Graham Jarvis wins Hixpania Hard enduro!
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider Graham Jarvis won the 2017 Hixpania Hard Enduro in Northern Spain yesterday. Jarvis made it ahead of Jonny Wlkaer (KTM) and Alfredo Gomez (KTM). Billy Bolt, Jarvis' Husqvarna teammate, finished fourth in one of his strongest performances of the season.
For the second edition of the Hixpania Hard Enduro, the race was held over three days. On Friday, a SuperEnduro-style track in the village square of Aguilar de Campoo was on the menu. On Saturday, a 48 kilometer enduro loop around the nearby lake had to be completed three times.
The main event on Sunday was a short 15-minute extreme loop, completed over a duration of two hours and thirty minutes. With points awarded per race, this year's Hixpania champion came out on top in the overall standings over the three days.
In the prologue on Saturday, Jarvis, unusually for his actions, only finished seventh. On Saturday, Graham started his comeback with a fourth place. As a result, he knew that only victory on the third and final day would be enough to win the Hixpania Hard Enduro .
Starting last in the Le Mans style (see video above!) start he steadily started overtaking riders as the race progressed. By the halfway point of the race he had climbed to fourth place and was starting to find his rhythm. With two laps to go, Jarvis launched his attack on victory and even managed to finish. With an impossible climb - the last super tough obstacle at the end of the race - he was the first to reach the top.
Graham Jarvis: “I honestly didn't expect to win here. Before the last race, Sunday's extreme race, I was about fourth in the points standings. Actually, I thought that the final victory was out of reach. My plan was to just fight for the win in this race and see what happened. I was actually the last rider to reach my bike at the start and so I was the last to leave. I was soon able to catch up some riders and to be honest it also helped not to lead! This allowed me to read the tracks the other guys had chosen, which also helped me avoid their mistakes with line choices. The top four riders ended up close to each other about halfway through. With about two laps to go I got the lead and kept going. The last hill was impossible! But luckily I got there first and was pulled up. I just had to watch and see what would happen. Jonny Walker crashed and dropped to fourth place. We were level on points but my victory was the deciding factor. I am very happy with this, because Hixpania was one of the few Hard Enduro races that I had not yet won. “
Results — Hixpania Hard Enduro 2017
1. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna)
2. Jonny Walker (KTM)
3. Alfredo Gomez (KTM)
4. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna)
5. Mario Roman (Sherco)
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