Good Italian GP for the KEMEA Yamaha Yamalube team
The undoubtedly most scenic GP of the season took place this weekend along the beautiful mountain slopes in the Arco area. For this first GP on European soil, the EMX riders joined the paddock for their first race of the season. With the young promise Maxime Renaux who recently joined under the KEMEA tent, it was a busy weekend.
The 14-year-old Renaux ended up at KEMEA after Yamaha Europe decided to support this talented rider for the European Championships. Maxime immediately exceeded expectations by becoming the overall victor in the EMX125 class. After two strong races, he finished in second place in both heats, which was enough for the victory and the red leader plate.
In the EMX2 class Damon Graulus had a really bad weekend. Things started well for Damon with the fastest time in qualifying, but he was involved in a massive crash in the first corner of the first series. He lost a lot of time and only left at the back. In his rush to return he crashed twice more and did not get further than 13th place.
In the second heat, Graulus finished 10th after the first lap. By the 8th lap, Damon had moved up to 6th place and was trying to close the gap on the top 5. He could not make the connection and finished in sixth place. In the final standings Damon finished 6th.
After his strong display in Argentina, Brent Vandoninck was keen to prove that this was not a lucky shot. This quickly became clear in qualifying with an eleventh place, just ahead of Benoit.
Both drivers had a bad start in the first series. On the treacherous circuit Brent came back from 15th place to eleventh. Benoit initially sat further in the first laps and recovered to 12th place.
In the final series, Benoit got off to a good start. He rode much better than in the first moto and gave the top riders good resistance. After some nice duels with Herlings and Ferrandis, Paturel finished 5th, which was good for eighth place in the final standings. Benoit is now 13th in the standings.
Brent was initially just outside the top 15 but quickly rose to 9th place. He seemed to hold on to this place until the end, but in the very last lap Brent had to let Bogers pass. This top 10 position resulted in a nice 9th place in the final standings. Vandoninck is now 20th in the World Championship standings
Brent Vandoninck: “I was a bit worried about this match beforehand. I didn't really know what to expect as these types of courses are not really my thing. In the end it all turned out well and I am happy to have made it through the weekend in one piece without any major falls. In the second heat I had some sand in my glasses at the end of the race. I lost concentration a bit and Bogers was able to pass me. I'm really looking forward to next week in Valkenswaard. I love riding in the sand and I'm going to give it my all to get a good result.”
Benoit Paturel: “In the first moto I had a bad start and couldn't find a good rhythm afterwards. I couldn't find the right lines, made a lot of mistakes and really didn't ride as I should. The second moto was a lot better. I had a good start and felt comfortable on the Yamaha. It was fun to duel with the leaders. There are still a few things I need to work on, but we are making progress all the time, which is positive.”
Damon Graulus: “ This was certainly not what we came here for… The training and qualifying went well but I was involved in a crash at the start of the first heat. I crashed twice more and it became a series to forget. Also in the second race I almost fell at the start, but luckily I stayed upright. I came back on top in 6th place, but because of arm pump I couldn't push any harder. I wasn't tired at all otherwise, but my arms were playing tricks on me. So not a good weekend. I'm disappointed but will try to fight back next weekend. A new weekend, a new opportunity! I would like to thank the team for their support and efforts, my fans for traveling all the way to Italy and a special thank you to my mechanic Gino and his wife Ilse for their support.
Maxime Renaux: “ This is really fantastic! I had a great feeling on the bike and my Yamaha gave me a super start in the second series. I ended up in a good team and would like to thank Yamaha and Marnicq Bervoets for this.”
Marnicq Bervoets: “We are going back to Belgium with a good feeling. Too bad Damon wasn't lucky, otherwise it would have been a great weekend. It's nice to see Maxime riding so well. He is only 14 but has shown very nice things. Benoit had some problems in the first moto but completely rectified that in the second moto. Brent also rode very well for his second GP. They both still have a lot to learn, but that is part of the learning process. We see progress and that is important. Unfortunately, that crash in the first corner ruined Damon's entire weekend. The start of the championship wasn't that good, but nothing has been lost yet. The championship is still long and I am confident Damon can bounce back.
Photos: CDS
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