland, Husqvarna
Alexander Rockwell, Husaberg
Johnny Walker, KTM
Danny McCanny, Gas-Gas

4, USA
Ian Blythe, Honda
Cory Buttrock, KTM
Andrew Delong, KTM
Cody Schafer, Kawasaki

5, Australia
Scott Keegan, Husqvarna
Josh Ballard, Yamaha
Mitcham Harper, KTM
Mitchell Bowen, KTM

Women’s Trophy

1, France: Ludivine Puy, Blandine Dufrene, Juliette Berez
2, Finland:  Marita Nyqvist, Hanna Mertsalmi, Charlotte Ljunglin
3, Australia: Jessica Gardiner, Alison Parker, Jemma Wilson
4, Sweden: Jessica Jonsson, Jessica Malcolmsson
5, USA: Nicole Bradford (KTM), Amanda Mastin, Kerrie Swartz (KTM)

Manufacturer’s Team Award

1, KTM 1: Eero Remes, Kurt Caselli, Cristobal Guerrero
2, Husaberg 2: Mathias Bellino, Simon Wakely, Hans Vogels
3, Husaberg 3: Martin Larsson, Martin Sundin, Karl Svensson
4, Husaberg 4: Alexander Rockwell, Daniel Persson, Kajob Morhed
5, KTM 3: Antti Hellsten, Mario Roman
9, KTM 4: Russell Bobbitt, Nathan Kanney, Cory Buttrick