FOURTH ENDURO 1 WIN FOR KTM'S MEO
published at 01.04.2012 / created by Marcia Hill
Antoine Meo, KTM’s latest E1 signing leaves South America with four straight World Championship victories in his pocket marking him as an early title favorite for the coming season.
Antoine Meo won both rounds in Chile last weekend and repeated them this weekend in San Juan, a venue on the other side of the Andes that offered soft gravelly terrain in sharp contract with last weekend’s hard pack surface. His E1 factory teammate, Eero Remes of Finland improved on his last week’s performance and with a late burst at the end of the day to take the final test vaulted onto the podium in third place. Meo was the fastest rider in eight of Sunday’s 12 tests with Remes in second place behind him in five of them.
The French rider started the weekend with French flair when he was second on his KTM 250 EXC-F in the KTM Super Test on Friday night by five tenths of a second to set up the advantage for the third round in Argentina’s San Juan.
Despite the scorching heat of the South American summer and a very demanding day in the saddle, Meo was once again unstoppable in Enduro 1 and stormed home to take his third victory. He set the pace right from the opening lap and was fastest in every test except the final Enduro Test of the day.
He was justifiably satisfied with the outcome of the first race in Argentina saying he had ‘another incredible day’. “I pushed as hard as I could during the morning to try and open up an advantage as I knew it would be difficult once the special tests became rougher. I am so happy to win another Enduro 1 race.” Sunday was to prove that he got his wish.
Frenchman Marc Bourgeois and Simone Albergoni of Italy took the minor places on Saturday while KTM’s Eero Remes finished fourth, missing the third podium spot by less than two seconds.
Enduro Junior
Rounds three and four were also good for young KTM rider Jonathon Manzi of Italy (KTM) who put a stop to Mathias Bellino’s winning ways taking two EJ victories in San Juan he took victory on both days. Local boy Kevin Benavides thrilled the partisan home crowd when he raced to third place on both days. KTM also had two podium firsts in the Youth Cup with Italy’s Giacomo Redondi taking two more victories underlining that Italy, with it's rich tradition of Enduro sport is more than capable of delivering up and coming talent.
Organizers delivered a cross test that was based on a large motocross track with both jumps and tabletops, made more difficult by Sunday’s Round 4 after the hot, dusty and stony track had suffered being cut up by the large number of starters in Saturday’s race.
E1 Results Round 3
1. Antoine Meo (F), KTM
2. Marc Bourgeois (F), Yamaha
3. Simone Albergoni (I), HM-Honda
4. Eero Remes (FIN), KTM
5. Thomas Oldrati (I), KTM
E1 Standings after Round 3
1. Meo, 60 points
2. Rodrig Thain (F), HM-Honda, 42
2. Bourgeois, 42
4. Albergoni, 38
5. Remes, 33
E1 Results Round 4
1. Meo
2. Albergoni
3. Remes
4. Lorenzo Santolino (E), HVA
5. Thain
Other KTM
6. Thomas Oldrati (I), KTM
E1 Standings after Round 4
1. Meo, 80
2. Albergoni, 55
3. Thain, 53
4. Bourgeois, 51
5. Remes, 48
EJ Results Round 3
1. Jonathan Manzi (I), KTM
2. Mathias Bellino (F), Husaberg
3. Kevin Benavides (RA), KTM
4. Daniel McCanney (GB), Gas-Gas
5. Victor Guerrero (E), KTM
Other KTM
6. Edoardo D’Ambrosio (I), KTM
9. Rudi Moroni (I), KTM
12. Diego Gutierrez (RA), KTM
EJ Standings after Round 3
1. Bellino, 57 points
2. McCanney, 45
3. Benavides, 39
4. Guerrero, 37
5. Manzi, 36
EJ Results Round 4
1. Manzi
2. Bellino
3. Benavides
4. D’Ambrosio
5. McCanney
Other KTM
6. Guerrero
8. Moroni
12. Gutierrez
16. Alvaro Zamora (RA), KTM
EJ Standings after Round 4
1. Bellino, 74
2. Manzi, 56
2. McCanney, 56
4. Benavides, 54
5. Guerrero, 47
5. D’Ambrosio, 47
Youth Cup Results Round 3
1. Giacomo Redondi (I), KTM
2. Benjamin Herrera (RCH), TM
3. Stefano Caimi (RA), Yamaha
Youth Cup Standings after Round 3
1. Redondi, 57 points
2. Herrera, 54
3. Caimi, 38
Youth Cup Results Round 4
1. Redondi
2. Herrera
3. Caimi
Youth Cup Standings after Round 4
1. Redondi, 77
2. Herrera, 71
3. Caimi, 53
EWC 2012 Argentina – Highlights Day 1
EWC 2012 Argentina – Highlights Day 2










































