Five Minutes – Giacomo Redondi
SuperEnduro returns to Europe this weekend for the penultimate round of the series in Barcelona. As the only European rider in the Junior class to make the long haul out to Brazil and Mexico, Giacomo Redondi holds a tasty 75-point lead in the championship. But with the Junior category allowed to drop their four worst scores he’s not got this thing sewn up just yet.
Catching up with the Beta rider, we found out a little about his South American adventure and what are his expectations for the rest of the season…
With the South American SuperEnduro trip now behind you, have you enjoyed it?
“It was an enjoyable few days in Brazil and Mexico – I’m actually glad I went.”
As the only European rider to contest the Junior class, why did you go? Did you miss the memo or something!
“Yeah, I think I so! I booked my flights quite early and guessed that the majority of the Junior riders were also going to make the trip. But then when I found out they weren’t going I figured I’d still go and just make the best of it.”
Obviously winning all four finals was a case of ‘making the best of it’ then!
“The level of competition was lower than the first two rounds of the series so I wouldn’t base the success of my trip on race wins alone. I looked to the Prestige class a lot and pushed hard to match their times. Doing that kept me motivated and driven to put four strong races together. It was also the start of my Beta career so it was great to reward their effort in getting me to South America with some race wins.”
Away from the track you also kept busy. What did you get up to?
“Once I committed to the expense of going to South America I made sure it would be worthwhile. Almost everyday I was riding my bike or doing some sort of training. It was great to experience some riding in Brazil and Mexico. The terrain was varied and I learned a lot from that. In Brazil I also got to ride an old enduro test that was used way back when the EWC raced there. That was cool – pretty crazy test too!”
Although you’ve got a decent point’s lead in the series, everyone is allowed to drop their four worst scores so nothing is certain yet. What are your expectations leading into Barcelona this weekend?
“All of the top guys will be back racing on Sunday so it’s serious business again. No doubt they’ve been following what happened in Brazil and Mexico so I’m sure they’ll be fired up to beat me. But I’ll be pushing hard to win races too – I can’t think about winning the championship just yet.”
With two extra weeks of SuperEnduro racing under your belt you must be feeling good about the final two rounds of the championship?
“Although everyone else will have been busy training there’s a lot to be said for actual race miles. I’m hoping that will work to my advantage in Spain and France. I’m ready for a big fight to finish out the season.”