TADDY BLAZUSIAK TAKES FOURTH WORLD SUPERENDURO TITLE!
published at 10.03.2013 / created by Marcia Hill
Red Bull KTM’s Taddy Blazusiak again underlined his supremacy in Indoor Enduro racing when he secured his fourth SuperEnduro World Championship title in the final round at Tours, France.
The Polish rider went into the competition with a 29-point lead and took the championship title after the second of three heats in the Parc des Expositions.
The program started well for Taddy Blazusiak and he grabbed the holeshot in his qualification and charged to an early lead with David Knight on his tailpipe. Then with three laps to go Blazusiak stumbled in the rock garden section and Knight slipped past to claim the win. KTM teammate Jonny Walker was third to set up a faceoff in the three heats of the final in the evening program.
Blazusiak was on top of his game in heat one taking the win from Knight and Walker, moving closer to again reclaiming the SuperEnduro crown and putting on a great show for the attending crowd. He then went on to seal his fourth consecutive title in the second of three heats. A crash in the final stage of the third heat cost him the win, but he went on to finish third having already secured the title.
Walker finishes fourth on the night, third in Championship
UK factory rider Jonny Walker qualified in third place behind Blazusiak and Knight. He then took the holeshot in his first race and led for four laps before arm pump caused him to ease off the gas. He finished in third place.
In race two Walker was in fourth place after the first corners but was distracted for a couple of laps with a problem with his front fork guard. His race was full of incidents and he crashed several times, finally finishing back in seventh place.
He got away quite well in the third heat and was quickly in third behind Blazusiak and Knight. These three riders broke away from the pack and after Blazusiak’s crash, it was Knight who took the win ahead of Walker and Taddy, enough points for Walker to finish third overall in the championship.
Extended SuperEnduro calendar next season
The growing popularity of FIM SuperEnduro, which brings the thrill and skill of Enduro into the arena and makes it an accessible and attractive sport for spectators has led to an increased seven round program in late 2013 and 2014. Stops on the tour are also planned in Mexico and Brazil. Round Six, to be announced, is expected to be in Barcelona, Spain.
2014 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship Venues
Round 1 – November 17, Liverpool, England
Round 2 – December 7, Tampere, Finland
Round 3 – December 14, Lodz, Poland
Round 4 – January 11, Guadalajara, Mexico
Round 5 – January 18, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Round 6 – February 8, TBA (possibly Barcelona)
Round 7 – February 22, Tours, France
Senior Overall Results SuperEnduro Tours
1, Taddy Blazusiak (PL), KTM, 51 points
2. David Knight (UK), Honda, 48
3. Jonny Walker (UK), KTM, 38
Final Championship Standings
1. Blazusiak, 162 points (fourth indoor world title)
2. Knight, 130
3. Walker, 119
4. Alfredo Gomez (E), Husaberg, 99
5. Kornel Nemeth (H), KTM, 89
Junior Overall Results SuperEnduro Tours
1. Giacomo Redondi (I), KTM, 37 points
2. Danny McCanney (UK), GasGas, 31
3. Pawel Szymkowski (PL), KTM, 31
Final Championship Standings
1. McCanney, 101 points
2. Szymkowski, 89
3. Redondi, 88
4. Johan Edlund, Husaberg, 83
5. Magnus Thor, KTM, 62
Highlights SuperEnduro Tours (F) 2013
Onboard with 2013 World Champion Taddy Blazusiak
Taddy Blazusiak World champion, Walker takes third overall
Blazusiak with the KTM 350 EXC-F on his way to another title
Walker finishes third overall in the championship with his KTM 300 EXC
Italy's Giacomo Redondi impressive in Junior Class