Terol Extends Championship Lead With Fantastic Aragon Victory

A sharp drop in temperature changed conditions at Motorland Aragón, but the expected rainfall failed to materialise for the 125cc race. Strong winds were a big factor, however, and caused problems for even the best of riders in the class. BANKIA Aspar rider Nico Terol did a good job of hiding any difficulties, breaking free from the rest of the field to claim a third consecutive win. Zarco and Faubel fought for second behind him, with Viñales further back in no man’s land and Kent, Vázquez, Cortese, Moncayo and Salom providing overtaking entertainment. Terol took the win from Zarco and Viñales.

BANKIA Aspar’s Nico Terol added Motorland Aragón to his list of conquered tracks, making amends for his close call in 2010. All of the Spanish races on the calendar so far -Jerez, Montmeló and Aragón- have seen Terol leave with the winner’s trophy, and this latest triumph further extends his advantage as World Championship leader.

Adrián Martín also had a great home round, placing ninth in a show of consistent riding at Motorland.

Teammate Héctor Faubel wanted to provide the Spanish fans with a home one-two, but paid the price for his bravery and ambition. It had been a magnificent weekend for him and he had a genuine shot at second place, but it wasn’t to be. After setting Zarco up for a pass, he lowsided at speed and was out of the race. After heading to the track’s medical centre, he was transfered to Alcañiz hospital. Through initial examinations in the form of a CAT scan and X-rays, Faubel has been diagnosed with a neck sprain.

1st Nico Terol:
“I wasn’t too sure of things after the warmup, because there was a lot of wind and I was expecting a group race. At the start of every corner the bike was reacting strangely, due to the gusts of wind. I was focused every step of the way, and pushed as hard as I could. When I saw 0.6 on the pit board I thought that it was time to drop the hammer on every section. I didn’t know if I could break free or not, but in the end I was able to do so. From then on, it was a case of maintaining the gap and avoiding letting the other riders rejoin the battle. It was a great victory, particularly because it comes in front of my home fans. Héctor’s crash was a pity, because he had a great weekend up to then and deserved a good result. We have won eight races so far, but we can’t rest on our laurels now; Márquez won a lot last year and didn’t clinch the title until the end, which is a warning to take things race-by-race.”

9th Adrián Martín:
“We have finally ended our bad run. I am very happy, because I was going well for the entire race. I tried to keep my cool, as I wanted to finish the race at all costs. We were rewarded for our consistency today, and I am very satisfied. From the midway point of the race I had a similar pace to the group ahead of me, and maybe if I hadn’t have been so cautious at the start I could have placed even higher up. I am very happy to have finished ninth today.”

Héctor Faubel (DNF):
“It was a real shame about the crash. I thought that I had ridden a great race and didn’t deserve for it to end in that way. I tried to follow Nico, but the wind blew me off track at certain points. I had a few laps behind Zarco, and knew where I could pass him. I wanted to wait until the last lap to do so. The crash was a strange one, because the bike just slid out completely in an aggressive manner. I wasn’t expecting it at all and I hurt myself in the gravel. I have to forget about this race and move on, and I hope that Japan is a better race for us.”

Source: Aspar Media