The Frenchman got squeezed by rivals either side as he entered turn one and needed lightening reactions to avoid a faller in the corner to emerge ninth, but he remained calm to methodically move forward to fifth by the close of the twenty-minute-plus-two-laps race to add six valuable points to his tally and consolidate his third place in the championship standings.
Romain Febvre: «My start was not that good and in the first corner there was a crash; I could just avoid it but I was in the pack and it’s never easy to make your way from there in a short race. The track was rougher than during the practice sessions, but it was not easy to pass as there was one main line and I couldn’t pass Van Doninck. I’m sure that I could go faster; my gate-pick will be better tomorrow so the goal will be to get some good starts.»
After consultation with medical advisors and KRT team manager Antti Pyrhönen Mitch Evans and the team mutually agreed to withdraw from the Sardinian round of MXGP in order to concentrate on a full recovery of his injured thumb. “It's regrettable but entirely the right decision” commented Pyrhönen. “Mitch will be back and ready to compete as soon as he is fit to race”.
F&H Kawasaki Racing Team's Kevin Horgmo charged to a race-long fifth place in Qualifying for the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship round to score six valuable championship points, while Spanish teammate David Braceras raced to a solid twelfth place as he consolidates his ranking in his rookie GP season.
Kevin Horgmo: "The track was still pretty smooth during practice but it was getting rougher during the Quali race. I had a good start and just rode my own race; I stayed behind Bénistant for fifth and felt strong all moto. Hopefully it will get even rougher for the GP motos tomorrow; that will be even better for me."
9MM Energy Drink BUD Racing Kawasaki's Quentin Marc Prugnières made an impressive start to his FIM European EMX250 Championship campaign with a superb ride to third place in the opening moto of the series. The stocky French youngster made his usual mid-pack start to round turn one eighteenth but was quickly into the top ten before a series of spectacular passes saw him advance to his eventual third within twenty minutes. The second moto takes place tomorrow morning.
Quentin Marc Prugnières: «I was outside the top-fifteen at the start but I could find some spots where I was able to make passes. The track was pretty physical with a lot of deep holes so I’m happy to come back to third; I wasn't that far from Valk in the last few minutes but I made a mistake and lost a couple of seconds again. But a third in the first race is a good basis for the season."