The opening round of the Italian Enduro Championship in Alassio this weekend kicks off the first major national championship of 2014. And with 206 riders set to compete, it’s defending champion Alex Salvini who wears the #1 target on his back.
Fresh off his recent trip to Chile, Salvini is firing on all cylinders as he begins his second season with the Honda and the Jolly Racing team. Dominant in 2013, he’ll be hoping to begin the new year in a similar fashion by winning both the Absolute (overall) class and also the Enduro 2 category.
But with riders like Beta’s Johnny Aubert, Matt Phillips (KTM), Eero Remes (TM), Thomas Oldrati (Husqvarna) and Matti Seistola (Sherco) all keen to give Salvini a hard time of things, winning isn’t a done deal.
In the Enduro 1 class it’s Oldrati that starts as the defending champion. Mounted on the new Husqvarna he’ll have Rudy Moroni (KTM), Maurizio Micheluz and Alessandro Battig amongst others to contend with for victory.
Salvini is the rider to beat in the Enduro 2 class. Undeniably fast on his Honda CRF 450, Mirko Gritti (KTM), Nico Mori (KTM), Gianluca Martini (Yamaha) and Giacomo Redondi (Beta) face a tall order of stopping the reigning champ.
Husqvarna’s Manuel Monni (Husqvarna) starts as favourite in the Enduro 3 category but with a hand injury to deal with it could be a tough weekend for him. Runner-up in 2013, Deny Philippaerts (Beta) will be out to capitalise on his rival’s misfortune while Oscar Balletti and Simone Albergoni (KTM) will be eager to shake things up in E3.
In the Foreigners class, Eero Remes holds the #1 plate but he’ll square off against Aubert, Aigar Leok (TM), Luis Correia (Beta), Phillips, Jeremy Tarroux (Sherco) and Danny McCanney (Beta) in Alassio.