Fores Finds Assen Race Pace Impossible Due To Rear Tyre Problems

For the second Grand Prix in succession, the Moto2 riders had a wet race to contend with at Assen this Saturday. Intermittent showers at the Dutch TT thankfully failed to transform into Silverstone-esque showers, and an exciting race developed in the afternoon contest. The race leader broke away early in Great Britain, but in Holland a four-rider group tussled at the top almost until the chequered flag. Márquez, Smith, Sofuoglu and Takahashi battled for the lead, with the alter dropping out after a late crash and the Spaniard gaining an advantage in front to take victory. Takahashi’s was one of many crashes, with the tally reaching thirteen and also including a fall for series leader Stefan Bradl.

MAPFRE Aspar rider Xavi Forés was looking to turn his weekend back around, having suffered two crashes in practice under wet conditions. He had found a wet setup in qualifying with which he had felt comfortable, and wanted to make the most of it from low down on the grid. He gave it his best shot and had made up a few positions, but a problem with his rear tyre wearing out very early on made it impossible to keep his pace up. He ended the race in 23rd.

23rd Xavi Forés:
“Today was a really difficult race for me. I got off the line well, but another rider went into me on the first corner and I lost a lot of positions. I tried to regain my focus and finish the race as best I could. Later, from the fifth lap onwards, the tyre was absolutely destroyed and I was losing the back end -I could even feel the rear stepping out on the straights. It’s another race outside the points and I am disappointed because we started the weekend well, but I had two crashes that really made me think about things and take a calmer approach. Now I have to put this behind me and concentrate on the next race.”

Source: Aspar Media