22/03/02
World Enduro Championships Round 1- Valverde Del Camino, SPAIN
After 4 days of heavy rain
in the south of Spain, the opening round of the World Enduro Championships
looked sure to be a repeat of the washout event in Portugal last year.
The race was held in Valverde Del Camino, 1 hour north of Seville. The
organizers were surprised by the downpour just days before the event
as they had dry conditions over the previous months. On Saturday, the
rain eased which was a small consolation for the riders who had to make
it through the almost impossible track. The mud was very slippery and
the ground was soft, which quickly separated into deep ruts wherever
the riders rode. The much-hyped challenge between Husqvarna's Merriman
and KTM's Salminen wasn't contested in the first round as Merriman found
the wet conditions to difficult to push at his usual speed. The Nordic
weather put the ball in Salminen's court and he won both days over Merriman,
who finished second in the 400cc 4 stroke class.
