FIM Europe News

The first round of the European Enduro Championship started today at Gouveia, in Portugal. On the demanding track, among rocks and stones and a lot of dust, the French junior rider Theophile Espinasse took the first victory. The Sherco rider won all the first five tests and finished 25,6 seconds in front of Italian Oscar Balletti. The latter had an advantage from the technical problems of Anthony Geslin – the French was second until but he had technical problems at the last timecheck and dropped down to 14th position. Photo @Robert Pairan - Theophile Espinasse Espinasse won the junior E2/E3 class as well, with more than half a minute of advantage on his compatriots David Abgrail and Hugo Balanjoue. In the junior-class E1 the first place went to French Jeremy Miroir, who won ahead of Italian Matteo Rossi and of Czech Kristof Kouble. Among the under 20 Brit Daniel Mundell

British Iwan Roberts (Beta), French Kieran Touly (Sherco) and German Markus Kipp (TRS) are the winners in the first day of the event held in the historic venue of Bilstain, Belgium, second round of the FIM Europe Championship and Cup. The schedule foresaw 15 sections to be repeated twice, all in the famous Domain Trial and Enduro, a private area belonged to Crosset family. And more or less the obstacles chosen were the same as those faced for years by the world top riders in the seventies and eighties. Many big rocks, sometimes quite difficult because covered by mud. This time, with the sun shining almost all day long, all the sections were easily overcome by any competitor and in any class. In the photo @Phototrial, Iwan Roberts Roberts found the right concentration and built his victory recovering from a temporary second place behind Jack Peace (Gas Gas), leader with

In the weekend from Friday 28th April to Sunday 1st May, the follow­ing European races will be held: 28-30 April - Superstock 1000 European Championship and Supersport Cup Assen/The Netherlands 29-30 April - CEV Repsol Moto2 EC, European Talent Cup & European Kawasaki Z Cup at Albacete/Spain 28-30 April - Road Race Hill Climb EC at Landshaag/Austria 29 April-1 May - European Street Freestyle Cup and Superstreet bike Cup at Kunmadaras/Hungary 29-30 April - EMX 65 / EMX 85 European Championship South West Zone at Gazzane di Preseglie/Italy 29-30 April - SM Junior and S3 European Supermoto Championship at Pleven/Bulgaria 29-30 April - Enduro European Championship at Gouveia/Portugal 29-30 April - Trial, Over 40 Cup and Junior Cup at Bilstain/Belgium 1 May - Individual Speedway Euro Championship SF1 at Nagyhalasz/Hungary 1 May - Individual Speedway Euro Championship SF2 at Mureck/Austria 1 May - Individual Speedway Euro Championship SF3 at Terenzano/Italy

One week after the opening round held at Zelhem, The Netherlands, here are two decisive days for the European, Junior and Over 40 classes, fifty percent of their series on the historic venue of Bilstain, Belgium East, theatre of important world events in the eighties. The large property is a closed area with natural rocks and is now often used for training riders in Enduro and Motocross. In the main class there will be 25 riders able to face the spectacular obstacles included among the red gates mandatory for their riding. Fighting for the top positions we expect some confirms from British riders, quite comfortable on these changeable weather conditions, because Bilstain is just few kilometers South of Zelhem and even there the sections are rich of big rocks, in indoor style. Toby Martyn (Vertigo), Peace brothers Dan and Jack (both on Gas Gas), Iwan Roberts (Beta) are all possible

In this issue, all the updates about the FIM Europe activities and a long, exclusive interview to a "special" racer: Finnish Ulla Kulju, the first paralysed woman to race in motorcycling. Besides Snowcross Enduro, she also takes part to road racing and her story is amazing. Furthermore, among other things, the reports of the FIM Europe initiatives for Snowcross and the Snowcross "safari" in Finland, FIM Europe Management Council, the partnership with Youthstream to support IRP at Bal de Printemps, the meeting with ADAC in Vienna, the presence at the opening of the new OEAMTC and the successful stories of the FIM Europe Moto Tour Assistant Course, with the Alternative Road Trips Company. The FIM Europe MAG can be downloaded in FIM Europe website and at the following link: https://issuu.com/fimeurope/docs/fim_europe_mag_2-2017

