Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
MXGP SBK BLOG<br />
TITULAR TITULAR<br />
THE VALUE OF THE FIRST...<br />
Ah, first round hype. To be honest there is nothing like it. There can be<br />
other challenges and situations such as ‘who can defeat Tony Cairoli on<br />
Italian soil?’ or ‘who can stop Jeffrey Herlings at Valkenswaard?’ and<br />
‘will the French prevail in France?’ but there are few better prefaces than<br />
Grand Prix #1 where every rider has yet to start their roll of momentum<br />
and confidence and the formbook is blank.<br />
We all know the factory riders<br />
likely to be setting the pace<br />
at Matterley this weekend but<br />
that doesn’t mean nerves, jitters<br />
or rustiness won’t come<br />
into play and possibly determine<br />
a final result. The British<br />
Grand Prix is first on the<br />
slate for the first time in the<br />
modern era which means the<br />
conditions could range from a<br />
moderate late winter climate<br />
to extremely testing mud, rain<br />
and wind although it seems<br />
that the Winchester-site has<br />
braved the grim stormy UK<br />
weather fairly well in recent<br />
weeks. It’s a mixed bag and<br />
who knows what racer will<br />
jump out first.<br />
Matterley will see MXGP and<br />
MX2 protagonists eager to<br />
compete after their last major<br />
outing in the Netherlands<br />
on September 30th 2019.<br />
For the vast majority of the<br />
experienced Grand Prix pack<br />
it is also the first nibble of a<br />
big cake that will carry both<br />
sweet and sour tastes over the<br />
next six months with visits to<br />
sixteen other countries and<br />
three fixtures per month (with<br />
the exception of July). <strong>On</strong>ce<br />
the teams start rolling out of<br />
the UK and on towards the<br />
Eurocircuit near Eindhoven<br />
thoughts will already be working<br />
on the next instalment of<br />
57 race starts to take place.<br />
Matterley encourages excitement<br />
but will also see some<br />
reservation, especially from<br />
riders returning from serious<br />
injury like Cairoli, Clement<br />
Desalle, Romain Febvre and<br />
(maybe whisper it with hope)<br />
Jorge Prado. A couple might<br />
gorge on the occasion, most<br />
will show some restraint: this<br />
could be another decider in<br />
the overall top ten classification<br />
on the day.<br />
The value of round one is<br />
debatable and will be a source<br />
of a small feature in MXGP<br />
Special Edition of OTOR next<br />
week but mathematically it<br />
still constitutes a maximum<br />
haul of 50 points. Take it or<br />
leave it, considering that only<br />
two of the last ten MXGP<br />
championships have been won<br />
with an advantage less than<br />
50 at the end of the season.
Change language