Crescent KTM Enduro makes final preparations before appearing on the world stage

2013-09-20 14:16
Crescent KTM enduro riders Daryl Bolter and Steve Holcombe both used last weekend’s British Enduro Championship round - the ‘Team REME Crescent KTM Natterjack Enduro’ at Weavers Down near Longmoor in Hampshire - as a final preparation event before setting off to represent Great Britain at the International Six Days of Enduro at Olbia in Sardinia.

The Crescent KTM pair competed in two tests at ‘The Natterjack’, the first an enduro test about seven-minutes long with tight and twisty sections through the trees and up-and-down steep, sandy banks which were made all the more difficult due to overnight rain making some areas boggy. In comparison the motocross test was about five-and-a-half-minutes long and was in the sand-bowl. There were fast and flowing bermed corners in the deep sand and big man-made jumps for the competitors to content with.

Day one saw the Crescent KTM men ride four-laps, with the Enduro test ridden back-to-back at the end of the day. Following a long and tiring day’s riding on the bumpy and sandy course all riders were glad to finish and Holcombe took a very impressive fifth overall, despite being up against larger capacity machines than his Crescent KTM 250EXC-F and just missed out on a top-three position by only 23-seconds. Bolter took a creditable seventh on day-one, as he continued with his recovery to full race fitness following his accident earlier in the season.

The second day was reduced to three-laps due to forecasted rain, which arrived just as the field completed the final circulation. Holcombe again went very fast and took sixth place on the day despite a couple of crashes costing him valuable time, with team-mate Bolter riding a controlled race to again take seventh. The duo were both glad to get to the finish safely and are now looking forward to their next challenge - the ISDE in Sardinia where they will form an integral part of Great Britain’s team in the 88th edition of the ISDE – the FIM’s longest running off-road motorcycle competition.

Bolter will compete for Britain on the World Trophy team as he returns to the ISDE following a five-year absence, the Crescent man will take his place on the British team and will be aiming for his fourth Gold medal – but his first with KTM.

Holcombe on-the-other-hand is one of the most inexperienced members of the British ISDE team, but is certainly capable of turning heads in Sardinia. He made his debut appearance on the Junior World Trophy team in 2012 and helped steer the four-rider squad to second overall. Now a year faster, stronger and more experienced, Holcombe – like his teammates – has his sights set on fighting for victory.

The 88th edition of the ISDE takes place in Olbia, Sardinia from September 30 – October 5 when the Crescent KTM racers will be looking for good results to bring glory back to the UK and add to Crescent’s long list of racing achievements both on and off-road.

Daryl Bolter:

“Last weekend it was good just to be back on the bike and riding at a well organised quality event, for me it was all about bike time as it was first Enduro back since winning the Welsh two-day. I knew my pace wasn't going to be where I wanted it, but after crashing in the two previous years I played the sensible card to get time on the bike in preparation for the six-days. Saturday I just wanted to get through with no problems - which I did - and on Sunday I pushed on a little bit and wasn't far away on some test times, the biggest thing for me was building confidence - as I didn't have much - and overall I was happy with the weekend and I now know what I need to do to get back to the old me!

“I’m looking forward to racing the ISDE this year. It’s been a few years since I last rode one – Greece in 2008 – so it feels good to be preparing for a race like this again. In total this will be my fourth ISDE, but actually my first time competing in one on a KTM. Personally, that’s a lot of the reasoning for wanting to return. If this is my last ISDE I’d like to finish it off with a gold medal on a Crescent KTM.”

Steve Holcombe:

"Day one of the Natterjack started on the back foot as I struggled to get going. It took a couple of tests to get into a rhythm, but I was happy with fifth at the end of the day. I began the second day in a better frame of mind, but two crashes in the sand-bowl cost me some time, although I’m still happy with sixth overall against some strong competition. This is my favourite BEC event and I’m happy to come through it unscathed and in pretty good form, because now I can look forward to the ISDE. In 2012 we ended the race as runner-up to France so obviously the goal is to equal or better that result. With the strength of the team, winning the Junior World Trophy team competition isn’t out of the equation. As a team we work well together and individually our riding abilities match the very best in the world. I feel like my riding has greatly improved during the last year. The Crescent KTM 250EXC-F really suits my riding style and I love riding it, so I’m looking forward to spending a week racing it in Sardinia. It would be incredible if we could take home the winner’s trophy.”

Martyn James – Crescent KTM Director:

“Both the guys rode very well at The Natterjack in some tricky conditions. Steve was up against larger capacity machines in the sandy conditions and some very experienced guys, but he was still unbelievably fast. Daryl had a controlled race, easing back into racing and using the weekend more as a training event and not risking injury before the ISDE. We are delighted to have our two riders selected to represent Great Britain at the ISDE, it is a big honour for Crescent to have its whole team selected for such a prestigious event and shows that the faith we placed in the pair at the start of the season has been well proven. We wish them all the best and hope that we see a Crescent rider on the podium in Sardinia.”

Source: Crescent Motorcycle

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