ISDE Day 3
78th ISDE, Fortaleza, Brazil - Day 3
Defending champion Finland remains out front with all its six riders going strong. Italy managed to trim the lead back by 20 seconds on Wednesday and stays runner-up. France claimed third position from Belgium and also leads the Junior Trophy.
Wednesday´s race was done on the same course as 24 hours before. A course full of holes and dust. Additionally, temperatures of over 30° C took their toll on the 315 riders having made it to the half-way mark of the 78th Six Days.
Being the fastest rider of them all, Stefan Merriman also defended his lead in the 250cc two-stroke class. Helder Rodrigues (125cc), Peter Bergvall (250 4-stroke) and Stefan Everts (450 4-stroke) all maintained their top placings, while Johan Boonen took over in the big class. Merriman has won seven, Everts four and Juha Salminen two specials tests so far.
Analysed Helder Rodrigues, first of 46 riders left in the small division: "The third day of competition was good. I won almost all the specials, but in the last one there was dust inside the carburator and I almost couldnt finish. Because of this I almost lost everything I got during the day."
Team members of the club of British rider Matt Bowden, who died on Tuesday, did not start. Many riders were wearing a black ribbon on their shirt sleeves as a sign of mourning. Friends from the Moto Club Parma placed a flower bouquet on Bowdens bike that was taken to the parc fermé.
Trophy Overall
- Finland
- Italy +3:00.67
- France +9:11.06
- Belgium
- Spain
- Australia
- Germany
- Czech Republic
- Poland
- USA
Individual Overall
- Stefan Merriman, AUS, Honda 1:17:18.25
- Stefan Everts, BEL, Yamaha +16.42
- Juha Salminen, FIN, KTM +56.40
- Arnaud Demeester, FRA, Yamaha +2:15.99
- Kari Tiainen, FIN, KTM +2:41.60
- Freddy Blanc, FRA, KTM +2:58.35
- Jani Laaksonen, FIN, GasGas +3:05.88
- Johan Boonen, BEL, KTM +3:11.45
- Mika Ahola, FIN, VOR +3:14.05
- Ivan Cervantes, SPA, KTM +3:20.83
125cc
- Helder Rodrigues, POR, KTM 1:21:20.30
- Simone Albergoni, ITA, KTM +58.11
- Roberto Bazzurri, ITA, Husqvarna +1:13.88
- Mika Saarenkoski, FIN, Husqvarna +1:32.10
- Xavier Puigdemont, SPA, KTM +1:34.19
250cc 2-stroke
- Merriman
- Demeester
- Tiainen
- Blanc
- Laaksonen
250cc 4-stroke
- Peter Bergvall, SWE, Yamaha 1:21:14.26
- Marc Germain, FRA, Yamaha +37.55
- Mario Rinaldi, ITA, Yamaha +39.00
- Ralph Hubers, NEL, Yamaha +3:02.62
- Glenn Kaerney, AUS, Yamaha +3:16.82
450cc 4-stroke
- Everts
- Salminen
- Alessandro Botturi, ITA, KTM +3:19.58
- Sebastien Guillaume, FRA, Husqvarna +4:14.20
- Amel Advokaat, NEL, KTM +5:09.03
500cc 4-stroke
- Boonen
- Ahola
- Cervantes
- Anders Eriksson, SWE, Husqvarna +24.21
- Samuli Aro, FIN, KTM +26.22
