Axel Semb is increasing his lead in the Junior and Junior 2 classes and Kevin Cristino continues to excel in the Junior 1 category, winning the opening day in Valpaços and sealing a second place on Sunday. Albin Norrbin brought the new Fantic XE 300 project with Minarelli injection engine on the podium in the E3 class for the first time.
Fantic dominates in the Junior class with its rising stars Axel Semb and Kevin Cristino. Swedish rider Albin Norrbin takes a first podium in the E3 class while Jed Etchells collects a fourth and a sixth place in the E2 class. Fantic Junior Racing Enduro Team rider Pietro Scardina also conquered the podium in the Youth class on the second day of competition.
The second round of the FIM EnduroGP World Championship was hold in Valpaços, a small town about an hour from Porto, from Friday 12 April to Sunday 14 April. The Portuguese GP was raced under an unusual typically summery climate with high temperatures of over 30° C. The riders had to face a not particularly difficult but very technical route divided into three special tests, identical to last season, to be completed four times per day for a total of eleven stages per day of competition.
The route of the second Portuguese stage, designed by the Motoclub "Usprigozus Clube TT de Vilarandelo" in collaboration with Track Inspector Maurizio Micheluz, included a very technical natural Extreme Test of 1. 7 km characterized by challenging passages with typically Portuguese stones, followed by a technical and not very fast Enduro Test of 5.6 km on mainly hard and friable terrain, and at the end of the lap a Cross Test inside the Motocross track of Valpaços, for a total of 4.6 km.
Fantic Racing’s new signing Axel Semb did another incredible race weekend in Valpaços, riding the new Fantic XEF 310. His final score consisted of two first places in the Junior and Junior 2 classes, and he is currently the standings leader of both the Junior and Junior 2 classes. The reigning Youth class champion, Kevin Cristino, also took a win on the first day of competition in the Junior 1 class and a second place on Sunday on his the Fantic XEF 250. In the Junior class he collected a second and a fourth-place finish, just 0.24 seconds off the podium.
On the opening day of competition Albin Norrbin, riding the new fuel-injected Fantic XE 300 with Minarelli engine, finished third in the E3 class. The Swede rode an incredible race highlighting all his qualities and grit. On day 2, Norrbin collected a sixth place. Reigning Junior class champion Jed Etchells showed a solid performance in the E2 class, securing a sixth place on Saturday and an excellent fourth place on Sunday.
Fantic Junior Racing Enduro Team rider Pietro Scardina experienced a very positive weekend. Arriving in Portugal with a knee ligament issue, he achieved a fourth place on Saturday and an amazing third place on Sunday in the Youth class. His teammate Valentino Corsi had to miss the race weekend in Valpaços due to a knee injury he had picked up in the training area during the previous GP.
After the Portuguese double, the next EnduroGP round is scheduled in Bacau for the GP of Romania on the 10th, 11th and 12th of May.
AXEL SEMB:
“It was a perfect weekend with two first places in the Junior and Junior 2 classes and the red plate in both categories but the championship is still long and we have to stay focused.”
ALBIN NORRBIN:
“I am satisfied with the result I achieved on the first day and very happy that the new Fantic XE 300 fuel-injected project with Minarelli engine got its first world championship podium.”
PIETRO SCARDINA:
“Despite arriving in Portugal with a knee ligament problem, I gritted my teeth all weekend long. I am happy with the results, especially on Sunday as I finished on the third step of the podium.”
