KTM-supported off-road racers Stefan Granquist and Emelie Karlsson have continued their streak of podium results with third position in E3 and second in the Women’s class at the Australian Four-Day Enduro (A4DE) in Erica, VIC.
Fresh off a thumb surgery just several weeks prior, Granquist came into the gruelling multi-day race with little bike-time, but began his campaign on the strongest-possible note by taking day one class honours and fourth outright.
Overnight rain made for greasy, cold conditions for days two and three, but Granquist continued to set impressive times and finish each day P3 in his class.
On the final day four grass-track race, Granquist led most of the 15-minute E3 moto until the final lap when he got passed and finished second, consolidating his podium position after four hard days of racing.
In the Women’s class, Emelie Karlsson was a model of consistency across the entire A4DE, racking up an impressive second-place result.
Still gradually recovering from a mystery illness that has affected her since before the Mackay rounds of the Australian Off-Road Championship, Karlsson paced herself and focused on finishing each day in the best possible position.
The strategy worked and she was able to finish every day with a consistent P2 result, including at the final grass-track race on day four. Also claiming a podium was KTM-mounted Ebony Nielsen in third position overall.
Another standout performance in Erica was Cooper Sheidow in the E1 division, powering to the runner-up podium result following a strong week riding his KTM 250 EXC-F.
Stefan Granquist: “I’m pretty satisfied to finish on the podium again. I went for surgery on my thumb a few days after Mackay, so I was unsure how it was going to hold up after just three weeks of rehab. With the lack of bike time and coming in quite unprepared, we couldn’t ask for a much better result, really. It was a very diverse four-day with some fast, choppy tracks, some slow, greasy trails and a great mixture of tests. The final day four race would have to be the highlight, though – the track was fun, there was a great atmosphere and there were some good battles with the boys.”
Emelie Karlsson: “Considering everything that happened with my illness, I came into this year’s four-day unsure if I’d even be able to finish. On the first day I wasn’t far off the pace and I was able to win a couple of tests. I kind of hoped that would continue, but I got more tired as each day passed. I’m happy with second and I’m stoked to actually finish and stay upright most of the time. This year’s event was a great one and I really enjoyed the variety of terrain and riding the scenic trail-ride liaison sections with everyone.”
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