Nederlands
SM Action M.C. Migliori’s Hakon Fredrikson kept his cool during two thrilling EMX250 races to celebrate the sixth round of the EMX250 Championship in Mantova, Italy, from second step of the podium for the second consecutive time. Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250’s Thibault Benistant tied for third overall and has maintained his momentum as the EMX250 Championship leader. Fredriksen went 3-2 in the races while Benistant went 2-7 for fourth overall.
In classic EMX250 style, the Timed Practice session was another tight affair. Fredriksen was the best placed Yamaha rider going Pole in Group 1 with a 1:51.944 ahead of Benistant in second position with 1:52.351. Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250’s Gianluca Facchetti was second fastest in Group 2 with a 1:51.940, 1-second off the pace of the eventual round winner Mattia Guadagnini who posted a 1:50.835
In the opening race, Benistant pulled a massive holeshot and led the first two-laps before being chased down and passed by the local hero, Guadagnini. The Frenchman did his best to challenge for the lead but had to back off due to an unusual pain in his stomach. He finished second ahead of Fredriksen who put in a strong ride for third.
Out of four starts here in Mantova, Fredriksen has finished inside of the top-three on three occasions. Clearly reveling the Città di Mantova circuit, the Norwegian followed the Race 1 winner, Guadagnini, around turn-one and shadowed the ’101’ all the way to the flag.
Less fortunate off the gate, Benistant had to bounce back from two costly errors on his way from outside of the top-15 to seventh. The ‘198’ tied for third but was classified fourth in the EMX250 round standings based on the result of the final race – when two riders finish on the same points the better position is awarded to the best placed rider in the final race, which on this occasion was Lorenzo Locurcio who finished third in Race 2.
After qualifying second fastest, Facchetti’s races were spoiled by errors. He finished 22nd in Race 1 and 11th in Race 2 for 17th overall. Benistant still leads the EMX250 Championship by 43-points over Guadagnini. A second consecutive podium finish sees Fredriksen leap to fourth in the overall standings, while Facchetti drops to 14th. The seventh round of the EMX250 Championship will take place here in Mantova, Italy, in three days’ time, on Saturday 3rd October.
Thibault Benistant “The first race was not so bad, I took the holeshot but was not feeling too good on the first few laps and Mattia Guadagnini passed me. I tried to keep on his wheel but then I started to feel pain on my stomach, I think it is because I waited too late to eat before the race, but it’s nothing I finished second which is still good. In the second race I came back from far, then I made one small mistake again and had to fight hard to come back sixth. It was not such a bad day and we still lead the championship, so it is okay.”
Overall EMX250 Championship Mantova:
1 Mattia Guadagnini 50 Pnt
2 Hakon Fredriksen 42 Pnt
3 Lorenzo Locurcio 36 Pnt
4 Thibault Benistant 36 Pnt
5 Jorgen Matthias Talviku 32 Pnt
17 Gianluca Facchetti 10 Pnt
EMX250 Championship Standings:
1 Thibault Benistant 251 Pnt
2 Mattia Guadagnini 208 Pnt
3 Kay de Wolf 181 Pnt
4 Hakon Fredriksen 152 Pnt
5 Tim Edberg 152 Pnt
14 Gianluca Facchetti 84 Pnt