France exceeded expectations for round nine of the FIM World Championship, bringing along with it a very engaging crowd too.
Gyan turned a corner and showed us his capabilities throughout the weekend. He started off steady in timed practice with P7, but a clean start in race one would see him start in fourth and advance to third by lap 6, where he would finish at the flag. In race two, however, we would see the fight and determination really shine through in Gyan as he started in second and put the pressure on the leader Van Erp for the entirety of the moto. Breaking away from the rest of the field, Gyan applied the pressure and came just short of the race win but was nevertheless still overjoyed as he had just clinched his first EMX250 podium of the series, placing himself second overall. A very well-deserved and cherished moment for Gyan and the team.
Oriol also showed exceptional speed over the course of the weekend, starting timed practice in 12th and improving to 6th in the qualifying race. With some rain on Sunday morning and a rutty Ernée, Oriol started within the top five and by lap 8 had got into fourth. It was then that he set his sights on third-place rider Lata. He pushed hard for the remainder of the moto and put in some very good lap times but was unable to make a pass stick and finished the race a very impressive P4. Race two, Oriol had a top 10 start and with the track now hard and blue groove, he started making his way up the leaderboard. Knowing there was a chance of a podium, Oriol pushed hard for the 30min +2 lap race and would come to finish 7th. This gave him 4th overall, just 1 point shy of the podium!
Oriol: “Thats for sure my best MX2 race I ever did in this championship, and I am not surprised to be honest after spending some races with the team. Last weekend we made an improvement with the suspension and it felt directly better.
P4 overall after two consistent motos, and 1 point to the podium, it was a close one.
First moto couldn’t pass for 3rd all moto having the speed, and second moto I could catch 6th, but was not enough with a p7.
We will continue in this direction and I am happy for the team for the good weekend we had, gyan on the podium and me inside the top 5!”
Gyan: “Super weekend in ernee, P2 overall, P4 in the championschip and a lot of weight off my shoulders. Felt good and comfortable weekend long. Had some little setup problems in time practise but managed it well to get the right setup for the races. Very consistent and feeling confident going into the next rounds. Thanks to everyone!!”
Team Manager Shaun Simpson: “This weekend was more like it. Both riders showed their true potential and got the results they deserve.
I think it was a very important weekend for Gyan as he now knows he can fight for podium positions. He rode smart, calculated and finished strong in both races. I hope this result can be the turning point for his season and we can finish the remaining rounds of the EMX 250 championship fighting for podium positions and top three in the championship.
Oriol was exceptional all weekend too. As always, he was solid in time practice but nothing special. When it comes to the races, Oriol finds another gear and is able to battle with some of the best MX2 riders in the world. A very good first moto with P4 but the start of the second moto was not great and probably cost us a podium finish. Nevertheless, a career best for Oriol and the team in MX2.
We are all hungry for more results like this, let’s keep the ball rolling!
Thanks to everyone involved.”
Next Event: 1st June | MXGP | Teutschenthal, Germany
📸 Juan Pablo Acevedo
