World Enduro Titles Clinched
| June 19, 2000
With one round still remaining in the FIM World Championship Enduro Series, Italian Matteo Rubin (KTM) and Finn Juha Salminen (KTM) have already clinched titles. At the Hedemora, Sweden, round this weekend, Rubin won Saturday’s 250cc Four-Stroke class, while Salminen did likewise in the 125cc Two-Stroke division. Other Saturday winners included Australian Stefan Merriman (Hus) in the 250cc Two-Stroke class, Frenchman Eric Bernard (KTM) in the 400cc Four-Strokes, and Finn Kari Tiainen (KTM) in the 500cc Four-Stroke category. Sunday saw a repeat win by Salminen, but new victors in the other classes. Finn Mika Ahola (TM) topped the 250cc Two-Strokes, Italian Arnalco Nicoli (KTM) took the 250cc Four-Stroke class, Swede J. Hermansson (Hbg) won the 400cc Four-Strokes, and Swede Bjorn Carlsson (Hbg) won the 500cc Four-Stroke division.
While the aforementioned duo comprises the only riders to clinch titles on the weekend, Merriman and Tiainen are also within a few points of doing so (six points for the former, four for the latter), and they’ll most likely do so at the final round in the Czech Republic next month.
After winning Saturday, Rubin had a scarey-looking crash on Sunday, but he managed to remount and trudged gamely on for a third-place finish and title.
