KTM can also add two additional titles to their already impressive honors list as the Manufacturers Award for both E1 and E3 also go to the Austrian offroad specialist.
The two French factory riders have both had an almost unblemished record in the twelfth round of the competition (from a total of 14) and at the Grand Prix of Greece performed no differently. Both picked up double wins in Kastoria to reclaim their world titles won for the KTM factory team in 2012. They can now return to France for the final two rounds in September and enjoy the accolades that will come their way from the enthusiastic French fans.
The weekend started strongly for the KTM riders on Saturday although Antoine Meo had to fight his way back into contention to recover a 12-second deficit after an uncharacteristic crash in Friday night’s KTM Super Test. But after a string of strong rides in the first half of the day he had reached his ascendency and was in overall lead by the second Enduro Test with his KTM 250 EXC-F. From then on it was business as usual. “Winning the first test really helped me to catch up and once I got into the lead I just tried to maintain it. Thankfully it all turned out good in the end,” Meo remarked after Saturday’s test. He was also well supported in E1 this weekend with Spanish teammate Cristobal Guerrero picking up a pair of well deserved podium seconds.
Meanwhile in E3, Christophe Nambotin charged through all of Saturday’s tests in blistering form with the exception of an eighth place in the second Extreme test. He didn’t even lose his overall lead. On Sunday, he finished third in the opening cross test but retook the lead after the second test onboard the KTM 300 EXC and never looked back from that point in time.
The E2 team of Johnny Aubert and Ivan Cervantes both had their moments of brilliance and disappointments in Kastoria. Cervantes had a substantial crash in the second Enduro Test on Saturday and fought hard to make up the deficit to finish overall fifth with the KTM 350 EXC-F. Aubert also had a problem in the third cross test but was still rewarded at the end of the day with a podium third. On Sunday Cervantes rallied to take the podium third, while Aubert finished fourth after a solid ride with his KTM 450 EXC.
Riders and teams were confronted with searing heat, especially on Saturday negotiating their way across the challenging cross and Enduro tests in the mountains around Kastoria. The extreme test was on the shores of the lake at Kastoria.
Meo’s journey to the 2013 title: Won 11 rounds and finished fifth in GP of Spain Round 6
Nambotin’s journey to the 2013 title: Won 10 rounds, finished 2nd in Round 1 in Chile and 4th in Round 4 in Argentina
Results E1 Kastoria
1. Antoine Meo (F), KTM (1-1)
2. Cristobal Guerrero (E), KTM (2-2)
3. Maurizio Micheluz (I), Suzuki (7-3)
4. Matti Seistola (FIN), Husqvarna (4-4)
5. Jeremy Tarroux (F), Sherco (5-5)
Standings E1 after 12 of 14 rounds
1. Meo, 231 points (World Champion 2013)
2. Juha Salminen (FIN), Husqvarna, 169
3. Seistola, 167
4. Eero Remes (FIN), TM, 143
5. Guerrero, 124
Results E2 Kastoria
1. Alex Salvini (I), HM-Honda (2-1)
2. Pierre-Alexandre Renet (F), Husaberg (1-2)
3. Johnny Aubert (F), KTM (3-4)
4. Ivan Cervantes (E), KTM (8-3)
5. Lorenzo Santolino (E), Husqvarna (4-6)
Other KTM
6. Victor Guerrero (E), KTM (5-5)
10. Oscar Balletti (I), KTM (9-10)
13. Kevin Benavides (RA), KTM (10-13)
Standings E2 after 12 of 14 rounds
1. Salvini, 223 points
2. Renet, 190
3. Cervantes, 183
4. Aubert, 179
5. V. Guerrero, 121
Other KTM
9. Balletti, 70
Results E3 Kastoria
1. Christophe Nambotin (F), KTM (1-1)
2. Mathias Bellino (F), Husaberg (3-2)
3. Aigar Leok (EST), TM (5-3)
4. Luis Correia (P), Beta (9-4)
5. Deny Philippaerts (I), Beta (6-5)
Other KTM
8. Marcus Kehr (D), KTM (7-8)
Standings E3 after 12 of 14 rounds
1. Nambotin, 230 points (World Champion 2013)
2. Leok, 171
3. Joakim Ljunggren (S), Husaberg, 161
4. Correia, 143
5. Bellino, 113
Other KTM
8. Manuel Monni (I), KTM, 97
9. Kehr, 96
Results EJ Kastoria
1. Loic Larrieu (F), Husaberg (3-1)
2. Giacomo Redondi (I), KTM (2-2)
3. Matthew Philips (AUS), Husqvarna (1-3)
4. Danny McCanney (UK), Gas-Gas (6-4)
5. Nicolo Mori (I), Beta (7-5)
Other KTM
Rudi Moroni (I), KTM (14-DNF)
Standings EJ after 12 of 14 rounds
1. Philips, 215 points
2. Redondi, 186
3. D. McCanney, 151
4. Mario Roman (E), Husaberg, 149
5. Larrieu, 132
Other KTM
9. Moroni, 95
Results Youth Cup Kastoria
1. Albin Elowson (S), Husaberg (2-1)
2. Davide Soreca (I), Yamaha (6-2)
3. Benjamin Herrera (RCH), TM (4-3)
4. Dawid Ciucci (I), KTM (3-7)
5. Jesper Borjesson (S), Husaberg (8-4)
Other KTM
10. Mika Barnes (F), KTM (10-10)
Standings Youth Cup after 12 of 14 rounds
1. Jamie McCanney (UK), Husaberg, 214
2. Elowson, 181
3. Herrera, 160
4. Ciucci, 127
5. Borjesson, 115
Other KTM
7. Matteo Bresolin (I), KTM, 82
10. Barnes, 64
- Marcia Hill (KTM)
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