Fabien Planet of the KTM Enduro Factory Team came home in third place in the E2 World Championships round nine in Hancock, New York State, USA on Saturday, in the first of a two day competition.
Although the French rider has been consistently scoring championship points, it was Fabien's best performance of the season so far and his first world championship podium for the 2007 competition. Planet came in 1:32.63 behind the leader Mika Ahola, who leads the championship standings and just behind Australian Stefan Merriman who finished second.
KTM teammate Samuli Aro of Finland finished in fourth place after a mishap in the early stages cost him about a minute and a half in time.
"Fabien rode well and he was in second place right up to the last lap," team boss Fabio Farioli said after the race was over.
Aro's arch rival and countryman Mika Ahola was first on the day and Samuli will be out for revenge when riders hit the track again on Sunday for another day of grueling competition for both man and machine. After the event in Hancock, riders and teams move north across the border for two more rounds in Canada next weekend.
Results - Mika Ahola, Finland, Honda
- Stefan Merriman, Australia, Aprilia
- Fabien Planet, France, KTM
- Samuli Aro, Finland, KTM
- Mike Lafferty, USA, KTM
Images - Edmunds J.
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