22/02/03 Merriman third overall on the first day in Spain By Lexy Thorogood |
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Merriman didn't have a good day on the first day of the World Championship round in Salamanca, Spain. In dry, dusty conditions Merriman struggled to match the pace of his rivals - Aro and Salminen in the fast, open, grassy motocross tests. There were no enduro tests or extreme tests in the course laid out by Spanish organisers. The first day consisted of three loops of three motocross tests. The tests were on very hard grassy paddocks, with many loose stones floating on top. Merriman lost most of his times to his rivals on the first lap and managed to maintain similar times to Aro and Salminen on the second and third lap. Pic. 1 Start of Cross Test 3
About the first day in Salamanca, Merriman said, "I probably chose the wrong moose for the day. the ground on the tests was extremely hard and I had a lot of trouble trying to get grip. I had a bad crash during the trail and damaged the handlebars on the second loop. Overall it was not a good day for me, I was disappointed with my results." Pic. 2 Merriman in Cross Test 3 Day 1 World Enduro Championships - Salamanca, Spain Overall Classification
Pic. 3 Merriman third overall on Day 1 Now the overall point standings are as follows.... 1. Juha SALMINEN 65 points, 2. Samuli ARO 63pts. 3. Stefan MERRIMAN 47 pts. In the 250cc 2 stroke class... 1. Samuli ARO 70pts. 2. Stefan MERRIMAN 65pts. 2. Jani LAAKSONEN 45pts.
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