First World Cup points for De Waal
The rain-affected GP of Portugal was one of mixed feelings the Jumbo No Fear Vamo Honda team. The ever-attacking Micha-Boy De Waal was rewarded with his first World Cup points in Agueda! For Marshal Weltin, it became a match to quickly forget due to a hand injury.
The traditional Grand Prix of Portugal became a turning point for Micha-Boy De Waal. In the first moto, the dogged Dutchman raced from outside the top 15 to 15th place. Unfortunately, De Waal made a mistake and suffered a major blow. Due to the damage to his motorcycle, Micha had to abandon the race.
In the second round, the driver from Veen impressed the international group with his speed and courage. After a bad start - around 30th place - the Jumbo No Fear Let's Go Honda rider lit the fuse. De Waal had good lines on the difficult track and moved from the top 20 to 16th place. Since that advance took its toll at the end, he had to give up two more places. The 18th place was good for Micha's first 3 World Championship points.
Teammate Marshal Weltin performed well in the timed training. Weltin seemed to adapt well to the treacherous course. This was initially confirmed in the qualifying heat. When the American fell short on a triple jump and fell, he injured his hand. Marshal just managed to finish the race although he was severely hampered by pain.
Fortunately, the medical check-up afterwards gave him the green light. Weltin was able to take his chances on Sunday without any fractures, but the injured hand soon turned out to be a huge handicap. Due to swelling and pain that worsened in the opening moto, the MX2 rookie had to throw in the towel. The Jumbo No Fear Vamo Honda team will compete at the end of this month in Orlyonok, Russia, where the sixth round of the FIM MX2 World Championship will take place. .
Micha-Boy De Waal: “I'm happy that the first points have finally been received! We have known for some time that the speed is there, but the level is so high that you really need good starts to be able to play a meaningful role. Unfortunately, we had a technical problem during the qualifying race on Saturday, which meant I had to start from a very unfavorable position the next day. With more competition rhythm, there should be more in the coming GPs!”
Marshal Weltin: “The courts, the competition, everything is tough at World Cup level! The difficult circumstances made it extra difficult to drive with an injured hand. We did everything we could to be ready for Sunday and I hoped it would work out. Unfortunately, that turned out differently. I crashed in the first corner and my hand started to hurt more and more. We are now focusing on the next matches, fortunately the injury to my hand turns out not to be too bad.”
Photos: bavo
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