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MX2: Two Kawasakis in the top six after Bellpuig

In Offroad

18 maggio 2009

MX2: Two Kawasakis in the top six after Bellpuig

Both Gautier Paulin and Steven Frossard are currently in the top six of the MX2 World Championship after the Catalan Grand Prix, round six of the FIM series.

Unlucky to leave Bellpuig with only two finishes of 16th position, Gautier is currently second in the standings.

The 2008 edition of Spanish GP was still fresh in the mind and remarkable for being as wet as this season’s opening round in Italy. Luckily the weather was perfect in Catalunya this weekend, and under high temperatures the event took place on a familiar track for the competitors. Both the preparation and the watering of the track play a major role in all the races, as the surface was either too dry or too slippery depending on the sections.

Unfortunately two main victims of this preparation were the fastest Kawasaki riders of the pack, Gautier Paulin and Steven Frossard. Seventh and eighth after the opening lap of the MX2 qualifying race on Saturday, they both lost their chance to get a good result when Gautier slid on a wet corner. Too close behind his countryman, Steven crashed also, and while he came back to twenty-sixth in the Heat Gautier had to stop in the pits to collect a new pair of goggles. He then made several laps behind the race leaders to study the lines and finally retired far afield while Steven came back fifteenth.

The starting area was another mix of dry and wet sections on Sunday and from his outside gate the World Championship leader had the worst possible start as he hit soft ground on his line. Last on the first jump of the track, Gautier passed thirteen riders during the opening circulation but then crashed and had to come back from twenty seventh to sixteenth, only two ranks behind Marvin Musquin; the runner up in the standings. From his fifteenth gate pick Frossard had a better start and produced a perfect lap to arrive to seventh and then sixth; following Davide Guarneri since the third circulation although failing to find a spot to pass him and ending the race in fifth place just behind the Italian.

Both Gautier and Steven had a better jump from the gate in Moto2, but this time the Bud Racing rider was involved in a pile-up while the CLS representative reached eighth behind Van Horebeek. Following his rival for most of the distance Steven again struggled to overtake and finally place sixth. Starting his race thirty seconds after his rivals, Paulin made another great come back to sixteenth, and finally scored ten points in Spain. It was not enough to secure a sixth consecutive red plate, as he is now second in the standings only three points from Musquin. Twenty fifth in the opening race, Loic Rombaut scored two points during the second heat after coming back from twenty fifth at mid race distance.

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