KEMEA Yamaha Official MX team: GP12 Mantova, Italy
After last week's double clear score in Matterley Basin, Benoit Paturel recovered well last weekend during the Italian GP in Mantova with a sixth place in the final standings. In tropical conditions, with temperatures above 35°C, Paturel finished seventh and fourth in the competitions and showed good speed throughout the weekend.
In the qualifying match on Saturday, Paturel got off to a very good start. He managed to avoid the crashes in the first two corners and took the lead in the race. He seemed to be on his way to a good qualifying, but crashed when entering the straight at the start. He started again but did not get further than 26th place. Karlis rode a good race and again showed his potential by finishing eleventh.
Benoit had a solid start in the first series on Sunday given his poor position behind the fence. He finished 10th after the first lap and moved up lap after lap. He eventually crossed the line in seventh place. Karlis also rode a solid race. He finished 1th after 16 lap and ended the war of attrition in 18th position.
In the final MX2 race, Benoit again had a good start. He quickly moved up to fourth place and was closing the gap with Bogers in third place, when he briefly crashed. He quickly resumed the race but lost a place to Tonkov. Behind them, a large group of riders chased the two Yamaha riders, but Benoit was able to keep a cool head. He passed Tonkov again and secured fourth place. He finished sixth in the final standings and takes over fourth place in the World Championship standings. Karlis was just outside the top 10 in the opening phase. However, he ran out of energy reserves and fell back a few places. Ultimately, he persevered and finished 18th. He finished 20th in the day's results and is now 31st in the World Cup standings.
Benoit Paturel: “ After the crash last week, I didn't ride and didn't train much last week, so all in all I'm happy with this result in these difficult conditions. Unfortunately I crashed in the qualifying series, which left me in a bad position for Sunday. I felt good in the matches and had a good rhythm. Without that little fall in the second moto I probably could have finished third, but in the end I'm quite satisfied. However, no vacation for me now during the summer break. I will continue to work hard to end the season well.”
Karlis Sabulis: “ This was a tough match! I really struggled in these temperatures, but all in all I am satisfied that I was able to score points twice. I had a good feeling on the bike and rode fairly consistently. In the last series I really had to go deep physically. I was completely exhausted and at the end I didn't know if it was one more round or if it was over. I had to throw up and was completely out of control.
In the MXGP class, Valentin did not take too many risks in qualifying in the scorching temperatures. He crossed the finish line in tenth place.
In the first moto Guillod finished 11th after 1 lap. He rode a consistent race and climbed to 9th place. In the second moto, the Swiss rode in seventh place for a long time after another solid start. In the final phase he had to let Van Horebeek pass and finished 8th. He finished eighth in the final standings and remains seventh in the World Championship standings.
Valentin Guillod: “I had a hard time all weekend. I constantly struggled against the treacherous course which took a lot of energy. The circuit was very slippery and unpredictable in places and that, combined with the heat, made it very difficult. But in the end the results are still quite good. I finished 8th in the final standings so I'm quite satisfied. Now a week of rest and then back at it for the next GPs”
Photos @shotbybavo & @cdsimages
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