Desalle and Lieber about MXGP Portugal
Clément, who was recovering from knee surgery last month, had to settle for sixth place in the first moto, just behind his teammate Julien Lieber. In the second moto he immediately took the holeshot and led the race for seven laps. He maintained a consistent lap time until the end of the race and finished fourth, just five seconds behind the second man. Desalle finished in fourth place in the final results and increased his lead in the world championship.
Teammate Julien Lieber quickly took fifth place in the first moto and also finished in that position. His hopes of his first MXGP podium went up in smoke after he was hit by two other riders on the first lap of the second moto and lost a lot of places. He eventually managed to come back to ninth place, which was good for seventh place in the daily rankings.
Clement Desalle: “It was a good day considering I haven't been able to ride much in recent weeks. It was great to lead so many laps in the second moto, this is very motivating for the upcoming GPs. I continue to recover from my knee injury and I feel it is getting better every week. I am also very happy with my starts and the sixth and fourth places I achieved which increased my lead in the championship. Physically it is still difficult to maintain such a high intensity throughout the entire competition, but I know I can continue to improve my fitness in the coming weeks.”
Julien Lieber: “The first moto was good; I had a good start and had consistent lap times to finish fifth, not that far from Seewer. I tried to pass him and push the last few laps, but I just couldn't get past him. In the second moto I started well again, but in the second corner two riders hit me. This almost caused a crash and I lost a lot of positions, but I eventually came back to ninth place. It was a good weekend, the track was very nice and I am confident for the next GP in France.”
Photos: Pascal Haudiquert
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