In warm and sunny weather conditions and a perfect track, Ottobiano Motorsport Park was ready for the first race day of the 2017 European Supermoto Championship. Photo @BPROM - The S2 Podium S2 When the lights dropped for the first race of the season, it was defending World Champion and TM Factory rider Thomas Chareyre who took the holeshot into the first corner, followed by TM Degasoline rider Pavel Kejmar and the teammate of Chareyre at TM Factory Racing Diego Monticelli. The top three was closely followed by SMW BRT rider Marc-Reiner Schmidt and Tuning Motorsport rider Milan Sitniansky. In the first few laps Chareyre kept the speed high trying to create a gap between him and the rest of the top five, but Kejmar felt very good on his TM and managed to stay close behind the World Champion giving him no room to make mistakes. Monticelli, Schmidt and

British Toby Martyn (Vertigo, in the photo), Italian Manuel Copetti (Vertigo) and German Markus Kipp (TRS) topped the podium in their classes in the first round of the 2017 FIM Europe Trial Championship, held in Zelhem, The Netherlands. After the Youth and Women Series, which occupied the scene on Saturday, it was the turn of the more blazoned riders. Two loops with 15 sections as tradition. The weather was very variable. Sun and rain came over and over again. So sections gained and lost grip many times in the same day. That meant few differences for sections with rocks but a lot of differences for the ones on big logs, because when they were wet it was quite impossible to overtake them. Sometimes it was wise to wait for a while to let sun dry the logs or rocks before jumping. Martyn started soon very well scoring 14 marks at

Today the track of Valkenswaard, in the Netherlands, hosted the first day of EMX 125 and 250. Photo @Youthstream - The start of EMX125 In EMX125 the winner was Mikkel Haarup, from Denmark, on Husqvarna, in front of Swedish Tim Edberg on Yamaha and French Brian Strubhart Moreau, on Kawasaki. Photo @Youthstream - Miro Sihvonen In EMX 250, Race1 was won by Miro Sihvonen (in the photo), from Finland, on KTM. With him on the podium of the day, Ruben Fernandez from Spain, on Kawasaki, and Dutch Nick Kouwenberg, on Yamaha. Tomorrow all the riders will face Race2. Full results on FIM Europe website: http://www.fim-europe.eu/events/319 Photo @Youthstream - The start of EMX250

Under clear blue and sunny skies, the first race of the 2017 SuperMoto European Championship season started in Ottobiano, Pavia, Italy. Pista South Milano is one of best well equipped venues in Europe for Supermoto races. With fast straights, tight corners and a challenging off-road section there is plenty of action for the spectators. In S2 it was five times World Champion TM Factory rider Thomas Chareyre who took pole position in Italy. Photo @BPROM - Thomas Chareyre S2 In the first free practice in Ottobiano, 24 riders entered the racetrack to set their first laps in 2017. With the S1GP and S2 riders combined this season there is a new challenge for everyone. Straight from the start of the first free practice, it was the defending World Champion TM Factory rider Thomas Chareyre who set the fastest times. Lap after lap the times got faster and faster and more

World Champion Emma Bristow (Sherco) and Oliver Smith (Gas Gas) are the first winners in respectively Women and Youth class of the FIM-Europe Trials Championship, 26th edition, held in Zelhem, the Netherlands. First day of a weekend rich of enthusiasm for this opening round, disputed in a close area full of spectacular rocks, obstacles requested by modern trial. And who could be more modern, but the youngest riders admitted in these International series with the best female riders in the world? Yes, this time the two-times World Champion, British Emma Bristow decided to join the circus. Her riding is one step above all the others, but she wanted to test her mind, probably before going to the Scottish Six Days next week. Loosing just 1 point in the whole competition, she assured herself the first position. Probably not happy to see her, number one in European Champ in the last