Enduro

Watson and McCanney top day two at FIM EnduroGP of Greece

Posted:

Monday, July 3rd, 2017

10:21 AM

Securing his first EnduroGP class win of 2017, Nathan Watson (KTM) was the big winner on day two of the Maxxis FIM EnduroGP of Greece where the British rider finished 23 seconds ahead of championship leader Steve Holcombe (Beta) at the end of a second hot and demanding day of racing in Grevena.

Runner-up to Holcombe on day one, Watson topped five of the second day‰Ûªs nine special tests to earn a well-deserved first win of the season. In the Enduro 2 class Jamie McCanney (Yamaha) topped the result as he did on day two of the GP of Hungary, having come out on top of a two-rider battle for the win with Enduro 2 championship leader Josep Garcia (KTM). In the Enduro Junior class Sweden‰Ûªs Mikael Persson (Yamaha) claimed the win.

Just as on day one in Grevena, day two of the EnduroGP of Greece saw riders battle against scorching temperatures. But for Nathan Watson (KTM) the day couldn‰Ûªt have gone any better. Fighting for the win on day one, on day two he delivered his best performance of the year to claim victory and his first podium topping result of the year.

Watson and McCanney top day two at FIM EnduroGP of Greece

Nathan Watson took the win on Day 2 in EnduroGP. Credit: Future 7 Media

‰ÛÏWinning on day two here in Greece is a great way to end the back-to-back GPs we‰Ûªve had in Hungary and Greece,‰Û

Beta's Steve Holcombe extended his championship lead in EnduroGP with second place.

Just like at the EnduroGP of Hungary where he claimed the win on day two after finishing as runner-up on day one, Jamie McCanney (Yamaha) again bounced back from a second-place result to win in Greece on day two. Locked in a close battle with Josep Garcia, less than two seconds separated the two riders entering the final special test with Jamie securing an eventual win of nine seconds.

‰ÛÏI had a few small issues on day one and made a few small mistakes, which knocked my confidence a little on the extreme test but I‰Ûªm more than happy with how things have ended up on day two,‰Û

Yamaha's Jamie McCanney took the win in Enduro2 on day 2 after finishing second the previous day.

Second to McCanney having won on day one, Josep Garcia (KTM) continues to lead the Enduro 2 championship, once again showing impressive speed but crashing on more than one occasion. Davide Guarneri (Honda) showed that his day one result was certainly no fluke by again finishing third, and just 14 seconds behind Garcia. Putting in winning rides on both the motocross and enduro tests, had he been faster on the extreme test the Italian might have been able to challenge for the class win. Eero Remes (TM) finished fourth, 36 seconds behind winner McCanney. Dropping one position from his day one result, Pascal Rauchenecker (Husqvarna) placed fifth. Jonathan Barragan (Gas Gas) missed out on a top five result by less than three seconds as the Spaniard delivered the best two-stroke Enduro 2 class result. Danny McCanney (Husqvarna), Daniel Sanders (KTM) and Manuel Monni (Yamaha) rounded out the top 10.

In the Enduro Junior class Swede Mikael Persson (Yamaha) earned his first ever class victory after coming out on top of a two-rider battle with day one winner Brad Freeman (Beta).

‰ÛÏI‰Ûªm so, so happy to get the class win on day two. I‰Ûªve been fighting for this result even since the second round of the series in Spain,‰Û

KTM's Josep Garcia finished less than 2 seconds behing McCanny on day 2

Second and just 10 seconds behind Persson, Brad Freeman (Beta) was the only other rider to challenge for the win as he finished more than one-minute ahead of third placed Davide Soreca (Honda). Albin Elowson (Husqvarna), Matteo Cavallo (Beta) and Kirian Mirabet (Sherco) rounded out the top six.

In the 125cc Youth class Andrea Verona (TM) claimed yet another class win, ahead of Leo Le Quere (TM) and Chilean Ruy Barbosa (Husqvarna).

The 2017 Maxxis FIM EnduroGP World Championship moves on to Portugal in three weeks time, to Castelo Branco on July 21-23.

EnduroGP - Day 2 Greece
1 Steve Holcombe Beta GBR 57'55.560
2 Nathan Watson KTM GBR 58'07.950
3 Loic Larrieu Yamaha FRA 58'40.540
4 Alex Salvini Beta ITA 58'49.590
5 Christophe Nambotin Husqvarna FRA 58'56.020
6 Jaume Betriu KTM ESP 58'56.240
7 Matthew Phillips Sherco AUS 59'02.370
8 Mathias Bellino Husqvarna FRA 59'47.210
9 Cristobal Guerrero Yamaha ESP 1:00'18.330
10 Giacomo Redondi Honda ITA 1:00'32.290
11 Deny Philippaerts Beta ITA 1:01'47.060
12 Billy Bolt Husqvarna GBR 1:02'04.280
13 Ramon Quer Molgo Husqvarna ESP 1:02'29.540
14 Vassilis Siafarikas Honda GRC 1:07'03.690

EnduroGP - Standings after Greece
1 Steve Holcombe Beta GBR 214 Points
2 Loic Larrieu Yamaha FRA 186 Points
3 Christophe Nambotin Husqvarna FRA 169 Points
4 Nathan Watson KTM GBR 164 Points
5 Matthew Phillips Sherco AUS 160 Points
6 Giacomo Redondi Honda ITA 129 Points
7 Cristobal Guerrero Yamaha ESP 121 Points
8 Alex Salvini Beta ITA 112 Points
9 Jaume Betriu KTM ESP 108 Points
10 Antti Hellsten Husqvarna FIN 84 Points

Enduro2 - Day 2
1 Josep Garcia KTM ESP 58'08.510
2 Jamie McCanney Yamaha GBR 58'26.850
3 Davide Guarneri Honda ITA 58'29.820
4 Pascal Rauchenecker Husqvarna AUT 58'55.910
5 Eero Remes TM FIN 59'14.720
6 Henric Stigell Husqvarna FIN 59'23.150
7 Daniel McCanney Husqvarna GBR 59'26.060
8 Lorenzo Santolino Sherco ESP 59'29.720
9 Daniel Sanders KTM AUS 59'46.530
10 Jonathan Barragan GasGas ESP 1:00'05.620
11 Thomas Oldrati KTM ITA 1:00'06.290
12 Victor Guerrero KTM ESP 1:00'20.960
13 Manuel Monni TM ITA 1:00'52.760
14 Romain Dumontier Yamaha FRA 1:01'19.320

Enduro2 Standings after Greece
1 Josep Garcia KTM ESP 223 Points
2 Jamie McCanney Yamaha GBR 211 Points
3 Eero Remes TM FIN 199 Points
4 Pascal Rauchenecker Husqvarna AUT 170 Points
5 Daniel McCanney Husqvarna GBR 138 Points
6 Henric Stigell Husqvarna FIN 128 Points
7 Daniel Sanders KTM AUS 126 Points
8 Davide Guarneri Honda ITA 125 Points
9 Thomas Oldrati KTM ITA 118 Points
10 Jonathan Barragan GasGas ESP 116 Points