Motorcycles and news

The Euro Cup features 28 of the best up and coming riders from 10 European countries aged between 15 and 21 who are under the watchful eye of KTM team manager Klaus Kinigadner and German Supermoto Champion Jurgen Kuenzel as part of a young rider development programme.

In total, five British riders made the grade during an intensive selection process held earlier this year in Germany . This talented group of riders includes Chris Hodgson, Richard Blakeman, Oliver Pope, Gino Rea and Lee Cunliffe.

The Red Bull KTM Junior European Cup is normally included in the World Supermoto Championship schedule with the last round held at St Wendel in Germany on the 11th September. In the first race, Chris Hodgson got tangled up in a crash while in the lead group but re-mounted and eventually finished ninth as the best British rider.

Gino Rea then enjoyed a tough battle with French rider Baptiste Rheims but eventually emerged the winner with Chris Hodgson third, Richard Blakemen fourth and Lee Cunliffe seventh in the second race. The current championship standings sees Rheims in first position on 95 points with Gino Rea the best Brit in seventh on 73 points and Chris Hodgson just three points in arrears on 70.

2007 Calendar
The 2007 British Supermoto Championship calendar has also recently been announced with governing bodies the ACU and AMCA confirming their commitment to the sport for a third year. The six round provisional calendar is as follows:

Round   Date                  Venue
1.          April 22             Lydd International, Kent
2.          May 22              Teeside Autodrome
3.          July 1                 Rowrah , Cumbria
4.          July 28               Three Sisters, Wigan
5.          July 29               Three Sisters, Wigan
6.          August 11          Teeside Autodrome

South African Supermoto rider exchange
Following discussions at the Supermoto Des Nations held recently at Bishopscourt in Northern Ireland where the British team secured an impressive third place, regular World Championship rider Matt Winstanley will now be embarking on an ‘exchange’ programme with South African Craig Venske.

This will see Venske who is a top five runner in the South African Championship take part in the next British championship round at Three Sisters with Winstanley having booked a place in South Africa later this year.

Current British SM2 Champion Winstanley said he was looking forward to a change of scenery.

“Craig and I got together after the Des Nations and he agreed to stay in the country until the next two rounds at Three Sisters. I’m then looking to head down to South Africa mid-November to try my hand at Supermoto African style which I’m really looking forward to.”