THIRD ROUND OF THE MX2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN PORTUGAL
Just one week after the memorable GP of Spain, the Grand Prix of Portugal took place in great conditions, with a sunny weather and a perfect track. Both of the CLS riders collected their best ever GP result, with a seventh place in moto one for Steven Frossard and a score of nine points for Gregory Aranda.
The qualifications were pretty difficult for the CLS riders, and both of them had to spend some energy on Saturday. Steven crashed at the beginning of his race, and came back strongly from last to eighth while Gregory went to the ‘last chance’ were he posted the second lap time. None of them had a good position on the grid.
The weather was perfect on Sunday, with more than 30°C in the air. Steven had a pretty good start in the first race as he came tenth after one lap, far behind Greg who was twenty second. The track was hard and pretty difficult to pass as most of the riders took the same lines; Steven and Greg did a consistant race to score a seventh and a eighteenth place.
The second start was similar to the previous one, and after the first lap Steven and Greg were fourteenth and twenty third. Unfortunately Steven crashed during the second circulation, when he didn’t saw a big hole in the dust; twenty seventh after this crash he came back ninenteenth and then retired as the clutch was damaged in the crash. Once more Greg did a consistant race to collect a fifteenth position, and add nine points to his score board.
Loic Larrieu was in Italy for the third round of the European Championship; after his win in France he collected a second place overall in San Severino. Third and fourth in the heats despite a terrible start in the second race, where he crashed in the first corner, Loic is now second in the standings seventeenth points from the leader.
Team CLS will have a busy week, with a French Elite round in Gaillac Toulza on thursday 1st of May, and then the fourth round of the European series for Loic in Plomion.
Steven Frossard : ‘ On Saturday I had some troubles during the qualfying race, I crashed in the first lap and I lost thirty seconds as the engine stalled. The track was rough and I did a strong come back in eighth position, with good lap times.
On Sunday the organisers took off the ruts and the track was much easier for everyone, that was not the best as we all had the same lines. I was in the top fifteen at the start and finished seventh, I lost too much time behind Paulin and then couldn’t catch Goncalves and Guarneri.
During my crash in the second moto I damaged my clutch but I tried to finish the race, but that was impossible. I will try to recover in two weeks time in Bulgaria’
Gregory Aranda : ‘ I socre points in both heats with a top fifteen in the second one, I was expecting better results but for this I need better starts. That means that I must be stronger in qualifications, where I had to go through the last chance as I finished my race in fourteenth position after a crash.
My goal for the next GP’s will be to have a strong qualifying race, and then to score twice in the top fifteen’
Jean Jacques Luisetti : ‘ This weekend was pretty good for us, with Loic second in Italy despite bad starts, with Steven who got its best ever race result and with Greg who scored points in both heats. It was the first GP this year in good conditions, and both Steven and Greg showed that they have a good speed.
Steven must now manage his races, he spent sometimes too much energy and took too much risks for himself and the bike in the first laps. Gregory has to focus on his qualification races, that’s the moment when the GP really start as a good place on the grid is essential for the races’
Thierry Chizat Suzzoni : ‘Steven scored good points after two difficult GP’s, but unfortunately crashed during the second race and missed another top ten result. Both riders must be stronger during the qualifications, as the start is too important on Sunday.
When you enter eighteenth and twenty sixth on the grid, it’s difficult to be in front at the first corners. Concerning Greg he finished both races in the points and that’s encouraging; he must now believe in his potential’
- Pascal Haudiquert-
