KTM mounted Taddy BLAZUSIAK (PL-KTM) has returned to his winning ways with the Polish SuperEnduro star claiming overall honours at the third round of the Maxxis FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Winner of the second round of the series in Poland, David KNIGHT (GB-Sherco) claimed second overall, with Husqvarna’s Alfredo GOMEZ (S)rounding out the overall podium in third. Making the perfect start to his participation in the first ever non-European Maxxis FIM SuperEnduro World Championship event, BLAZUSIAK put his name at the top of the night’s first Prestige class final, having topped the Akrapovic Super Pole by three seconds from David KNIGHT (Sherco).
But TADDY was forced to do things the hard way in Final #1 as the defending SuperEnduro champion crashed exiting the first corner. Forced to play catch-up the KTM racer methodically worked his way from last to collect the chequered flag in style. No fewer than four riders lead Final #1 – Alfredo GOMEZ, Jonny WALKER (GB-KTM), David KNIGHT, and eventual winnerBLAZUSIAK. KNIGHT eventually placed second ahead of WALKER and GOMEZ.
The reversed start in Final #2 saw Husqvarna’s Joakim LJUNGGREN hit the front first – a position he held for two laps beforeKNIGHT took to the front. Looking like he had the race it won, in the very last corner GOMEZ muscled his way into the lead and took the win, much to KNIGHT frustration. With KNIGHT runner-up, BLAZUSIAK placed third having been down in 10th on the opening lap. WALKER, LJUNGGREN and Dani GIBERT (Gas Gas) rounded out the top six.
Ending his night just as he’d started it BLAZUSIAK claimed his second win of the event. Hitting the front on lap two when he moved ahead of early race leader KNIGHT, TADDY didn’t put a foot wrong to finish four seconds clear. In winning two of the night’s races, and placing third in the other, TADDY topped the overall podium. KNIGHT’S Final #3 result of second ensured the Manxman finished in the same position at the end of the night. WALKER finished third in the last race of the event, but it was Husqvarna mounted Spaniard GOMEZ who rounded out the podium in third at the Brazilian round of the Maxxis FIM SuperEnduro World Championship.
In the Junior class there was no stopping Giacomo REDONDI (Beta) on his international Beta debut. Finishing one lap ahead of his closest challenger in the opening race, Redondi then did the same in the second final. Leading both races from start-to-finish, Giacomo was in a class of his own and the only European rider in an otherwise all-Brazilian class. In race one the Italian finished ahead of Vinicius CALAFATI (KTM) with Breno FELNER (TM) third. In the second and last Junior race REDONDI again finished ahead of CALEFATi and FELNER.
The FIM Maxxis SuperEnduro World Championship continues with round four in Mexico on January 25th 2014.
