KEMEA Yamaha Official MX2 Race Report, GP5 Pietramurata, Italy
For the first GP on European soil, the MXGP paddock descended on the beautiful mountain slopes of Pietramurata. Known for its beautiful location, everyone was looking forward to this race and the usual rhythm, with the bikes under the team tent.
The KEMEA team was back in full force with Alvin rejoining Brent and Benoit after the injury he suffered in Argentina. The Swede tried to ride the bike a few times before the race and felt that the shoulder is not yet 100%, but it is good enough to start and rebuild.
In the qualifying race on Saturday Brent drove a strong race. After a mediocre start, he came back strongly and crossed the line in sixth place. Benoit was assigned the 14th starting spot after a bad start and Alvin arrived 22nd.
Thousands of Italian fans were present on Sunday to enjoy the matches. In the first MX2 series, Paturel crossed the finish line in 13th place after the first lap. He moved up lap after lap and was in seventh place halfway through the race when he encountered technical problems and had to retire. Alvin had a solid start and rode the first laps in the top 10. Because he is not yet completely physically ready, he had to give up a few places but still finished nicely in 13th, just after Brent. Vandoninck had fallen from 24th to 12th after a bad start.
In the second series, Benoit once again had a bad start. He finished 33rd after the first lap. On this treacherous circuit, where passing is very difficult, the Frenchman returned to 13th place. He finished 19th in the final standings and drops to fifth place in the World Cup standings, 45 points behind the leader.
Brent started around 15th place. It took a while for him to really get going but after a few laps he started to move up steadily to finish 9th. With this result Brent finished 8th in the final standings and retains his sixth place in the championship.
Alvin had a worse start than in the first series and rode around 20th place for the entire race. He eventually arrived 21st and also finished 21st in the final standings. In the World Cup standings, Ostlund is currently in 22nd place.
Benoit Paturel: “ I am deeply disappointed after this weekend... Luck was not on our side here in Italy and I continue to struggle with the starts. It's frustrating because I know I know I have the speed to be at the front. But the start is very important so I have to work hard on this. In addition, I also had technical problems in the first series, so it is a weekend to quickly forget. We lost a lot of points today but we can't give up. Next week there is a new GP with new possibilities, so work hard now and hope that we can fight back next week.”
Brent Vandoninck: “I'm actually leaving Italy with mixed feelings… I felt really good on the bike all weekend, but there was a lot more to it in terms of results, so in the end I'm quite disappointed. My starts were not good this weekend and on a circuit like Arco it is very difficult to come back, especially because there are not many places where you can make a difference (unless you mention Antonio Cairoli)… I think it's a shame that they just flatten the parts where you can make a difference, so that everyone can move quickly everywhere. But it is what it is. Next week it's Valkenswaard and I'm looking forward to that. This is a kind of home GP for me, I can even sleep at home. Moreover, I also enjoy driving there, so let's quickly forget last weekend and look forward to the next one.”
Alvin Ostlund: “ It was a difficult weekend. Last week I crashed during training and my back played tricks on me, especially on Saturday during qualifying. In the first heat I had a good start and rode well considering the circumstances. I was satisfied with 13th place because my shoulder still feels quite weak and I don't dare to go 100% full yet. In the second moto I was immediately at the back and then it was difficult to get back well. However, I am really looking forward to next week. The GP of Valkenswaard is one of my favorite races and with some extra training I will be even stronger.”
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