Sanayei moves to Belgium to continue evolving
Kawasaki DRT rider Darian Sanayei has chosen to live near Lommel. The American wants to be even more competitive in his second season in the MX2 FIM world championship. Darian finished fourth in one moto this year in his debut year on the KX250F.
The fast rider from Orting, Washington already achieved success in the EMX250 and he now knows how to translate that into speed in the GPs. “I still had some areas for improvement this year. Because I have the feeling that I can work on this better if I am closer to Lommel, I have made this decision.” Sanayei, together with Thomas Covington, was the only American in MX2. “My level in the sand is okay, but I can certainly still work on my fitness and my technique. So I think it can make me stronger in general, even for muddy races for example. It seems that a lot of GP riders are in that area and there must be a reason for that.”
Sanayei looks back modestly on 2017. It was a learning year in which on the one hand he excelled in the GP of Argentina, but on the other hand he also had to deal with a lot of problems. Such as exhaustion due to the heat and a heavy fall in the Lombardy GP. Ottobiano was therefore a low point. The 21-year-old Monster Energy rider was previously based in Great Britain, close to Steve Dixon's Kawasaki team.
“In the second half of the EMX250 championship last year I was actually at the front every moto. As a result, I had higher expectations than what came out of the MX1. I think I wasn't quite ready for the big changes like the overseas GPs and the very different circuits,” Sanayei explains. “I tried to start the season as well prepared as possible. There was no question of underestimation. Eleventh in the championship wasn't that bad and I was certainly taking a step in the right direction.”
The progress made by compatriot Thomas Covington, especially in terms of his speed in the sand and in wet and slippery conditions, was a revelation for Sanayei. “I'm going for it - all-in - and I'm doing everything I can. This means reviewing all aspects of your training program to improve.”
Tekst: Adam Wheeler
Photos: Pascal Haudiquert
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