DIGA Racing Race Report: EMX125cc, Loket, Czech Republic
The challenge was not the least for the young 125cc pilots at the start of the penultimate test for the European Championships in the Czech Loket with a well-occupied field of participants. The whole weekend was one big exercise in twisting the throttle and looking for the best lines and traction. After his crash in Sweden, Thomas Sileika was fully fit again to fight for his place in the top five of the championship. Nolan Cordens was determined to add his name to the list of pilots with points.
When the participants were divided into two groups, the two DIGA Racing pilots were placed in the 'A' group for the free and time training. Thomas qualified easily with the second fastest time, but Nolan was referred to the repechages with a 24th time. In the repechages, Nolan was held up by a big crash at the start and lost valuable time and positions. In four laps he fought his way back to 9th place, but had to let go of two more pilots. He finished 11th and first reserve.
In the first series we saw how Thomas made the best of an almost lost situation. Once again a large group of pilots crashed at the start and this time Thomas was behind this group. He eventually started his race in 35th place and fought back until he crossed the finish line in 10th place, just outside the top 11. There was simply no more time to overtake the pilots in front of him.
He had a good start in the second series on Sunday and finished third in the pit lane on the first lap. He had a lot of trouble finding the right lines and traction and had to give up two places to finish 5th. Good enough for 7th in the day's results and 6th place in the championship.
Nolan Cordens: “I am of course disappointed about the weekend. I really had no luck this time. With this round of time in the timed training I had qualified 13th in the other group, now I was 24th and I had to get back to work in the repechages. In the 'LCQ' series I rode as fast as I could, but this time I just didn't have enough time. Now I will fully focus on trying to qualify for the Junior World Championships, perhaps a bigger challenge than a European Championship, but not impossible unless you don't try! I would also like to thank everyone who believes in me because without them none of this would be possible.”
Thomas Sileika: “I can be quite brief about the weekend. The time training was good with a second fastest time, but after that things went less well. After that crash at the start of the first series I was able to achieve good lap times, but the gap was simply too big and the time too short to get further than 11th place. My start of the second series was good, but I fought with the course and went backwards instead of forwards. I am already looking forward to riding in Lommel and I will do everything I can to gain some more places in the championship.”
Team manager, Dirk Saelen: “Last weekend's results show that there is still room for improvement for both pilots. Thomas did everything he could to overcome his deficit in the first heat but the match is only as long as it is. In the second heat it was clear that he wasn't feeling great on this course. Nolan was unlucky to be in the strong group with the timed training, but that should not be an excuse. The course is the same for everyone and since this is a very strong competition, there is no room for mistakes. It is a 'learning year' for him so he will still get a chance during the last test of the European Championships in the deep sand of Lommel.
Thomas also has an important weekend ahead of him, he is 5 points from the top 5 so anything is still possible. Santtu Tiainen will compete in the EMX250 class, but unfortunately we will miss Jaap Corneth who has not recovered sufficiently from his injury sustained in Sweden. We hope to welcome you all to Lommel for a drink during the championship final and would like to thank everyone who supported us in 2014 for the good team work.”
EMX125 Overall Top Ten: 1. Brian Hsu (GER, SUZ), 50 points; 2. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 44 p.; 3. Josiah Natzke (NZL, KTM), 38 p.; 4. Joaquin Furbetta (ITA, KTM), 33 p.; 5. David Herbreteau (FRA, YAM), 33 p.; 6. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 31 p.; 7. Tomass Sileika (LAT, KTM), 26 p.; 8. Richard Sikyna (SVK, KTM), 26p.; 9. Dan Houzet (FRA, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Bas Vaessen (NED, KTM), 17 p.
EMX125 Championship Standings Top Ten: 1. Brian Hsu (GER, SUZ), 228 points; 2. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 216 p.; 3. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 202 p.; 4. David Herbreteau (FRA, YAM), 169 p.; 5. Joaquin Furbetta (ITA, KTM), 162 p.; 6. Tomass Sileika (LAT, KTM), 157 p.; 7. Dan Houzet (FRA, KTM), 112 p.; 8. Michael Ivanov (BUL, KTM), 102 p.; 9. Filippo Zonta (ITA, KTM), 96 p.; 10. Max Engelen (NOW, KTM), 85 p.
Photo: CDS
Also to read
Gallery: MXGP Portugal 2024 XXL from NiekFotografie
The riders and mechanics had a hard time in Agueda. This also applies to the photographers because the weather conditions were harsh! Yet our #NiekFotografie made this XXL gallery...Jorge Prado in Simon Laengenfelder over Agueda
The Grand Prix of Portugal will be remembered for a long time and may be one for the history books. The heavy rain that descended on Agueda made this 2024 edition a rush…Danee Gelissen on stage in Italy
During the second match of the Italian Women's Championship, Danee Gelissen was allowed to climb onto the podium. The Limburg rider finished second behind Kiara Fontanesi in both heats in Lovolo. The Ceres71 driver starts…VIDEO: Highlights MXGP Portugal 2024
After a two-week break, the FIM MXGP-MX2 World Championship continued in Portugal. The normally sunny south was treated to lots of water this weekend! Liam Everts made very…
Your reactions