Double victory for Ivan Cervantes in E1 GP in Poland

2008-06-15 14:54
KTM Factory rider Ivan Cervantes of Spain rocketed to a double victory in rounds seven and eight of the E1 World Championship held this weekend in Kielce in the north of Poland.

Cervantes picked up a maximum of 50 points for his efforts to close the gap on standings leader Mika Ahola to 10 points and keep his championship hopes alive. Team boss Fabio Farioli, elated after KTM wins in all four Enduro categories in Poland, described Cervantes rides as "incredible".

Cervantes back in the championship race
"The gap with Mika was very tight, just three or four seconds in each special test. I fell once in the cross test but for the rest I rode at my maximum," Cervantes said after the race. "It was really important for me to win here today. Now only 10 points separate us and anything can happen."

Unbeatable in Poland
On Saturday Cervantes took the extremely long race with a 15 second margin from the dominant Finn Ahola after almost eight hours of riding in the Polish sand. On Sunday in an abbreviated version, the Spanish KTM rider took control of the race from the first special test and successfully fended off any attacks from Ahola. He finished with a 23-second advantage to assume his role as a serious title contender. Farioli was also satisfied with the performance of his KTM factory rider Tom Sagar who wrapped up the weekend with a 7-8 result in what is his first year in the senior competition.

Results Round Seven
1. Ivan Cervantes, Spain, KTM
2. Mika Ahola, Finland, Honda
3. Marc Germain, France, Yamaha
4. Simone Albergoni, Yamaha
5. Cristobal Guerrero, Spain, Yamaha
Other KTM
7. Tom Sagar, Britain, KTM

Results Round Eight
1. Ivan Cervantes, Spain, KTM
2. Mika Ahola, Finland, Honda
3. Simone Albergoni, Yamaha
4. Cristobal Guerrero, Spain, Yamaha
5. Maurizio Micheluz, Italy, Yamaha
Other KTM
8. Tom Sagar, Britain, KTM

Standings
1. Mika Ahola, Finland, 186 points
2. Ivan Cervantes, Spain, KTM, 176
3. Simone Albergoni, Italy, Yamaha, 165
4. Cristobal Guerrero, Spain, Yamaha, 118
5. Marc Germain, France, Yamaha, 115




Source: KTM-Sportmotorcycle AG

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