Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Romain Febvre has homed in on the series points-leaders after finishing second in a horrendously muddy Portuguese round of the FIM World MXGP Motocross Championship at Agueda.
Light rainfall throughout the week had left the race track in perfect condition for practice but the forecast heavy storms which swept off the Atlantic over the weekend demanded everything from riders, teams and track crew during the racing. With the rain bucketing down as the first MXGP moto burst into life it was clear that not only speed but also survival would be a key factor. A top-three start for Febvre was an excellent base for success in race one and the leading trio were soon pulling well clear; on lap nine of fourteen the Kawasaki rider took over second as one of his rivals faltered and track conditions were inevitably become more-and-more demanding by the lap as he chased down the leader. Entering the final lap he surrendered second briefly with a crash but he had regained the position until the final corner of the race when another fall pushed him back to third. A clear second through turn one in race two the Frenchman survived a hair-raising moment when the leader slithered to the ground and, unable to avoid the carnage, he launched over the stricken bike but stayed aboard and within a few corners had regained third position. He relentlessly chased the rival in second and, in the knowledge that a pass would secure the overall GP victory, he mounted an energetic challenge as the race entered the closing stages. A slip just before a sticky climb cost him the hopes of GP victory and also a position in the race but his perseverence ensured second on the day and, more significantly, his forty-six championship score over the weekend has reduced his deficit to the series pacesetter by thirteen points as the top-three at the top of the standings tighten up.
Romain Febvre: “For me it was a bad day, but that’s racing. Many things happened in the first moto but I also crashed twice, even on the last lap; I had been second but I finished fourth. In the second moto I was third for a long time but I could not find the good lines and I started to lose time. Gajser passed me and I couldn’t figure where he was gaining time because he went away quickly; I didn’t crash this moto but I was making too many mistakes. Fourth and fifth were not what I should have because I was second and third at one stage so I am disappointed. I was just not good enough today.”
KRT teammate Pauls Jonass had battled hard throughout the first moto to earn seventh from an initial tenth and was looking to reinforce his push into the top-ten of the series standings when he rounded the first turn third in race two. But his joy was short-lived as a small stone jammed the rear brake mechanism on the first lap. After being delayed for more than a minute he showed great spirit to charge back through the pack, missing the final championship point by just six seconds at the finish.
Pauls Jonass: “Finally I got a really good start in the second moto and a stone stuck in my rear brake on the first lap so I overjumped the big table and lost some positions. I tried to push it out but then I had to stop at the pits; the stone was hidden so deep in the brake it even took time for my mechanic to get it out. I was careful not to get in the way of the leaders but there was a gap after Romain passed me so I could stay on his rear wheel. I was feeling good on the track and riding well but these small mishaps happen. I was moving forward in the first race too until I got taken out halfway through the moto and the handlebars were bent but I could still finish seventh. Hopefully those will be the last mishaps this season and we can keep moving forward from here.”
