Leading the assault will be 2011 Indoor Enduro World Championship runner-up Joakim Ljunggren. One of the fastest and most consistent performers of last year’s IEWC series, Joakim, who also enjoyed a stand-out year in the Enduro 3 World Championship, will be doing all he can to ensure he makes as good a start to his championship campaign as he did last year in Genoa .
Despite having spent just 20 hours aboard a two-stroke after switching from four-stroke powered machinery prior to the 2011 Genoa event, Joakim claimed a sensational first final win in Italy before going on to end the night as overall runner-up following two further impressive performances.
With the 2011 IEWC series run over two events, at the second and final round of the series n Barcelona, Spain, Joakim again excelled. Third in the opening final he then placed second and fifth in the two remaining races to again end the night as overall runner-up, the exact same position he deservedly claimed in the championship. With a season of two-stroke mounted Enduro World Championship competition now under his belt, and having spend recent weeks training hard on his specialist indoor enduro style track, Joakim is ready to lead Husaberg’s assault on the first ever FIM SuperEnduro event.
Competing alongside Ljunggren for Husaberg will be Spaniards Alfredo Gomez and Xavi Gallindo. Despite his relative lack of indoor enduro experience Gomez, who as well as being increasingly competitive on an enduro bike is also the reigning Junior Trials World Champion, ended the 2011 IEWC series in a commendable fourth position delivering his best result in the third final in Barcelona where he placed third. The 22-year-old from Madrid has been training hard with countryman Gallindo in recent weeks, with both riders hopeful of making a strong start to the 2012 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship.
Gallindo, who has finished inside the top six of all major extreme enduro events this season including a podium result at the Extreme Lagares event in Portugal, is one of Europe’s most experienced indoor enduro competitors. Recovering from injury during last year’s IEWC series, Xavi is determined to return to his best form and along with Ljunggren and Gomez ensure a strong showing for Husaberg.
The 2012 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship starts this weekend, November 26, with round one in Genoa, Italy before heading to Lodz, Poland on December 10 for round two. The series then concludes in Barcelona, Spain, on February 5. Both Joakim and Xavi will compete on Husaberg’s TE 300 machines while Alfredo has opted for the TE 250
The FIM SuperEnduro World Championship fires into life this Saturday at Genoa, Italy, November 26th