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MXGP, Faenza, Italy, 17 Június 2018

A second place and two crashes for Clement Desalle in Italy

Clement Desalle of the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team had a day of mixed fortunes at the MXGP of Lombardy but it was sufficient to reinforce his third place in the championship standings.

The twenty-nine year Belgian emerged strongly from the difficult sweeping first turn in each moto at the sandy Ottobiano track, but the final results in this eleventh round of the FIM World MXGP Motocross Championship were very different. He took over second place on the seventh lap of the opening moto and retained it to chequered flag despite immense pressure from behind during the final stages of the race. Again showing his experience to emerge fourth on the opening lap of race two, he advanced quickly until the first of two falls pushed him back into the pack where a collision with another rider damaged the rear brake pedal. After attempting to straighten the pedal alone Clement soon realised that he would need to pit for assistance and rejoined the race way down in twenty-eighth position. Showing relentless spirit he charged all the way to the chequered flag and was rewarded with a single championship point for twentieth position, a hard-earned point which may prove vital at the end of the season.
 
Clement Desalle: « I got a good start in the first race, and took over second place after a few laps when I passed Febvre. I managed to keep Anstie behind me during the last few laps to finish second, which was a good result. I got another good start in the second race and was third when I had a small crash; the speed was really high during the first few laps, and I had to push to regain the positions I had lost but I had another small crash and again lost positions. Then I collided with Simpson and my brake pedal was bent; I tried to repair it myself but in the end I had to stop at the pits and was last when I went back on the track, I recovered from twenty-eighth to score one point. That’s not what I was expecting but I know where I am and was pleased to feel physically strong in the heat; that will be important during the next two rounds in Indonesia."
 
Alessandro Lupino of Gebben Van Venrooy Kawasaki Racing rode two solid races to eleventh and twelfth in his home GP, while Tommy Searle of Bike It DRT Kawasaki rode strongly from eighteenth place to thirteenth in the second race despite being unfamiliar with track conditions after an early exit from the first moto.