The Assoluti d’Italia Enduro took place this weekend at San Martino sulla Marrucina, a few kilometres from the Majella National Park in the province of Chieti, for the fifth day of competition, held in a single event on Sunday 23rd April, with the exception of the Prologo on Saturday afternoon, when our riders competed in the special ‘Prologue’, valid as Sunday special, in the presence of a large crowd of spectators who came to the Abruzzi village to cheer on the best enduro riders on the national and international scene.
Report and Images by Jet Fantic Racing
A race masterfully organised by the Motoclub DG, which designed in collaboration with Track Inspector Mario Rinaldi a route of 49 km in the shape of a figure of eight, consisting of four special tests to be repeated four times on Sunday, to which was added the Prologo held on Saturday afternoon for a total of 17 special tests for the fifth round of the 2023 season on Abruzzo soil.
On Sunday 23 April, under a warm spring sun, our riders battled it out on a course that started from the paddock from where they reached, after a 10km transfer, the first special test on the programme: an Extreme Test on a 2.7km natural track inside a channel characterised by gravel, stones and boulders of all sizes, followed by the Prologo special tets in a meadow a short distance from the paddock and with a total length of 2.5km.
After the first two special tests in the programme and after the CO at the Paddock, our riders had to measure themselves with the penultimate special, a Cross Test at a distance of 1 km from the Paddock developed within a field of grass for a total length of 4 km, which was followed at the end of the lap by the last of the four special tests, an Enduro Test of 5 km within a beautiful undergrowth in which our riders had to measure themselves with stones, rocks and roots for the entire length of the special.
For the fifth round of the Assoluti the JET Fantic Racing team fielded the two riders Jed Etchells and Harry Edmondson both in the hotly contested Foreigner class.
The best of our riders was Jed Etchells who finished the day’s race in ninth position despite a crash, fortunately without serious consequences, during the first Enduro Test that cost him the loss of several precious seconds as well as compromising the final outcome of the race.
Jed Etchells nevertheless recorded some excellent times and showed his excellent shape.
Harry Edmondson’s performance was also good; the reigning Youth class champion rode a race improving his times on every special test.
The JET Fantic Racing team took advantage of the trip to the Assoluti to better prepare the bike in anticipation of the Spanish GP, which is scheduled in a few weeks.
The british rider and son of Paul, Harry Edmondson, finished the race at San Martino sulla Marrucina in twelfth position in the Foreigners class.
After the fifth round of the Assoluti d’Italia di Enduro team and riders will be busy with three rounds of the EnduroGP World Championship in Spain, Finland and Sweden before returning to contest the sixth round of the 2023 season of the top Italian Enduro Championship on 18/06 in Città della Pieve (PG).
Team Manager Matthew Savi: “It was a good weekend for our two riders with Jed Etchells finishing in ninth place in the hard-fought and demanding Foreigners class. Too bad about the mistake and the crash in the first Enduro Test that compromised the outcome of the race. With Harry Edmondson on the other hand we tried several new technical solutions to the bike and we think we found the right solutions because we saw the British rider improve his times in all the special tests.”
Harry Edmondson: “I would like to thank my whole team for the great job they did during the whole race weekend. We tried some new solutions but the important thing is that we worked in the right direction. For sure we will arrive prepared for the Spanish GP and with a lot of desire to do well.”
Jed Etchells: “I got off to a strong start and set some good times in the first three special stages but then I crashed in the Enduro Testo and couldn’t really get going. I am happy with my form though and how prepared we will be for the Spanish GP.”
