Nico Terol’s Misano Victory Adds To 125cc Championship Lead Advantage
The skies clouded over at Misano for the 125cc race, contrasting with the sunshine of previous days. The start of the contest was somewhat foggy as well, as Johann Zarco inexplicably moved across the track and made contact with Héctor Faubel. BANKIA Aspar rider Nico Terol repeated his Indianapolis masterclass in attempting to make an early break. Zarco had closed the gap by lap eight, and the real battle began with six laps remaining. On the line, Terol pickpocketed his rival to take a fantastic win.
Nico Terol added to his advantage in the overall standings, continuing his flawless response to disappointment at Brno two rounds previous. Consecutive victories in Indianapolis and Misano give him a 31 point lead in the classification, and he has shown that he is the dominant rider in the class. The Spaniard was the first to break into the 1’43s on the timing screens, and also showed that he is crafty as well as fast. His final lap pass on Zarco sealed his seventh win of the season.
Héctor Faubel had also hoped to fight for the top step of the podium, but his great start was thrown into disarray by Zarco. He crossed the line in seventh after the opening lap, and gained two places before the chequered flag fell.
BANKIA Aspar’s young talent, Adrián Martín, completed the San Marino GP, but only after a trip to the garage following a first lap crash. He eventually placed 26th.
1st Nico Terol:
“I saw that Zarco got a bad start, so I was focused on taking the first corner perfectly. I wanted to push hard early in order to open a gap, and did so at 100%. I was following the instructions on the pitboard as I tried to put some distance between myself and the other riders. After various attempts, I changed my strategy to try and let Zarco pass, allowing me to see how he was taking the race. We overtook one another again with two laps to go, and I was sure that I was faster than him on the final sector -I was entering the final corner much better. I overtook him but he returned the favour, so I stuck right on his tail for the final corner and managed to pull out in front of him. I don’t know why he turned around right before the line, but I think that I would have taken the position in any case. It was a great race and a great victory. We leave Misano at full strength, having taken two consecutive wins. We have to continue working in the same way, as the team and myself are doing a great job at the moment and it is thanks to them that I am having my best 125cc season. In Aragón we will be looking for a third win in a row.”
5th Héctor Faubel:
“It was looking like a perfect weekend. I felt more comfortable than I had done in a while, as the bike and my feel for it continue to improve. I took off well from the line, but for some reason Zarco came across and made contact with me -I don’t know why. I had to let go of the throttle and lost positions as a result. From then on I had an entertaining battle with the second group. Cortese and Iwere riding at the same pace as the leaders and broke free. I am a little disappointed that everything didn’t come together today, because I could have fought for the win.”
26th Adrián Martín:
“I was really up for it at the start, and I managed to pass a lot of riders. I saw that I was gaining places on the opening corners and decided to push hard, but two turns before the end of the first lap I crashed. It was a strange fall, but I took the bike back to the pits and wanted to get back out, because it was hardly damaged in the crash. My mechanics got the bike back in order and I returned to the track, because I wanted to finish the race. I leave Misano feeling good, because the practice sessions were great and I was just missing a bit of luck in the race. I will be trying again in Aragón.”
Source: Aspar Media