TEAM APRILIA MOVING ALWAYS CLOSER TO THE PODIUM
04 September 2006 - Aprilia

The second day of the Enduro Grand Prix in Slovakia was once again satisfying for Team Aprilia.

Both Alex Zanni and Alessandro Botturi dug in and brought home two great finishes just short of the podium. In particular, Botturi, after his twelfth place finish Saturday, was immediately on the attack, riding the Aprilia RXV 4.5, moving up from eleventh place during the first lap and ultimately finishing seventh in the E2. Zanni, on the other hand, got off to a slower start, complaining of a bothersome backache due to his fall on Saturday, when he had to literally throw himself out of the track to avoid a competitor’s bike that was blocking his way. Despite it all, the Veneto rider, in the E3 class with the Aprilia RXV 5.5, was one of the main players in the race, finishing up in sixth place just 30 seconds behind the fourth place finisher. Alex, in the last two specials, even made some amazing times: second place behind the unbeatable David Knight and fourth in the last special of the day. These were good results, even if Ennio Marchesin, race director for Team Aprilia was not totally satisfied. “Unfortunately, for one reason or another – he said – at the end of the day we always end up with less than we deserve. The bikes and the riders are competitive, as they have shown in the times clocked in the last specials, which were much better than those of the riders that were on the podium. It seems a little like a recurring nightmare in our first official season in enduro racing, but in the end that’s the truth.”

Also racing this weekend was a third Aprilia with official colors: that of Laurent Bouffioux. The expert French rider, who this year has been racing in the world championship circuit with an RXV 5.5, has decided, just before turning forty, to withdraw at the end of the season. The Team Aprilia Enduro therefore wanted to give him, for this race and also for the last GP in France (where he will race in front of his home audience) an official RXV 5.5 used by Zanni for training. Bouffioux, thanked Team Aprilia by gaining points on Sunday, moving up to eleventh place in the E3.

Tomorrow, Team Aprilia Enduro will go directly to Terni, the stage for the last trials of the Assoluti d’Italia which will be held Saturday and Sunday, the 9th and 10th. The date for the last leg of the Enduro World Championship has been set for September 23 and 24 with the French GP in Boussac.

Krompachy - Grand Prix in Slovakia, 7th leg of the World Enduro

FIRST DAY
Class E2: 1. Stefan Merriman (Yamaha); 2. Johnny Aubert (Yamaha); 3. Samuli Aro (Ktm); 12. Alex Botturi (Aprilia RXV 4.5).
Class E3: 1. David Knight (Ktm); 2. Sebastien Guillaume (Gas Gas); 3. Marko Tarkkala (Ktm); 7. Alex Zanni (Aprilia RXV 5.5).

SECOND DAY
Class E2: 1. Johnny Aubert (Yamaha); 2. Stefan Merriman (Yamaha); 3. Samuli Aro (Ktm); 7. Alex Botturi (Aprilia RXV 4.5).
Class E3: 1. David Knight (Ktm); 2. Marko Tarkkala (Ktm); 3. Sebastien Guillaume (Gas Gas); 3. 6. Alex Zanni (Aprilia RXV 5.5).

www.aprilia.com

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