Ljunggren battles it out at 2010 IEWC opener

November 2, 8:34 AMBoomer Biker ExaminerBruce Hosking

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As an Indoor novice Joakim impressed with
his strong performance. Photos - Husaberg

Husaberg’s Joakim Ljunggren has taken to indoor enduro racing like a duck to water finishing sixth overall at the 2010 Indoor Enduro World Cup opener in Sheffield, England.

Never before competing in an indoor enduro event the tall Swede performed like a seasoned regular throughout the night ending the event as one of just nine riders to score points in all three event finals. Following on from his impressive results at the 84th ISDE in Portugal, Joakim swapped his regular FE 450 machine for Husaberg’s versatile FE 390 and was instantly impressed by both its power and performance.

‘Indoor enduro racing is so much more physical than it looks,’ explained Joakim after the event. ‘I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but I had a great time and my bike was amazing. Being easier to ride in the more technical sections than my 450 it really allowed me to push hard throughout the races. It was also great out of the start. I was at the front from the start in two of the three finals, which shows the bike has more than enough power.’

Looking anything like a rider that was making his indoor enduro debut Joakim quickly mastered the demanding track and achieved his goal of qualifying into the main event from his heat race. ‘I started well in my heat but then I made some mistakes and dropped several places. But I managed to finish the race third, which was great. I didn’t want to waste any energy riding in the last chance race.

Up against numerous experienced indoor enduro racers in the finals Joakim shot out of the start in the first final but mistakes soon saw him drop backwards. ‘In the first final I was second off the start but then made many, many mistakes in the first lap and dropped back to around 10th. I managed to finish seventh, so that was ok. Race two was really good. I got another great start and managed not to make any big mistakes. I made some small errors but I finished fourth and with Ivan Cervantes breathing down my neck as I crossed the finishing line. I was really happy about that.’

With two point scoring rides already secured Joakim was made to work incredibly hard during the third and final race following a bad start ‘ That race was tough because I didn’t get a good start. I got back to fifth, which was a great way to finish my first indoor enduro. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect before the start but it was great. It was a really cool event and I can’t wait for the second round of the series because I know what to expect now.”

Ollie Moyce won the night race.

Lights out for Britain’s Ollie Moyce

Another Husaberg rider making his indoor enduro debut was British competitor Ollie Moyce. Competing in the event ‘as a bit of fun’ Ollie was unable to qualify into the finals but opted to try his luck in the night race. With the stadium lights turned off, and using only the headlight of his FE 390, Ollie started well, moved from second into first and claimed the win, much to his delight.

‘I’m not the greatest trials rider and this was my first indoor, so I wasn’t expecting too much. I got a good start in the night race and rode much, much better than I did in any of my other races. Maybe it was because it was just a fun race but I felt great. I moved from second into first and everything really came together for me then. I learned a lot during the event and really enjoyed it.’

Mena still not 100% fit in Sheffield.

Tough time for EJ world champion Mena

While Joakim Ljunggren and Ollie Moyce both ended the night with smiles on their faces Spaniard Oriol Mena had little to be pleased with. Still not 100 per cent fit following the crash he sustained during the ISDE in Portugal, Oriol failed to qualify into the finals despite loving competing on his FE 390.

‘You have to prepare in a specific way for indoor enduro races, but because of the six days and the injuries I picked up there, I haven’t been able to prepare as I needed to. I prefer not to think about my result here too much. The only thing that was good for me was my bike. Riding the indoor enduro with the 390 was the perfect decision. The bike was great, which is why I am so disappointed with not qualifying for the finals.’

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