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Securing the runner-up spot in the Enduro 2 class of this year's World Enduro Championship just seven days earlier, Honda Racing Fast Eddy rider Paul Edmondson and the HRFE team decided to compete in the annual end-of-season Weston Beach Race this past weekend. Returning to Weston-Super-Mare as a competitor for the first time in 10 years, Edmondson claimed the runner-up spot in the solo event behind eight-time world motocross champion Stefan Everts. Mounted on one of his training bikes, Edmondson, who took part in his first Weston Beach race in 1985, showed that there is no substitute for experience as he placed as the only rider to finish on the same lap as race winner Everts. Managing to negotiate the first turn and the opening dunes without too much trouble, Edmondson settle into a pace that saw him claim a well deserved podium finish. Not wanting to use too much energy during the opening stages of the race, Edmondson frustratingly found himself having to pit four times during the event - something that saw him fall off the pace of race winner Everts. Despite things not going quite to plan, and having spent a little too much time in the pits, Edmondson thoroughly enjoyed the event and vowed to return in '05 to try and go one better and win the event. Paul Edmondson: "I'm really pleased to have finished second to Stefan Everts because Weston was just a bit of end-of-season fun for me, I never set out to take the race too seriously. It's a nice way to finish the season off on a domestic level. As normal with Weston nothing went to plan as I ended up managing to do four fuel stops instead of the proposed two, which obviously cost me a lot of time. All in all it was a great event, especially seeing as so many spectators came out to watch the event." "Finishing as the only rider to finish on the same lap as Stefan Everts is nice, especially considering how much time I spent in the pits. I didn't have any major crashes during the race. I got stuck a few times on some of the dunes but pretty much managed to stay out of trouble and pick my way through the lapped riders." "I had a good battle with Brad Anderson around the second or third lap but knowing that Weston is a much harder race than most, and being three hours long, I decided to settle into a manageable pace, get the bike to the finish, and that's what I did. Finishing on the podium as runner-up is great." HONDA RACING TEAM SANDIFORD With “hectic” written all over this last weekend as Sandiford’s launch of the Montesa Cota 4RT at the Scott Trial in Richmond, North Yorkshire was the day prior to the Beach Race, a slightly jaded Team Sandiford was however still fully prepared. With Martin Sandiford and Wayne Braybrook both seeded into top 100 riders, they were in the first handful of “popstars” onto the beach. Campaigning the Enduro version Honda CRF250X, we were always aware that top speed wasn’t the bike’s ticket, BUT, the bikes performance in the dunes was superb. A crash on lap one for Martin, then piled on by a 2 further bikes, left him well down the order on the first circuit (over 150 riders had come through before Martin came past the pits). Wayne came past his crew in the top 20 and despite a couple of “slip off’s” and “tangles” started to pull through. Martin too then went on the charge and managed to get into the top 20 with 2 laps to go. Wayne was by this time well into the top 10 and that last couple of laps pulled him through to a creditable 5th. After fighting through the pack Martin managed a final 31st placing having to cruise the last lap to save his clutch. Quote Wayne : “ I’m really chuffed, the bike never missed a beat all day and despite losing ground on the straight on my trusted little 250X she came up trumps in the dunes. I rode the same bike on which I rode in the ISDE and that really proves the pain these “X’s” can take – the event was awesome, I really enjoyed it. ” Quote Martin : “ I’m a little disappointed not to have finished higher, but my bike got so much pain after my first lap crash and then subsequently fighting through the pack. However, it never once got hot but I did lose some adjustment in the clutch, I think that was to be expected as the ruts on the last lap were unbelievable. I’ve some fair bruises from my crash, not least a burn across my chest from a 4 stroke KTM exhaust!!” |
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Edmondson
claims runner-up spot at Weston