Good first day for returnee Cardus despite two crashes

QMMF Racing Team rider Ricky Cardús, who had missed both the Barcelona and the Silverstone Grand Prix due to appendicitis, made a promising comeback with 15th place in the first free practice session for the Dutch TT at Assen. The 23-year-old from Barcelona, who had never been on the Assen circuit before, needed just 14 laps to familiarize himself with the fast and demanding 4.5 kilometre circuit. Cardús also fell off twice at his first-ever Assen experience, with crash number two being a consequence of an oil spill caused by Italian rider Alex Baldolini – the same massive oil spill that eventually lead to the cancellation of all the afternoon sessions on the first day.

Ricky Cardús – 15º 1.57,137
“It was not nice to sit at home while my rivals were racing. I’ve only been able to train lightly in the gym, because the injury was internal it was best to take it easy. Now I am happy to be back and also for work today. I can not say much of the circuit because I did only 14 laps in the wet, but being my first time here, I can not complain with 15th. I had two silly crashes, the second because of the oil on the track, but it is part of the game and luckily nothing has happened to us. Now I am already thinking of improving tomorrow.”

Luis Solano, team coordinator: “15th place in his first practice session after almost 20 days of recovery at home is a good result for Ricky. We know that he’s got great talent in the rain and that he has good feeling in this condition, so we are confident that there is even more to come.”

Source: QMMF Racing