O'Hare and Sileika look back on 'their Mantova'
The hectic pace of the third 'tripleheader' week came to an end yesterday in Mantova. The Belgian KTM Diga Junior Racing was present in three classes with Thomas Sileika (EMX250), Daniel Volovich (EMX125) and TJ O'Hare (WMX). The young Australian delivered the best result of the team. TJ goes to the final in Trentino with a 10de place in the WMX standings. Given the mutual differences with Anne Borchers, who has 2 more points and Sara Andersen on 18 points, there are certainly opportunities for TJ there too.
The returning Thomas Sileika had the busiest schedule of the three riders. After several finishes on the edge of the top 10, the sympathetic Latvian was keen to perform strongly in Lombardy. On the first day of competition, Sileika drove to two 16sde places after he placed as 7de had qualified in his group. Although he showed his speed again on Tuesday, a piece of the puzzle was missing. So he had to settle for 15de in 18. de place.
During the closing weekend, Thomas achieved his strongest result of the Mantova triple: an 11th place in the opening series. However, two crashes and a DNF left him hungry in the second moto. After seven rounds in the EMX250, Sileika inu is 17th in the standings, although the difference with the 12th rider, Gianluca Faccheti, is barely 17 points.
Although she didn't have any luck in her starts, TJ O'Hare still performed very well in both WMX rounds on the circuit of the Tazio Nuvolari Motoclub. A heavy fall in the very first series threw a spanner in the works as the KTM Diga Junior Racing rider hurt her collarbone and hip. Yet she still completed the series in 16de statement and she took the pain away in series two with a more than decent 8th place. On Tuesday, Tahlia also confirmed her regularity with a 10de place in the first race.
When TJ entered the second corner of the final series in sixth place, she had a trump card in hand to hunt for an improvement on her personal best performance as 8th.th. Unfortunately, she had to deal with nerves, so O'Hare ultimately had to settle for an 11de place. Even though there was potential to do better, it is clear that she will travel to Arco di Trento in less than a month, super motivated.
EMX125 rider Daniel Volovich has been working hard on training in recent months. After his 5de place during the ONK in Oss, Daniel wanted to prove himself in Italy. Unfortunately, the White Russian felt anything but well last Saturday and had to forfeit the second round.
TJ O'Hare: “All in all the heats went quite well. Especially because I had some small problems. I didn't really have a great feeling on the bike, but I did have fun on the track. Overtaking was always a challenge in the first series. Because I couldn't pass fast enough I lost my rhythm, but the second motos were better! To be honest, the second race on Tuesday certainly opened my eyes. With that start I should actually have been able to stay at the front, but I didn't breathe as I should, rode cramped and dropped back to P11. So these are certainly work points. Fortunately I am healthy and with one lap to go, it looks positive for a top 10 in the final rankings!
Thomas Sileika: “If our cat was a cow, they would say, right? Speculating about what could have been accomplished is indeed fruitless, but my week in Mantova was frustrating. In terms of driving it was okay, unfortunately it was not possible to deliver two regular series. The results could have been a lot better! On Tuesday I wanted to overtake for ninth place but I crashed, that was three laps before the end. In the second moto I came from 39th place back to 18de after falling in the opening round. On Saturday I was eighth for a long time in the first moto, I couldn't catch up for P7 and then crashed in the waves... (laughing) We're certainly not going to talk about the second series! No seriously, I'm really looking forward to the next competitions to show what I really have to offer.”
Photos: Eric Laurijssen
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